Turn your entertaining up a notch by installing your very own home bar! You don’t need a lot of space or money to add a fun, stylish drinking space to your home. From retro cocktail carts through to bells-and-whistles bars, there’s an idea here to suit almost every home. Grab your favourite drink and scroll through to find out more…
1. The Real Deal
Sommer Pyne quit her career in advertising to become an interior designer, and it shows. Her stylish London home is brimming with sleek touches (including a gleaming aged brass kitchen island). Perhaps the star of the show for her visitors is Pyne’s home bar, named after her grandparents, Scotch and Ted. With its glamorous lighting, trailing plants and retro painting, it’s as atmospheric as any city centre drinking den.
2. That’s Cheet-ing
We haven’t all got the room to build a full-size bar in our homes, but you can still create something pretty special in a small space. Here, a neat, wooden bar combines with an aged copper, animal-print feature wall to create a compact drinking corner with plenty of character. A statement copper lamp and leather and brass stools tie everything together in this quirky, welcoming space.
3. Built-in Beauty
Here, a fitted, wooden cupboard serves as a show-stopping home bar nook and a real focal point for the room. We love how that slate blue works with the brass trimmings. A traditional drinks trolley acts as overspill storage for all those bottles and shakers, whilst an antique velvet chair and faded rug add texture and warmth. A bar like this could be easily built into the space at the side of a chimney breast, and makes an interesting change from the usual bookshelves. Gin and tonic, anyone?
4. Trolley Good Fun
You don’t need a major overhaul to introduce a bar to your space; a simple drinks trolley can do the trick. This brass beauty slips neatly into the corner of the room, providing an instant feature that stands out even when it’s not in use. We love the bright, drinks-themed prints on the wall, as well as the touch of greenery provided by the plants.
5. Copper Corner
Check out this cosy home bar corner in our clients’ home. They picked our natural copper finish for their metal bar-top, but aged copper would work just as well. Copper is really easy to clean and even boasts antibacterial qualities, making it ideal for countertops. Here, it works perfectly with those retro stools. the blue bar, parquet floor and that opulent wallpaper. Have you seen that antique brass picture frame for the bottles? Genius!
6. Secret Speakeasy
Not everyone wants their home bar to be on display all the time. In this home, discretion and style are key. You’d never know there was a luxurious bar tucked behind this inconspicuous, white door. Once the door is opened, you’re treated to a slick minibar that wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end hotel. That woodwork contrasts beautifully with the brass trimmings and the classy crystal decanters. When the party’s over, the door simply closes again.
7. Mid-Century Mood
A retro drinks cabinet is brought bang up to date with a modern take on Art Deco. Meticulous stencilling and opulent wallpaper give a former everyday piece of furniture a classy new look. We adore the way the cobalt gin bottle picks up the gorgeous shade of the blue paint, and how it complements the brass hardware. You don’t need a lot of space to recreate this Great Gatsby-inspired look in your home.
8. Practically Perfect
One of the most popular locations for a home bar is the trusty garden shed. And these pre-made, wooden racks make it easy to convert any shed into your own mini-pub in minutes. Cleverly designed, they provide ample space for storing bottles visibly, so that guests can easily see what’s on the drinks menu. And can we just take a moment to appreciate those shiny copper wine glasses? Gleaming and unbreakable.
9. Pipe Dreams
Here’s another ready-made, wall-mounted bar. It’s been thoughtfully designed, with space for bottles on the top, glasses in the middle and a special rack for wine glasses at the bottom. This one is lovingly made from wood and repurposed copper piping. We think it’d look great mounted on a wall close to a copper splashback or aged copper wall art.
10. Funky Trunk
Styled like a vintage trunk, this ingenious mini-bar can easily be closed and rolled away into a corner when it’s not in use. Inside, there’s a wine rack, deep drawers and plenty of space to store bottles and glasses. We couldn’t feature this one without mentioning that fabulous brass lampshade!
