- Home Bar
Home Bar Ideas and Designs
Whether your home bar ideas would be having the boys round to watch the big match in a pub-style atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon, ‘going uptown’ to sip an espresso martini in your home cocktail bar in the loft, or hoping to recreate the vibe of an intimate speakeasy in your basement, a style home bar is a treat that’s guaranteed to lift your spirits. A place where you are always guaranteed a seat.
How big should my home bar be?
The ideal style of your home bar will depend on your lifestyle and entertaining habits as well as the amount of available space. If big groups come round regularly then you should consider dedicating a part of your living room or basement to a larger seating area – complete with a bar table, bar stools and wet bar section – to keep everyone suitably comfortable and merry. If TV is essential, check if there is a wall nearby that’s a big enough to mount it on without restricting anyone’s view. A key feature of home bar ideas is the storage – gleaming wine racks and low-lit glass shelves. Make sure you can afford these little delights after you have built the basic structure. Alternatively, if space is limited, a freestanding home cocktail bar would give you somewhere to prepare cocktails that is out of the way – in the corner of your dining room or under the stairwell for instance. Also, mirrored surfaces can help to create the illusion of space. Sketch the layout of the room in which you would like to place the bar and think about where all those bottles, cans and snacks are going to go. Then speak to either a home bar specialist about your home bar ideas, or to a joiner about adapting a vintage bookcase or creating something bespoke.
What style of home bar should I choose?
Try to play off the interior decor of the surrounding area. A kitsch Manhattan-inspired home cocktail bar will look out of place in a country cottage, for example. Similarly, a long white walnut home bar would jar against a bright red contemporary kitchen. That said, contrast might be something that you accentuate, not least through the choice of flooring, which would help to make your home bar stand out. Collect home bar ideas in an Ideabook, settle upon a theme and then discuss the design with your home bar specialist or joiner. Lighting sets the mood in bars, particularly late at night, so pay special attention to placement, intensity and how you want your guests to feel. Dim underbar lighting creates a warm, intimate atmosphere, while spotlights brighten and energise.
Which home bar accessories and facilities should I include?
This really does depend on how far you are willing to go. A home bar can replicate almost everything you see in your local, from running water and refrigerated wine cabinets to draught beer pumps and bespoke lighting and a sound systems. Again, the most important thing is to work with what’s there – available space and home decor. Is that black lizard effect leather flooring really going to go? How about the turquoise splashback? Do those flowers look out of place or will they help to soften up what’s fast becoming a man cave? There are several ways to make a home bar more visually interesting without spending big on fixtures and fittings. Select furniture that’s comfortable but also sparks interest, such as salvaged chairs or a second-hand leather sofa. Add a touch of glitz and glamour through your choice of glassware, drinks trolley, ice bucket, shaker and spirit bottles if you want the home cocktail bar look. Then scatter a few curios around the bar – ornaments, lamps, artwork, photos and travel mementos are great home bar ideas to get the conversation started.
Whether you want inspiration for planning a home bar renovation or are building a designer home bar from scratch, Houzz has 72,315 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Pfeiffer Design and MATT architecture LLP. Look through home bar photos in different colours and styles and when you find a home bar design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful home bar ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.
- Mirror (1882)
- Stone Tile (1789)
- Ceramic Tile (1213)
- Stone Slab (1186)
- Glass Tile (1162)
- Wood (1092)
- Mosaic Tile (1091)
- Metro Tile (969)
- Brick (447)
- Marble (396)
- Porcelain Tile (387)
- Matchstick Tile (297)
- Metal Tile (272)
- Glass Sheet (209)
- Travertine (80)
- Cement Tile (76)
- Slate (58)
- Limestone (42)
- Terracotta Tile (30)
Miriam Sheridan Photography
Inspiration for a small contemporary l-shaped home bar in London with flat-panel cabinets, grey floors, grey worktops, brown cabinets and beige splashback.
All shelves are made with invisible fixing.
Massive mirror at the back is cut to eliminate any visible joints.
All shelves supplied with led lights to lit up things displayed on shelves
Tamas Toth
Small traditional single-wall home bar in London with no sink, shaker cabinets, grey cabinets, mirror splashback, dark hardwood flooring and grey worktops.
Painted bookcase - ecranwell
Photo of a contemporary u-shaped breakfast bar in London with flat-panel cabinets, wood worktops, medium hardwood flooring and brown worktops.
Woodwork finishing and bar stools - bylewisco
This is an example of a contemporary home bar in London.
Loving the outdoor bar with the underlighting. - larrylikesroses
Bloomsbury encaustic tiles from Artisans of Devizes.
Design ideas for a large contemporary single-wall home bar in Wiltshire with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets, wood worktops, ceramic flooring and brown worktops.
Wine cabinet as u enter kitchen - webuser_528753459
Home bar with view over hidden study desk and secret direct access stairs to master bedroom on mezzanine
Design ideas for a medium sized modern home bar in London.
An open Plan Area Flowing From This Beautiful Walnut Bar Featuring Stone Tops & a Full Height Sliding Antique Glass Panel Into The Dining Room, Living Space & Kitchen.
Bar area - mia_nicoll
Medium sized contemporary galley wet bar in Hertfordshire with a submerged sink, flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, granite worktops, mirror splashback, black worktops and grey floors.
Bar, Dining - vern93
Darren Chung Photography Ltd
Design ideas for a small contemporary single-wall home bar in Berkshire with no sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, mirror splashback, beige floors and white worktops.
I like these pocket of sliding doors where some of your kitchen is hidden - webuser_318142262
Photo of a contemporary home bar in London.
ba shelving - ciderdays
Will Pryce
Design ideas for a contemporary home bar in London.
staged drinks a good idea so can view all bottle - olwyn_godden
Simon Firulo
This is an example of a contemporary galley breakfast bar in Surrey with wood worktops, no sink, open cabinets, medium wood cabinets and medium hardwood flooring.
Small contemporary home bar in Other with no sink, light wood cabinets, wood worktops and wood splashback.
Oak? striped front, not so sure - wish13
Photo of a contemporary home bar in London.
Dining room - webuser_664919938
This is an example of a traditional breakfast bar in Sussex with open cabinets, light wood cabinets and beige floors.
Image No 96499470 - Pfeiffer Design - karen4049
Inspiration for a contemporary galley wet bar in Oxfordshire with a submerged sink, flat-panel cabinets, beige splashback, medium hardwood flooring and beige floors.
Floor, cabinet colour, wall colour - webuser_262955214
Photography | Simon Maxwell | https://simoncmaxwell.photoshelter.com
Artwork | Kristjana Williams | www.kristjanaswilliams.com