The homeowner felt closed-in with a small entry to the kitchen which blocked off all visual and audio connections to the rest of the first floor. The small and unimportant entry to the kitchen created a bottleneck of circulation between rooms. Our goal was to create an open connection between 1st floor rooms, make the kitchen a focal point and improve general circulation. We removed the major wall between the kitchen & dining room to open up the site lines and expose the full extent of the first floor. We created a new cased opening that framed the kitchen and made the rear Palladian style windows a focal point. White cabinetry was used to keep the kitchen bright and a sharp contrast against the wood floors and exposed brick. We painted the exposed wood beams white to highlight the hand-hewn character. The open kitchen has created a social connection throughout the entire first floor. The communal effect brings this family of four closer together for all occasions. The island table has become the hearth where the family begins and ends there day. It's the perfect room for breaking bread in the most casual and communal way.

Wild Basin Butler's Pantry

Butter Lutz Interiors, LLC

Twist Tours

Beverage Center

Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC

Beverage center to serve the Great Room & Dining Room while entertaining.

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Basement Wet Bar - Smyrna, Georgia

Artisan Custom Closets

This custom designed basement home bar in Smyrna features a textured naples finish, with built-in wine racks, clear glass door insert upper cabinets, shaker door lower cabinets, a pullout trash can and brushed chrome hardware.

Sea Terrace

Built By Newkirk

Jeri Koegel

Oriole Lane Bar

Lauren Vallario Designs, Inc

Modern Home Bar

Covenant Kitchens & Baths, Inc.

pantry, floating shelves,

Sunset Island Dr Lake Home

Shane Weltzin at SW Technology Design

Vance

Buckeye Basements, Inc.

This amazing basement includes a magnificent bar with a plafond, Restoration Hardware bar stools, and a separate Restoration Hardware table, which allows for seating of 20. Wood-plank tile, stone work, and custom barn doors complete the look. Bradshaw Photography, LLC

Tew Boling Butler's Pantry

Designhouse Kitchen and Bath, LLC

Wine Rack Dry Bar

Mid Continent Cabinetry

Maple Mission style door by Mid Continent Cabinetry with Ebony painted finish. Features aluminum doors and wine cube storage.

California Street

Napoleon at Home

Cottage 2016

The Tile & Stone Gallery

Rebecca Lane

SDG Architecture, Inc.

Bernard Andre'

The Lund Project

The Plumbery

Wooded Enclave

Beverly Bradshaw Interiors

Basement Bar Counter

FBC Remodel

Monaco Project

Cabinet Solutions Group

Transitional Home Bar

Transitional Home Bar Design Ideas

A transitional 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 transitional 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 transitional 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 transitional 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.

Weekends on the Sound

Christine Donner Kitchen Design Inc.

Something for grown-ups: an elegant wine bar with a mahogany countertop and an antiqued mirror backsplash. A small sink balances the wine cooler on the left. The illuminated wall cabinet with fishtail leaded glass doors holds a collection of fine wine glasses. Photo by Mary Ellen Hendricks