A bar counter in the living room is a great idea. After all, how comfortable it is to sit with your guests and enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine with an interesting interior detail, sitting on high chairs. If you want to create a bar connecting your kitchen or living room, then install this piece of furniture in a strategic location in the room. You can get tips and recommendations in this article. Discover inspiration through the photo gallery to create a practical and aesthetic bar counter in your living room.
Living room design with a bar counter: placement
Where to install a bar counter in the living room? As already mentioned, you can place this piece of furniture between the kitchen and the living room if both spaces are open or under the stairs. In the case where the room occupies a living room and a dining room, that is, it has dual purposes, you can place a counter between them. In this way, she will be able to mark the boundary between two spaces. In addition, the bar counter goes perfectly with the sofa. It will be easy to move between furniture. It's also nice to enjoy a bar in your living room by simply placing it near a window.
Varieties
The main element of the bar counter is the tabletop; it can be made in various styles.
Important! The bar counter should be in harmony with the rest of the furniture in the room.
There are racks with massive tabletops and lightweight independent structures.
Bar counters are classified into several types according to the material of manufacture, placement features and number of levels.
Zoning the kitchen and living room with a bar counter, photo
In most cases, the height of bar counters reaches a maximum of 1 meter: they are perfectly complemented by high benches or chairs.
On a note! The bar counter can be purchased together with chairs or separately.
There are single-level and two-level racks, but the most comfortable are designs consisting of one level: with a table top and a rack located at the same height.
This option is convenient to use, easy to install and much cheaper, but at the same time it looks quite expensive and elegant.
If you want to make the living room interior stylish and avoid large material costs, install a bar counter in the living room.
Important! Racks consisting of several levels take up more space - this option is not suitable for small rooms with low ceilings.
When choosing a bar counter to decorate your living room, you should remember one important rule, which states that it should not be overloaded with numerous accessories and decorative elements. In such a situation, it is preferable to equip the structure with shelves or compact cabinets with doors. The cabinets are convenient for storing household items.
One of the positive aspects of the bar counter is the ability to use the level below by small households. The upper level is great for adults.
In addition, there are open and, conversely, closed racks. In the first case, the space under the tabletop remains unoccupied; closed models look like tables.
Look at examples of how beautifully you can decorate the interior of a living room with a fireplace: several of the most original design options for living rooms and halls with a fireplace.
For the best ideas and tips for interior design of a small living room in a modern style, read this article.
Different styles of bar counter in the living room
If you prefer to install a bar counter in your living room, there are different models of this type of furniture to create different styles in the design. You should, of course, match the counter with the design of your living room. Modern bar counter designs are impressive, so you can choose the design depending on the space you have.
To incorporate a breakfast bar into your living room, you can choose a chic or even ultra-modern coastal style. It is also possible to create a tropical country decor atmosphere that will help you travel for cocktails to an exotic part of the world, such as the Mediterranean coast.
If you have some spare space in your living room, you can even indulge yourself and create a space entirely dedicated to serving as a bar. This is a great opportunity to install a mini-fridge with a variety of drinks. A bar counter in the form of a bar can be a very decorative element of the interior, for example, in a loft style.
There are very beautiful arrangements that feature bar counters in a spacious, minimalist living room, creating a friendly and open atmosphere. To highlight this space, feel free to choose the wall color you want.
Material
The choice of material for a bar is influenced by its performance characteristics, method of care and cost of the finished product. The options may be as follows:
- Chipboard and MDF panels. These are the most common materials for manufacturing. They have excellent wear resistance and are not exposed to external influences. The main disadvantage of the products is low strength and environmental friendliness.
- Acrylic. This material is flexible and pliable, which allows you to create any shapes and bends. Bar counters are made from it, designed for rooms in high-tech and minimalist styles.
- Stone. It has amazing texture and beauty. Products made from it are the most expensive on the market, but they are easy to use and very durable.
- Glass. Using this material you can create an original design. Most often used in combination with wood and stone.
- Tree. Used to create classic interiors.
- Corian. It is used to make countertops. The material is very similar to marble, but has lower wear resistance and has a wide color palette.
- Drywall. It is considered the most budget option. With its help you can create a bar counter of any shape. The main disadvantage is that it does not tolerate high temperature and humidity.
- Metal. Uncommon, but modern and effective material. Used in high-tech, minimalism and modern styles.
The palette of materials used to make stands is huge: stone, wood, iron, glass and even plastic. Their choice depends on the style, design and concept of the room.
Bar counter with built-in lighting
Kitchen design with bar counter gray
Kitchen design with a beige bar counter
Kitchen design with a large bar counter
Laconic kitchen design with a bar counter
Kitchen design with wenge bar counter
Kitchen-living room with bar counter
The first solution to creating a bar in the living room is to place it between the kitchen and the living room, often next to the sofa. This solution allows you to make a connection between two rooms, and it is also a good solution for those who have an open or semi-open kitchen. Indeed, with a semi-open kitchen, the bar counter is in the main room, the living room, but is also accessible from the food preparation area. The advantage is saving space and serving your guests. So even in small apartments you can easily create such a corner of rest and relaxation.
The bar counter is an extremely convenient and necessary piece of furniture. The combination of an open living room with a kitchen created a completely new piece of furniture - a breakfast bar, also often called a peninsula. In a number of interiors, you can observe that this piece of furniture is placed against the wall and is part of two rooms. This is often organized so that the kitchen side is an additional work surface, and the side of the living room is a great place to have a quick breakfast, drink coffee or chat with the person preparing the food. The bar counter has another valuable advantage - it optically separates the kitchen, which often gets messy during cooking, from an orderly room in the form of a hall.
Design options
An ordinary dining table is not suitable as a space delimiter, especially if the apartment is small. The bar counter, due to its smaller size, allows you not only to separate the kitchen from the living room itself, but also to save space, while many people can fit behind it.
Small bar counter in the living room interior
Island stand
This option is suitable for a large kitchen-living room. This tabletop will certainly attract the attention of guests. You can freely approach the counter from any side, and also install everything you need into the work surface - a sink, hob, etc. The body can have drawers and shelves for storing household appliances, dishes and other things.
An original bar counter that combines the kitchen and living room areas
It is convenient to place additional lamps above the island, which allows you to well illuminate the work and dining space.
Note! If the countertop is used for cooking, it would be a good idea to place a hood above it so that odors from the kitchen do not penetrate into the seating area, which is not separated by a solid wall.
Island bar counter in the kitchen-living room
Corner model
The most compact option, suitable for use in small kitchens and living rooms. This counter clearly separates the living room and work areas, blending harmoniously into the interior. The corner model is not striking and does not radically change the intended design of the room.
Corner bar counter in the living room interior in white tones
Additional accessories, such as glass holders, can be placed above the tabletop. For lighting, you can use either built-in spots on the ceiling or simple lamps on cables.
Bar counter with glass holders in a modern living room interior
Two-level racks
In such designs, two tabletops are used at once at different levels from the floor. As a rule, the lower one is located on the kitchen side, and the higher one on the living room side. This counter is convenient for children, since they can sit quietly at the low tabletop, and guests will be comfortable at the high bar counter. Unlike the corner model, this option is more massive and therefore requires more space.
Semicircular two-level bar counter in the interior of a living room combined with a kitchen
Restaurant counter
This model replicates the classic bar counters that can be found in clubs and bars; it will definitely appeal to lovers of noisy parties and experiments with cocktails. The counter is complemented by a minibar and bar stools; this composition gives the room a festive and carefree look. Wood, plywood, plasterboard, etc. are used as materials for restaurant counters.
Natural wood stand in a modern living room interior
Zoning the living room with a bar counter
The bar counter has become an ideal piece of furniture, simultaneously connecting the kitchen with the living room and optically separating them. To enhance this effect, the kitchen often has a suspended ceiling that follows the shape of the food preparation area, including the peninsula. The bar counter can be organized in several ways. For example, in a kitchen with an additional work surface, it can be equipped with a stove, oven, and sink. This can also be a place where you can really grab a quick bite on three sides. A kitchen peninsula usually organizes the room into two parallel lines or a "U" shape.
Small living room with bar counter
A bar counter can only be a decorative or functional element of the interior, but it can also combine these two characteristics. It all depends on personal needs and, of course, on the amount of space in the living room. In a really small apartment, a bar counter often replaces a traditional table. You must answer the question, what else is needed? Maybe sometimes, in a place where you would like to have a regular kitchen table, it is better to put a bar counter that will be appropriate to use during daily meals and when guests arrive?
Saving square meters
Small apartments limit the imagination of owners and interior designers; it is difficult to place not only large furniture in them, but even a kitchen table. Using a small table is not very convenient, and the cooking process on it becomes more complicated.
The bar counter can replace the table. The bar counter plays a big role during holidays, when the owners need to host 7-8 people and arrange them comfortably.
If you use it as a partition to separate the living room and kitchen area, you can gain space due to the presence of drawers and shelves in which you can store, among other things, kitchen utensils.
Mobile bar counter
In a small space, every good idea matters. Do you want your living room to be as practical as possible? Use mobile furniture that can be easily moved and used as needed. A portable stainless steel bar makes it easy to use in small living rooms and kitchens. The design can have its permanent place in the room, between cabinets or on the border of the kitchen and dining room or living room. A mobile bar counter with an additional top will be especially useful in a small room. You can also use it during receptions, as it will become an exceptional bartender's assistant.
Design of a bar counter in the living room
The method of finishing the bar counter depends on its size and function. A decorative bar usually has a lightweight design. This type of furniture consists of a table top and support legs. In modern-style interiors, the upper and supporting legs are often made of the same material. An interesting idea for a leg supporting the bar could be an openwork forged metal structure. If, on the other hand, the bar counter also has a practical function, it is simply mounted on kitchen cabinets or on the wall. From the living room side, the back of the structure should be beautifully and aesthetically finished, for example, you can put a wine cabinet under the tabletop.
Materials for racks
In order for the stand to fit organically into the interior, you need to choose the right materials: natural wood, natural (artificial) stone, less often metal or glass.
Tree
Natural wood is durable, but wood is afraid of moisture. Be sure to periodically treat wood countertops with water-repellent agents.
Wood is also susceptible to bugs. Therefore, care must be taken to prevent surface damage.
Stone
The surface made of stone will be durable; such racks will serve for many years. When it comes to maintenance, stone countertops are easy to clean; they are not afraid of water, fungus, bugs and temperature changes.
Advice! If you spill water (liquid) on a stone, you should immediately wipe it dry. If moisture penetrates inside, its color may change over time.
Quartz agglomerate does not like hot pans and pots removed from the heat. Boiling water may cause cracks to appear on the surface.
The most practical material for the rack is laminated PDF panels. These surfaces:
- resistant to mechanical damage;
- are not afraid of moisture;
- easy to care for.
This is the most budget option for designing a kitchen-living room with an original bar counter. They look beautiful due to the large selection of colors and new textures.
Glass
A creative countertop option is glass. New technologies make it possible to use glass:
- with internal lighting;
- photo printing,
- with mirror coating;
- patterns;
- plain, etc.
Designers create many creative designs using durable and stylish glass. Glass surfaces are resistant to water, chemicals or high temperatures.
You will have to wipe the surface frequently to avoid visible stains and greasy stains left by your fingers.
How to choose the size of the bar counter in the living room?
The dimensions of the bar counter in the living room depend on its function and purpose, as well as on the parameters of the room. If the bar is to replace the table and serve for regular meals, remember that each person must have at least 60 cm wide and 50 cm deep for use. There should be about 25 cm for legs under the counter. If the bar counter is used for preparing dishes and for their consumption, then the width of the tabletop should be between 90-120 cm. The height of the chairs depends on the parameters of the counter.
Choose a beautiful bar counter from a variety of photographs to make the living room of your apartment or house not only beautiful, but also as functional as possible.
Lighting
The bar counter needs additional lighting. A separate light source is needed both for more comfortable work and as decorative lighting for drinks and dishes with snacks.
For lighting, you can use a chandelier or several individual lamps above the tabletop. LED strips are popular as decoration, however, you shouldn’t get too carried away with it. Too much lighting will make your living room look like a nightclub.
