Modern interior of a private house with a minibar in a niche
A home minibar, like a wine cellar at home, is often not a whim, but a necessity for hospitable hosts who often have guests. It is also worth equipping for true connoisseurs of high-quality alcohol, because the nearest bar does not always have really worthwhile examples. The compactness and at the same time spaciousness of the minibar is its main distinguishing feature.
Fusion style interior with minibar in the living room
The corner of the room is equipped with a convenient minibar
Minibar in retro style
Open portable minibar located in the kitchen
Classic minibar for the living room
20's Chicago style black minibar
Old TV
This option is ideal for bachelors, young couples or lovers of unusual interior elements. A minibar inside an old TV is an original idea for any home. Place it in the living room - and it will “decorate” more than one pleasant evening with friends. And if you dim the lights, it will create the ambience for a romantic dinner in retro style. Such an item can look great in modern styles. So don't be afraid - experiment!
Photo: sampowersphotography.com
Pros of a home bar
- In the bar you can keep bottles not only of your favorite wines, but also of other noble drinks.
- Installing a home bar allows you to create a separate relaxation area in any space, no matter how large or small, taking into account your own preferences. With proper design, this part of the room can look very original and stylish.
- The role of a home bar can be invaluable when hosting parties and Sunday lunches, turning them from ordinary family events into something like social functions or “parties”. As you can see, this item is capable of a lot with the right approach.
Bottle cube
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A compact 12-bottle minibar is perfect for a minimalist-style living room. It is made in the shape of a cube with smooth painted surfaces, on one side of which there are holes for bottles. The entire structure rests on strong, low legs. The cube can double as a nightstand; its upper part can be used for open storage of glasses. If you choose furniture in a similar style, such a minibar becomes a harmonious part of the interior.
Photo: wayfair.com
Living room element
A wonderful, light minibar can be built into the living room interior. To do this, you will have to make a niche in the wall, so this solution is not suitable for every home. You can use the space of a closet as a niche, if you have one, but here you need to weigh what is more important, a closet or a bar. This home minibar can even accommodate a refrigerator and a small sink.
Photo: venidair.com
Niche in the kitchen
The minibar in the kitchen can be presented in various variations. Let's consider an example when a niche is allocated for it. This option is quite convenient for saving space. Behind the screen there is a large part of the countertop for dishes, a small narrow refrigerator for horizontal stacking of bottles and a square refrigerator for other items. The wall behind the minibar can be decorated with wallpaper so that it contrasts with the overall look of the kitchen. This can be easily and effectively implemented in strict, laconic styles, where the walls of the room remain white.
Photo: saberkids.com
Rules for storing alcoholic beverages
To store drinks, it is advisable to choose a dark, cool place without sudden temperature changes, vibrations and frequent movement of bottles. Daylight and especially direct sunlight spoil any alcohol. Most alcoholic drinks are not intended for long-term storage at home and over time begin to deteriorate, fizzle out, and lose their taste and aroma. For example, regular wines should not be stored for longer than two years, but fortified varieties can retain their properties for several years. It is better to place the wine bottle horizontally so that the natural cork never completely dries out. The optimal storage temperature for sealed bottles is 10-12°C.
Strong alcoholic drinks can be stored for several years, but do not be surprised if they lose some of their strength and aroma over time. It is better to store cognac and whiskey, closed with a natural cork, vertically so as not to spoil the taste and aroma of the drink. It is advisable to store ordinary bottled and canned beer in a cool and dark place for no more than 2 months. Some bottle-matured craft beers can be stored in dark, cool conditions for up to 1.5-2 years.
You should not store strong alcohol in plastic bottles, because under the influence of alcohol, substances harmful to health are released from the plastic. It is also not recommended to keep drinks with gas (champagne, sparkling wines, beer) near heating devices or in the trunk of a car parked in the sun - bottles sometimes explode due to overheating.
Separate cabinet in the kitchen
In large kitchens, the set is divided into several parts, which most often have their own specific set of functions. One such part can be allocated for a minibar. In this case, the bottom drawers are converted into a refrigerator, and if there is space left, additional shelves can be arranged there. The top drawers are reserved for glasses, glasses and other dishes. The LED strip lighting above the working area of the minibar looks beautiful.
Photo: decoist.com
Use the interior of your favorite pub or popular tavern as inspiration.
There are too many bar interior styles to single out just one and call it the best. Better check out the different styles of bars around the world in different eras and choose the design that suits you best. It's best to do this before you buy materials, lighting fixtures, chairs and dishes - because they need to match the style you've chosen. You can also upgrade the flooring, walls and ceiling to take one step closer to the bar of your dreams. And be sure to include a few details that will make your bar unique.
What can you say about decorating a bar in a loft style?
Part of the table
If the dimensions of the room do not allow you to install a full-fledged minibar, do not worry, a small multi-tiered table can easily replace it. Glass tables with a metal frame look beautiful. This solution is suitable for both classic and modern styles. By the way, to make your minibar look more solid and attractive, we recommend installing a large mirror on the wall behind it. This will visually increase the size of both the room and the bar. The top shelf can be used for accessories, and the lower ones will already accommodate wine glasses and bottles.
Photo: chairish.com
Why do you need a home bar?
Traditionally, any special event in a person’s life is celebrated with high-quality alcohol. For several millennia, the products of winemakers have occupied an important place in the culture of many peoples. Today, a variety of drinks and their combinations are consumed. It is necessary to store such a collection beautifully and in the right conditions, so the best solution would be to purchase a special functional device, namely a home bar.
The functionality of a bar is determined by its tasks:
- Place for storing bottles of alcohol.
Of course, for one meeting you don't have to worry about storage, in this case you just buy the necessary amount of alcohol to last for an evening with friends. A bar is necessary to ensure that the house always has your favorite drinks that can be consumed on appropriate occasions. Sit in a calm atmosphere with your favorite book and good liqueur, add a spoonful of skate to your coffee or sip a little whiskey on a day off. These drinks are not bought at once. Therefore, it makes sense to create a reserve for different cases. - Making cocktails. Of course, if you want to enjoy an alcoholic cocktail, you can come to a club establishment, pay for one drink as for a whole bottle, and besides, you will never know what it was made from. And from the drinks in your bar, you can make cocktails with different flavors, turning this process into a kind of game, while, most likely, you will reduce the amount you drink.
Plus, many people associate a beautiful life with a home bar. Such a stylish item will appeal to both a single man and an elegant lady who surrounds herself with luxury. There is no shame in showing off a beautiful piece of furniture to guests.
Space under the stairs
In private homes, there is often space under the stairs that no one uses. This is the right place for a minibar. Wall shelves, several refrigerators, and even drawers for dishes and other accessories will fit here. The brick wall behind the minibar looks good; it adds brutality to this corner. Don't forget to think about the lighting - bottom lighting on the shelves under the bottles looks beautiful. You can hang an LED strip along the bottom edge.
Photo: decoist.com
Wooden structure
For lovers of natural materials in the interior, we suggest considering this minibar option. A one-piece structure was made from treated wood, consisting of a cabinet with shelves for bottles and a holder for wine glasses, a bar counter and chairs. The composition is suitable for chalet and country styles. Artificially aged wood as a material will add charm and solidity.
Photo: ianbrownlee.us
Filling
It doesn’t matter what task you started it for - as soon as it’s installed, the bar needs to be filled.
It is important to follow several rules after purchase
There are a couple of simple tips for this:
- Start with one bottle . The alcohol that can be served in a bar is usually expensive and elite. Not everyone can afford to buy the full collection at once, but one bottle is quite possible. They usually start with something they love. It’s especially easy for those who have opened a bar to mix cocktails - a bottle of strong alcohol can be used in more than a dozen recipes.
- Don't drink everything at once . If you have a habit of drinking a lot, try to break it. To do this, start one bottle first, then the second. If you want to drink, drink a little, and the alcohol should be expensive - you won’t drink a drink that costs several thousand as often and in the same quantities as its cheap counterparts.
- Don't invite friends. You usually want to show off your bar right away, but it’s better to do it later, and invite only those who are able to stop at a small portion. You should not drink in company until you have at least your third bottle.
Start getting to know the bar gradually
The standard bar consists of the following drinks:
- gin, and you need to buy it, even if you don’t like it by itself;
- vodka, by no means cheap from the nearest store, but good and expensive;
- whiskey, in two forms - bourbon and scotch;
- rum - white and aged, two bottles required;
- orange liqueur - used to make cocktails;
- vermouth - sweet and dry, also primarily for cocktails;
- brandy, cognac and tequila.
There is a standard set for filling the bar
From such a set you can assemble a huge number of cocktails, plus with it at the bar you will always find something to drink. You can supplement the collection with wines, cider, beer, other liqueurs except orange - in fact, any alcohol that you like.
Advice Get into the habit of keeping ice in the refrigerator, not just one mold, but two or three. Without it, alcohol and alcoholic cocktails are rarely drunk.
Don't forget the ice
Accessories
To prepare cocktails, the bar (even if it is mini) needs to be supplemented with the necessary accessories. There are not so many of them that you can’t do without:
- Shaker . Cocktail ingredients are poured into it and then easily mixed. There is a classic one, which consists of three elements that can be separated, and a Boston one, which looks like two glasses superimposed on each other.
- Mixing glass . This mixes ingredients with the same density, which are easy to mix.
- Bar spoon . It looks like a regular one, but has a very long handle.
- Jigger . It is also a measuring cup that makes it easy to determine the volume.
- Strainer . Helps strain the mixture.
Fill it with what you love
Additionally, a blender with a juicer function is useful - with it you can prepare fresh juices. Everything else is essentially optional.
VIDEO: Making a mini bar with your own hands
Mini bar in the interior
How to do it yourself?
Old suitcase
Another unusual version of a minibar is made from a large old suitcase. To implement this idea, you will need a suitcase itself and a stand from an old table on which this suitcase will fit securely. Choose the interior design to your taste: you can leave everything as is and just put bottles there, or you can make miniature shelves for wine glasses and shot glasses.
Photo: gramha.net
Premium alcohol
These are drinks that should be enjoyed solo or with ice:
- Guilt. It all depends on your preferences: red, white, pink; dry, semi-sweet, sweet, fortified, etc. in principle, this is a separate topic to which we will return more than once in our blog.
- Champagne. It's always worth keeping a bottle of your favorite sparkling wine in reserve - the best way to celebrate a victory or some personal milestone.
- Strong alcohol. These are premium varieties of vodka (for example, Beluga, Summum, etc.), whiskey (long-aging, especially pure and single malt, premium blends); brandy and cognac of the categories XO, Napoleon, Vieux, Vieille Reserve.
Premium drinks are best enjoyed solo
In principle, we could have ended there, but the “right” drinks taste better when drunk from the “right” glassware, so let’s pay a little attention to that too:
