A wet bar at the top of the house saves a trip to the kitchen down below Photo: James Balston

Contemporary Home Remodel

Able And Baker

Halsted Wine Bar

California Closets

This modern and polished design extends the kitchen and creates a space for entertaining in an otherwise underutilized nook.

Point Loma Casita

Ike Kligerman Barkley

William Waldron

San Francisco Forest Hill Remodel

SoYoung Mack Design, Assoc. AIA

Contemporary Media Room Bar/Wine Cellar featuring antique bottles. Paul Dyer Photography

Cliffside

Inside Stories

A contemporary home bar with lounge area, Photography by Susie Brenner

Sauve Court Residence

Synthesis Design Inc.

Cannonsburg Contemporary

TruKitchens

Grabill Cabinets Lacunar door style White Oak Rift wet bar in custom black finish, Grothouse Anvil countertop in Palladium with Durata matte finish with undermount sink. Visbeen Architects, Lynn Hollander Design, Ashley Avila Photography.

Kitchens

Skeeles Manufacturing Inc.

1816 Knights Chance Lane

Laurel Haven Homes

Modern Farmhouse

HQ Architects

Inspired by the iconic American farmhouse, this transitional home blends a modern sense of space and living with traditional form and materials. Details are streamlined and modernized, while the overall form echoes American nastolgia. Past the expansive and welcoming front patio, one enters through the element of glass tying together the two main brick masses. The airiness of the entry glass wall is carried throughout the home with vaulted ceilings, generous views to the outside and an open tread stair with a metal rail system. The modern openness is balanced by the traditional warmth of interior details, including fireplaces, wood ceiling beams and transitional light fixtures, and the restrained proportion of windows. The home takes advantage of the Colorado sun by maximizing the southern light into the family spaces and Master Bedroom, orienting the Kitchen, Great Room and informal dining around the outdoor living space through views and multi-slide doors, the formal Dining Room spills out to the front patio through a wall of French doors, and the 2nd floor is dominated by a glass wall to the front and a balcony to the rear. As a home for the modern family, it seeks to balance expansive gathering spaces throughout all three levels, both indoors and out, while also providing quiet respites such as the 5-piece Master Suite flooded with southern light, the 2nd floor Reading Nook overlooking the street, nestled between the Master and secondary bedrooms, and the Home Office projecting out into the private rear yard. This home promises to flex with the family looking to entertain or stay in for a quiet evening.

Beach Life

Oakley Home Builders

Oxnard Kitchen & Beverage Center

Mr. Sawdust Custom Cabinetry

Manhattan Beach Modern Farmhouse

Lori Dennis, ASID, LEED AP

Pantries & Wine Bars

California Closets

Elegant Wine Bar with Drop-Down Television

Tria Giovan

Pantry Drawers Snack Storage

Fit and Fun basement finish. In overland Park

Johnson County Remodeling

Home Bar 2

PBS Contractors

This bar area was built to give the owners a place to unwind and relax in their home in paradise - Naples, Florida.

Custom Bar

Realty Design Associates, Inc.

Single-wall Home Bar Design Ideas with Solid Surface Benchtops

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.