The hardwood floors are a custom 3/4" x 10" Select White Oak plank with a hand wirebrush and custom stain & finish created by Gaetano Hardwood Floors, Inc. Home Builder: Patterson Custom Homes Ryan Garvin Photography

MODERN COTTAGE

Lissa Lee Hickman

Cigars and Bars

Greenbrook Design Center

Dovetail drawers - cerused white oak - liquor storage in the pull out drawers of the minibar

Rustic Farmhouse with a Bohemian Feel

Allen's Fine Woodworking, Inc.

Functional, beautiful, and hard-wearing surfaces are the name of the game in this basement bar. The dark-stained barn wood bar back will hold its own against the inevitable shoe scuffs of guests. The slate back splash tiles and galvanized metal pendant lights are built to last while holding up to years of use.

Vashon Island Kitchen

Neil Kelly Company

Outdoor Bar and Grill

DeGoey Designs

Contemporary Beach Home

Vertex AV

40' Sony TV for a pool table room

Inspired by the Brooklyn-esque nature of the surrounding historic buildings, this penthouse pairs sleek, urban-contemporary design with luxury finishes and materials, reflecting an industrial luxe aesthetic.

Lake Union lll Houseboat

Dyna Builders

Newport Waterfront

Blackband Design

Home Bar & Entertainment Room

LNDesigns

This was a fun lockdown project! We created the clients a sophisticated entertainment room where they could relax once the kids were in bed. Fit with a fully functioning bar area, we also constructed a personalised DJ booth for the clients’ music decks and plenty records and installed disco lighting to run in sync with the music. And, so sound couldn’t travel through the rest of the house, we fitted acoustic lined curtains and used acoustic oak cladding as a focal feature on the walls… There’s something so satisfying about creating a beautiful design that is secretly functional too!

HIstoric Campbell Building - Industrial Home Bar

Walker Woodworking

Loft apartment gets a custom home bar complete with liquor storage and prep area. Shelving and slab backsplash make this a unique spot for entertaining.

Beachfront Malibu Project

Haefele Design

PALM BEACH WATERFRONT

bar

The homeowners wanted to turn this rustic kitchen, which lacked functional cabinet storage space, into a brighter more fun kitchen with a dual tap Perlick keg refrigerator. For the keg, we removed existing cabinets and later retrofitted the doors on the Perlick keg refrigerator. We also added two Hubbardton Forge pendants over the bar and used light travertine and multi colored Hirsch glass for the backsplash, which added texture and color to complement the various bottle colors they stored. We installed taller, light maple cabinets with glass panels to give the feeling of a larger space. To brighten it up, we added layers of LED lighting inside and under the cabinets as well as under the countertop with bar seating. For a little fun we even added a multi-color, multi-function LED toe kick, to lighten up the darker cabinets. Each small detail made a big impact.

Home Bar Design Ideas with Light Wood Cabinets and Grey Benchtop

A home bar can provide a spot of indulgence for one, or be a central hub you gather round when entertaining. Whether you’re thinking of planning a wine bar, outdoor bar, or just making room for a bar cart, browse these images for inspiration, and ask yourself the following questions.

Where should you position your home bar?

The most popular location for a home bar is in or near the kitchen or dining room. If you prefer entertaining outdoors, however, an outdoor bar can be a dream addition to any Aussie backyard – and imagine the luxury of swimming up to your very own pool bar! If you're building from scratch, a landscape architect can help you work out the ideal design for your space.

What type of home bar is best suited to your needs?

Home bars come in all shapes and sizes, and with an array of practicalities. Utilise an awkward corner with a cabinet bar; maximise floor space with a trunk bar, which unfolds to create a bar counter; or conveniently turn any space in your house into a bar room with a mobile bar such as a fun bar cart. If you prefer a more grandiose option, or all the amenities of a real bar, you can’t go past a built-in home bar.

What home bar functionalities do you want to include?

Decide how you will use the bar and whether you will need sinks, storage and refrigeration. Including a sink in your home bar design is a practical addition if you choose a location far from your kitchen. If you’re a wine connoisseur, you may want to include additional wine storage, whereas a mini bar fridge within the kitchen may need no extra storage at all. Home bars that will be used infrequently – perhaps an outdoor bar in the cooler months – may not need refrigeration and could suffice with large ice buckets.

What bar furniture will you need?

Seating is essential to any home bar and will impact the style of your home bar design. Bar stools, for example, come in an array of materials and styles, from traditional wooden bar stools, to resort- and industrial-style stools. Storage is another important element, so look for a liquor cabinet and wine racks. Next, if you are creating a freestanding station, you will need a bar table, which are taller and shallower than regular dining tables. Check that your stools and table height work together before you finalise any home bar designs.

How can you personalise your bar design?

Bar tools and accessories are an easy and interchangeable way to personalise your bar design. You may want to create a wine bar, tavern-style bar or retro bar, so look for wine glasses and tumblers, for instance, that will help carry this style. Coasters, bar mats or signage will help you to further achieve your desired look.