Furniture for a home bar: types, nuances of location, ideas

Author: Belfan

From this article you will learn:

• What are the features of a home minibar?
• What are the different types of home bar designs?
• What furniture can you buy for a home bar?
• How to properly position your home bar
• What style should you use to decorate your home bar?
• How to create DIY home bar furniture

In a luxury apartment, a home bar is considered one of the main attributes of luxury. However, this is not only a beautiful and eye-catching accessory, it is also very practical. The presence of such a bar in the house allows you to keep drinks in order and is an important element of the culture of their consumption. A bar with drinks will be especially relevant for receiving dear guests. In this article we will talk about what kind of furniture there is for a home bar and how not to make a mistake in choosing it.

Features of a home minibar

It may seem that furniture for a home bar must certainly be massive and take up a lot of space. This stereotype arose due to the fact that in public establishments the bar is a high counter with glass shelves.

Often, such furniture looks out of place in an apartment, and there is simply not enough space to accommodate it. But there are many options for compact storage of alcoholic beverages.

A popular option is the minibar, which bears no resemblance to traditional bar furniture. It can be made in the form of a cabinet, barrel or globe.

Such miniature racks are quite light, and their height does not exceed one and a half meters. Inside, a space is created with shelves and niches where you can store bottles and glasses.

There are several reasons why you should choose this type of home bar:

• Compactness. Since the piece of furniture is small, it can be placed even in a small apartment. Also, if necessary, the minibar can be easily moved to another place.
• Low cost. At an affordable price, you can not only purchase a standard home bar, but also order it to be made to your own dimensions.
• Originality. The presence of a minibar immediately makes the interior more interesting.
• The ability to free up useful space. It is much more convenient to store bottles and drink containers here, which usually take up space in kitchen cabinets.
• A combination of functionality and aesthetics. A home drink bar is both useful and beautiful.

When choosing furniture for your home bar, consider how many bottles you plan to store. A minibar looks best when there is practically no free space in it.

Wine cabinet

If space allows, a wine cabinet will be very useful for true connoisseurs of expensive wine, which makes it possible to store this drink at the optimal temperature. Wine cabinets are available in a variety of sizes and designs, so they are easy to match to any kitchen style.

The only disadvantages of this device include its relatively high cost and impressive size, because even the most compact models take up quite a lot of space.

Types of home bar designs

Furniture for a home bar should fit into the interior of the room and become its component. Therefore, its style directly depends on which room design was chosen. Generally, the placement of the bar does not require any rearrangement since it does not require much space.

The built-in structure for storing drinks will not displace existing furniture. If this does not suit you, the location for installing the home bar should be chosen so that there are no wall cabinets or other heavy objects above it. If something falls on the bar, the entire alcohol collection will be lost, and in addition, fragments will fly everywhere.

There are several types of home bar designs:

• Open – racks, shelves where all the contents are visible. This is a kind of smaller analogue of ordinary bar furniture.

• Closed. The meaning is the same, only the bottles inside the rack are closed with a screen and doors. This option is considered safer. Having a screen is a must when choosing a bar if you have children.

• Portable . These “babies” are made specifically so that, if necessary, the bar can be moved to another room or even outside. They are easy to move thanks to the presence of wheels.

If it is not possible to buy special furniture for drinks, you can allocate one of the kitchen cabinets for a minibar. The advantage of this option is that you don’t have to redo anything in your interior and look for a place where you could place a home bar.

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Color palette of bar counters

This design is the main element of the living room, so you should be especially careful about its color design. For example, using a red, black model or a wenge-colored stand, you can endow the decor with a certain pomp, extravagance and chic, and when using a beige, white or any other model in a neutral shade, you can create a calm, elegant and very harmonious design.

The tabletop can combine equally well with the overall color scheme of the interior or, on the contrary, act as a bright and contrasting accent.

Types of Home Bar Furniture

Nowadays, you can buy home bar furniture in a variety of shapes and designs. The minibar may include only one small cabinet with a lid, which when folded resembles a secretary. Also, alcoholic beverages can be stored inside the bar counter, in a special rotating compartment.

Expensive and sophisticated furniture for your home bar will help you please yourself and surprise your guests. A solid wood cabinet with a classic design, an original model in the shape of a globe or a piano - choose to suit your taste.

• Unusual models.

Manufacturers are coming up with more and more exclusive models of minibars. Nowadays you can find home bars in the shape of a globe, a musical instrument or a wooden barrel.

• Compartments in furniture.

There are countless options for how to equip a home bar, even if the area of ​​the apartment is very small. You can purchase, for example, furniture for the living room, which includes drawers for storing bottles and bar accessories. This arrangement of the bar may be unexpected, but it is quite practical.

• Counter bars.

If there is a lot of free space in the house, you can think about a full-fledged bar, consisting of several pieces of furniture: a tabletop with legs, several high chairs, as well as a convenient storage system in the form of special compartments and shelves. Such furniture for a home bar is multifunctional, because it can be used for preparing drinks and snacks, as well as for eating.

There are practically no restrictions regarding the design of the facade. Designers working on the design of bar furniture offer a variety of options to suit every taste. Choosing a model that matches your interior will not be difficult.

• Wardrobe bar.

Fine wine and expensive cognac can be stored in a bar designed in the form of a cabinet. Such furniture is made from various materials, the most popular of which are natural wood and chipboard. Inside the cabinet there are compartments for glasses and bottles of different heights. Cabinet-bar models may differ in size, appearance and functionality. But if you decide to purchase such an original accessory, it will definitely delight you with its practicality, and will also cause surprise and admiration for your guests.

The main function of any home bar furniture is to store alcoholic beverages. However, the bar cabinet may have some additional features.

Manufacturers offer a wide variety of options, including:

• corner;
• similar to an ordinary wardrobe;
• with glass doors through which you can see the contents;
• equipped with backlight;
• with thick doors that not only hide the contents, but also protect them from exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
• with musical accompaniment and other options that the customer can choose himself.

The design of the cabinet may include a vinnitsa - a special compartment for storing wine, in which the necessary conditions are created to preserve all the properties of the drink.

Stationary

This option is suitable for those who like to host frequent parties or corporate meetings with a large number of guests. However, only the owners of a country house or a very spacious apartment can afford it.

Installing a stationary bar in an apartment involves installing a bar counter, a rack for bottles and dishes, as well as purchasing various devices for mixing cocktails. If space allows, you can allocate a separate room for this purpose. The design of a bar in an apartment includes the use of special lighting, mirrors, a slate board, various posters and the mandatory installation of decorative shelves for barware and accessories.

How to properly position your home bar

If you want to have a home bar at home, buying furniture is half the battle. The minibar needs to be positioned so that it looks appropriate and is convenient to use.

Options:

• Furniture for a home bar in a modern style is often accompanied by lighting. Thanks to the play of light and shadow, the appearance of the bar becomes “floating”, soaring, although there is nothing special in its design. This type of furniture is best suited for lovers of modernism.
• Storage for alcoholic drinks can be installed between the kitchen and living room. This option may be the most practical if you often receive guests. This arrangement will allow you to be at the bar without leaving your friends.

• Those who love wine and want to ensure proper storage conditions for their collection should be especially careful when choosing a location for their home bar. High temperature, humidity and sunlight can negatively affect the quality of the drink, including fermentation. Therefore, it is best to place the wine bar inside the cabinet.
• If you have free space, you can choose furniture in the shape of the letter L. With such a home bar it is most convenient to prepare cocktails. It is important that there is a sink nearby.

For wine that needs to be stored in a certain way, you can buy a wine cooler. Furniture for wine is designed in such a way that the bottles stand at the desired angle, the optimal level of humidity, temperature, and so on is maintained.

A home wine bar with a transparent door is a very elegant element of the interior. This design also makes the process of choosing a drink easier.

The choice of furniture for a home bar and its installation location must be approached with the utmost care, since this item directly affects the impression of the apartment and the image of its owner.

In the living room

A bar cabinet for your living room is the right choice. There you can calmly relax with a glass of whiskey or wine in front of the TV. There is much more choice here.

A bar cabinet for the living room is relevant here. It takes up little space, but is still roomy. It can easily accommodate up to 20 bottles. Many minibars are equipped with a special compartment for glasses and glasses.

If beer, whiskey or brandy will be stored there, it is advisable to have refrigeration in place. For example, bar refrigerators built into the closet.

A minibar for the living room is often installed in a set or chairs so that it does not take up additional space. But the most beautiful thing is the bar cabinet for the living room. It can hold 30-50 bottles at once. At the same time, they can be divided.

For example, for drinks that go into cocktails, you can allocate the upper shelf, and for alcohol not for mixing - the lower one. Can be divided by variety, type, strength.

Home Bar Furniture Styles

Obviously, you need to choose furniture for a minibar with an eye on the interior of the room. Although there are cases when everything happens the other way around: when planning a renovation, the design of the entire room is adjusted to one piece of furniture that the customers love.

If your apartment is decorated in a classic style, you should choose a home bar made of expensive wood and leather. Modern interiors are characterized by materials such as glass, metal and plastic. The secretary bar will organically fit into the retro interior.

• Classic.

A home bar in this style will have the correct shape, deep dark color and transparent doors. Models may differ in size and internal content. The wood can also be painted, stained or varnished. Most compartments have doors.

• Rustic.

The main material for furniture in this style will be natural wood with a noticeable texture. Also characteristic are the abundance of open compartments and decorative elements made of metal.

• Retro loft high-tech.

Metal is popular here, from forged and sheet black to shiny. Accessories made of similar materials, such as clocks or lamps, will help complement such a home bar.

• Exotic.

Exotic furniture for a home bar includes wicker fronts, imitation of the shutters of a colonial house, or design to resemble a traveling chest or chest of drawers in the Chinese style.

Materials

The main materials used are fragrant and easy-to-process wood, cheap construction pallets, scrap boards, practical plastic, difficult-to-process metal, an old suitcase and chest, even scraps of water pipes. In general, everything that was found in the house.

Wood from pine, ash, and oak is used as wooden blanks.

All these materials are the easiest to process; they can be painted with plain paints, colored or clear varnishes, stains, or covered with decoupage or carvings.

If desired, you can use MDF or chipboard panels, plywood. At home, such a cabinet will last quite a long time, even without additional treatment.

Plastic and metal are even more durable, but require more skill and time.

DIY Home Bar Furniture Ideas

What size can a home bar be? Large, compact or very miniature - the way you want it!

• From suitcases and baskets.

If you like vintage things, a wicker basket or an old suitcase can serve as a minibar. This cabinet can be placed on a chest of drawers or even hung on the wall.

• Serving tables.

Additional furniture, for example, a bedside or serving table, can act as storage for alcohol.

• From TV.

Another unusual option is how you can make furniture for your home bar with your own hands. The drinks cabinet inside the TV from the last century is an amazing retro accessory. To make it, you need to remove all the contents from the TV, leaving only the box. Do not remove the switches and other parts on the front part - they are needed for the surroundings. The finishing touch will be the LED strip.

The wooden or plywood parts of the TV may not look very presentable after many years. To hide defects, they can be painted or sanded and varnished.

Carafes and bottles can be placed inside an impromptu home bar, and on top there is a small tray on which drinks can be poured.

• Made from PVC pipes.

It would seem, what connection can there be between PVC pipes and a home minibar. In fact, in a high-tech, minimalist or loft style interior, bottle storage made from such pipes will look very organic. To make it, you will need:

• PVC pipes of different diameters. The quantity is calculated based on how many vessels will need to be placed, as well as taking into account their size.
• Spray paint of the desired shade.
• Acetone.
• Spray primer.
• Double-sided self-adhesive tape.
• Hacksaw or jigsaw.
• Brush.
• Sandpaper.

Any shelf or bedside table can serve as a box in which you place the pipes. The pipes are cut into pieces of appropriate length.

Cutting pipes yourself can be difficult and time-consuming. It’s better to find out the required length in advance and ask the store to cut the products. This is usually done free of charge.

Most likely, after cutting, the edges of the pipes will not look very presentable. In addition, sharp surfaces can scratch your hands. To prevent this from happening, you should carefully sand the edges.

To treat pipes, use acetone first, then a primer and finally paint. This preparation promotes uniform coloring.

Once the pipes are ready, you can begin assembling your furniture. Self-adhesive tape will help hold the pipes together.

What else can you do:

• Convert one of your kitchen cabinets to store drinks. To make it different from the rest, you can use bright paint.
• Make a home bar out of a wooden barrel. There should be several shelves inside, and a convenient door on the side.

Rules for storing alcohol

Different drinks are stored differently, we have already mentioned wine. As for other drinks, maintain the following standards:

1. Liqueur needs heat, as it becomes cloudy at low temperatures.
2. Vodka, whiskey and cognac should be placed in dry, cool places, and their position should be strictly vertical. The temperature must be constant.
3. Absolutely all alcohol should be stored in a place protected from direct sunlight.

Home minibar with various alcohol storage options

Bright home minibar

Portable minibar on wheels can be moved to any part of the house

Furniture for a home bar: photos of design options

Selection rules

Among the wide range of bar cabinet models, it is difficult to choose the right design. Therefore, clients are advised to follow several rules when choosing:

• determine the future location of the furniture;
• take into account the interior of the room;
• clarify the functional features in advance.

A correctly chosen cabinet will not only decorate the interior of the room, but will also emphasize the style and taste of the owner of the room.
First, the store client determines what exactly he will use the cabinet for. If you don’t want to collect a large collection of expensive wines, then you will need a small, spacious bar that will be used for its intended purpose. The collector will have to order a design with additional functions and numerous compartments. When choosing, also take into account the space for the closet. Corner structures are suitable for small apartments. In large private houses you can place bulky furniture.

Be sure to pay attention to the color scheme of the room’s interior. The shade of the bar can be combined with curtains and other textiles, flooring or wallpaper, and other furniture. Options are determined in advance - heating, shading or lighting. The cost of the bar will depend on this.

Among the wide range of bar cabinet models, it is difficult to choose the right design.

Main selection criteria:

The structure should be located so that it is convenient to use. Pay attention to the style of the bar, its decor and accessories, because the furniture should look harmonious in the room.