A home bar is far more than a place to have some drinks – it’s a social gathering spot, enjoyed by both you and your friends.

You might not have any idea where to start when it comes to designing your own home bar, so I’ve created a guide to answer your questions and help you plan/design your ideal home bar furniture choices and all!

Features

There are a lot of different features that come with today’s best home bars, so read through the following and decide if any of these are for you:

Flexible bar: these are normally smaller and have wheels on the bottom so they can be easily moved or stored away.

Wet bar: they feature a built-in sink so it’s easier to clean up your bar.

Built-in fridge: perfect for keeping your drinks in, so you don’t have to go back and forth from the main fridge.

Ice machine: again, no more back-and-forth between the kitchen fridge to ice up your drinks!

Draft system: just like the regular pubs, you can find home bars with built-in draft systems that allow you to have beer on tap.

Home Bar Furniture Styles

Just like any other kind of furniture, bar furniture can follow different interior design styles. Choose between these different bar sets that come with their own stools:

Modern: Trica Cheers Martini Home Bar Set

Contemporary: Home Styles Furniture Steamer Ebony Folding Home Bar Set

Traditional: Pulaski Edwardian Home Bar Set

Transitional: Pulaski Sixth Street Wooden Home Bar

Rustic: Powell Brandon Wooden Home Bar Set

Bar Furniture Sizes

Depending on how much room you have, there will be a bar that fits your living space.

Small (between 34 and 44 inches wide):

Howard Miller Merlot Valley Wine and Spirits Console Home Bar

Trica Citybar Home Bar & Champagne Swivel Stools Set

Howard Miller Vintner Wine and Spirits Home Bar Console

Medium (between 60 and 65 inches wide):

Home Styles Furniture Steamer Black Folding Home Bar

Powell La Questa Wood Home Bar

Howard Miller Syracuse Modern Home Bar

Large (between 75 and 80 inches wide):

Powell Tuscan Pub Back Home Bar Cabinet

Pulaski Carlton Manor Classic Home Bar

Hillsdale Large Cherry Home Wrap Around Home Bar

Bar Furniture: Outdoor Bar Sets

Who says you need a home bar on the inside only? With these summer months , there’s nothing more relaxing then enjoying a drink outside with your friends. Take a look at the following outdoor sets that will draw guests to your home in the summertime:

Alfresco Home Santa Barbara Outdoor Patio Bar Set

Bamboo Tiki Bar with Roof

Tommy Bahama Wooden Java Outdoor Home Bar

4D Concepts Wicker Bar Set

Alfresco Home Sabbia Tiki Outdoor Patio Bar Set

Home Bar Design: Paint Colours

If you’re lucky enough to have a room dedicated to your home bar, you have the freedom to paint all the walls a great shade to match your bar.

Even if your home bar is off to the side of your kitchen, dining room, or living room, you can always paint an accent wall to separate the bar from the rest of your house.

I’ve put together a couple different colour combos using www.benjaminmoore.com‘s Personal Colour Viewer that would look distinguished in a home bar. I’ve also chosen different coloured bar stools that would go well with the wall paints.
Give your home bar a sophisticated look with a dark brown colour scheme. Since the colours are so rich, black, white, and silver bar furniture wouldn’t take attention away from the walls.

Hillsdale Kingstown White Swivel Bar Stool

Black, grey, and brown are very classic and traditional, but don’t be afraid to give them an updated spin with furnishings in bright purple or red.

Amisco Kris 30″ High Upholstered Seat and Back with Armrest Swivel Bar Stool
For a hip, modern bar, why not try a shocking red wall colour? Chrome and black furniture really contrast with the red, making your home bar stand out.

Euro Style Agnes Round Low Back Bar Stool
A home bar with a soft purple wall colour gives off a contemporary vibe. Basic black furnishings with accents of brown or silver will compliment the gorgeous violet shade.

Regal Boston 30″ Backless Bar Stool
Terra cotta walls really give a home bar some flavour! Warm browns, espressos, and even purples and greens work well with this shade and give your bar an exotic flair.

Grace Classic Collection 30″ High Square Backless Wrought Iron Bar Stool

Home Bar Design: Décor
There are so many options when it comes to decorating your home bar. You can try to make it like a classic English pub & grill, or a cool downtown club. Take a look at the following décor pieces for your home bar:

Linon Vetro Di Oro Nicole Etienne Wine Bottles VII & VIII

It might seem like a cliché to have painting with bottles in your home bar, but this set of framed paintings is too beautiful to be considered cheesy.

AA Importing Clock with Wine Rack

Dress up your traditional-style bar with a floor clock featuring a built-in wine rack. It adds style to your bar while storing your wine bottles.

Napoleon Freestanding See Thru Indoor Waterfall

This modern piece not only adds ambience to your home bar, it actually attracts airborne particles and helps clean the air!

Piel Leather Coasters

No matter what style your bar is following, a solid set of leather coasters are a necessity. They will last longer than paper or wooden coasters and are rather stylish at the same time.

ELK Lighting Vesta Orange Glass Pendant Light

You can hang these lights above each barstool, behind the bar counter, or even create a centerpiece by hanging them from the center of the ceiling. They give off a softer, dimmer glow than other lights, so they’re ideal for a bar setting.

Here are a few final tips concerning your home bar’s décor:

If you were thinking about adding a rug to create some style in your bar, you might want to think again. Since people will be carrying drinks around, there’s always a possibility of a spill, and you don’t want to ruin your new rug.

Since you will most likely have to assemble your home bar yourself, you might want to get a friend or family member to help you out if you’re not confident in your assembling skills. It’s an important piece of furniture to put together correctly, so take your time and always ask for help if you need it.

If you have children, consider finding a home bar with locking cabinets, or just buy a lock to put on yourself, just in case they try to open the doors and get to your bottles or glasses.

Now you are all set with the right home bar furniture for your home bar design!

Nicolette Interior Design Diva

Picking Home bar Furniture for your bar design is more complex than it sounds. A lot is demanded of the area it occupies. Fundamentally, you want it to be an inviting and relaxing place to socialize with your friends, hoping to avoid the feeling of just being in another section of the house. You want the atmosphere of a carefree bar that’s far away from the stresses of everyday life. This may sound like a tall order, but with a few guidelines you’d be surprised how much can be achieved.

Start off with the location. Are you fortunate enough to have an entire room dedicated to being a bar or will it be shared with the dining room table? The space you have available will depict what furniture you can buy. For a spacious room, you can consider a large bar, plenty of seating, and perhaps even a pool table. For smaller rooms, you have the option of having a compact unit, such as the Winsome Kingston Expandable Wine Bar. When it is opened out it becomes a useful counter to serve drinks, and has the added bonus of taking up very little room when closed.

Next, decide on the shape and style of the bar. There are five main options: a corner bar, a back bar, a straight bar, an L-shaped bar and a wrap around bar. The corner bar design is functional when designing for a smaller space. It comes with plenty of cabinets to hide away drinks and glasses. The back bar has more of a bookshelf feel to it. Fundamentally, it is one big storage system which displays all your bottles behind what is usually a glass cabinet door. The straight bar speaks for itself. It is usually placed against one of the walls with a row of bar stools in front of it. The L-shaped bar is not surprisingly L-shaped. It is common for the shorter side to have a sink fixed into it. Last, but not least, is the wrap around bar. It is basically the latter design, but with an extension on the other side making it more of a U shape.

After deciding on the bar shape and size, you can address the color of the walls. Painting the walls of your home bar will affect the overall ambience. Darker tones generate a modern mood accent with warmer colors, whereas lighter shades offer a more tranquil open air but bring a funky look with borders of fuchsia. neon green or cobalt blue. When you have decided on a color scheme, try and accessorize with matching coasters, and if it’s your thing, matching napkins.

But when planning the home bar design itself, an effective technique is to base it around a theme. There is such a wide variety of bar or pub furniture on the market today, that your bar can be everything you dreamt it could be and more. You can choose bars, tables and chairs of every shape, size and style. There is no look that is unachievable.

Let us start with the old classic – a sports bar! Purchase an ordinary wooden bar, such as the Hillsdale Large Oak Wrap Around Bar. The sturdy design has a very masculine quality to it, so it fits in well within the theme. The warm, bright oak is inviting and contentedly informal. This bar has an understated design, so you can easily dress it up with sports team merchandise. This can vary from wall clocks to beer glasses. Hang framed jersey tops and autographed memorabilia on the surrounding walls. Incorporate the team colors when painting or selecting the stools.

If ice hockey is your game and you can’t get enough of the Toronto Maple Leafs, feature royal blue and white. Perhaps mount hockey sticks against a bright white wall and have royal blue upholstery on the barstools. If basketball is more your sport and you love the Chicago Bulls, work with red, white and a touch of black. Also, if space is adequate, put down beanbags or a snug sofa for extra guests to be comfortable. If the budget allows, buy a television to watch the game on. It is important to note at this stage that available plug points are a necessity when choosing location.

If a traditional English pub is more your taste, think mahogany stained wood and shiny brass features. Framed beer advertisements and vintage posters on the wall create a homely yet authentic ambiance. Mirrors also tie in well with this theme, and by placing them at eye level a smaller space will appear visually larger. When selecting the bar stools, consider something like Home Styles Furniture 30 Inch Bar Stool with Vinyl Swivel Top in Cherry/Antique Brass. The cherry wood is warm and visually appealing, vividly contrasting against the antique brass foot rest and seat rim. The stool has real personality, and is ideal for an English pub reconstruction.

For a larger bar area, it is possible to obtain additional seating alongside small tables. Hillsdale Dynamic Designs 3 Piece Pub Table with Mansfield Stools is both casual and comfortable. But it is also very practical when you are entertaining several guests in an evening. It makes for a charming focal point, and offers an overall professional appearance to your bar. A dartboard would also make a fantastic accessory.

If a traditional home bar design does not appeal to you, perhaps contemplate a more cutting edge, contemporary design. Look at the Trica City Bar Three Modular Units to see how modern a home bar can really be. The frosted glass tops and brushed steel finish give it an edgy, sleek appeal. Understanding the need for storage with this theme, the Trica City Home Bar has a huge amount of rack and shelf space to hide all those bottles and glasses. The ‘less is more’ approach maximizes the bar’s potential. Think minimalism, monochrome, and geometric lines. Opt for chrome, glass and metal features.You could base your whole design around this barstool for a state of the art appearance.

Ever been to Vegas? You won’t have to now with the home bar design for this theme. It certainly requires a more dramatic approach, but the outcome is completely worth it. Wall color is a factor to consider, as a deep red hue inspires a more warm and inviting tone. Coupled with a few neon-lights and you have got yourself a transformed environment.

When it comes to the furniture, dark wood and black leather will work best, with black and white photographs framed on the walls. An item to think about is the American Drew Bob Mackie Signature Chocolate Brown Leather 30 Inch Barstool. It is both stylish and sophisticated, which are two factors you should strive to reflect in this home bar design. A stereo system is also ideal for the room, and maybe even a poker table. Or for more variety, get the Powell Woodland Oak Game Table Set. It has a reversible game surface to play chess, checkers and backgammon. Your friends will never want to leave!

If Vegas is too much for you, maybe a Champagne style bar will suit you better. This theme can be used in both exterior and interior areas. Manufacturers are constantly producing sleek classy city-inspired designs, such as the Trica Citybar Home Bar & Champagne Swivel Stools Set. It includes a bar table that employs a glass with a brushed steel base, as well as two swivel stools. Expanding? These new Trica modern home bar sets are modular so you can easily expand for a larger bar.

For more seating, additional chairs can be purchased. For a less eccentric design, there are alternative options. Light wooden furniture is definitely the only choice, like the Winsome Basics 24 Inch Beechwood Swivel Barstool. It is made of a light, natural wood that could with the right bar create a great tropical theme, but a little more subtly. Make the most of tropical materials, grass cloth and bamboo. Serve Pina Coladas in colorful glasses with a little umbrella poking out of the top. Utilize coconuts, pineapples, driftwood and shells. A tropical bar theme is the ultimate way to have fun with your decorating ideas.

For a romantic ambience, perhaps consider a Tuscan theme home bar. Infuse natural, earthy tones and feature potted plants or faux vines. Your heart will get stolen by the Powell Tuscan Canopy Home Bar Set. Heavy rope detail is carved into the dark, mahogany wood, making a classically stunning work of art. It is fully roofed and contains an abundance of storage space. The curved design of the barstools is tastefully Mediterranean, with comfortable, light brown upholstered seating.

However, many families just want the bar to be an extension of their already established design approach. It may work better this way. After all, a bar’s main purpose is to be relaxing, and your home has also got to fall into this category. Even if your delegated bar space is in a room used for other things, items such as barstools and extra tables are often lightweight and easy to move out of the way.

There is such a magnitude of bar furniture available, that even the simplest and neutralist of designs can be materialized. Even if you just want somewhere stylish to display your wine, there are options! Concept Housewares Wall Mounted Glass and Bottle Wine Rack is chic and accommodating. It holds 21 glasses and eight bottles of wine. Its black finish makes it a visually stunning asset to any room.

Your home bar design preference completely depends on personality. A bachelor will more than likely opt for the contemporary bar idea, whereas the hockey enthusiast will opt for the sports one! There is a possibility for everybody, and the most important thing is to have as much fun as you can when creating it. Envision the kind of home bar atmosphere that makes you feel happy and stress-free, and inspire yourself from the image in your mind. This is a great opportunity to be inventive, and reflect the real you.

I would love to see your home bar or help you design one!

Nicolette Interior Design Diva