The main image is courtesy of Wesley Moon Inc, which features their exquisitely designed home bar within a large Alpine-inspired great room.

Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center recently hosted Summer Vibes, a barbeque event, at their Calabasas showroom in Southern California, which featured an inspirational presentation on how to approach designing a spectacular home bar.

As part of the continuing education programs of NKBA (The National Kitchen & Bath Association) and IDCEC (International Design Continuing Education Council), The Anatomy of the Home Bar was an informative primer for designers and homeowners alike, looking to elevate the home entertainment experience for themselves or their clients.

The Anatomy of the Home Bar, Summer Vibes presentation at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, Calabasas, California

True Residential Brand Manager Chelsea Bothe presenting the Anatomy of the Home Bar
at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, Calabasas, California

Presented by Chelsea Bothe, Brand Manager at True Residential, the talk highlighted the growing popularity of entertaining at home and illustrated a myriad of key elements, options and decision points for home bar design, for either indoor or outdoor.

Choosing the right options for your home bar requires an understanding of your usage needs and intent, as well as your expectations of appliances and accoutrements for long-lasting, enjoyable usage and experiences.

Table of Contents

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Entertaining at Home: Latest Trends

The shift to home entertainment began in earnest in 2020, when prospective homebuyers rushed into the real estate market to secure a sanctuary and began renovating their personal fortresses.

Young family lounging on backyard deck with pillows

After a while, it became obvious that home entertainment had quite a few benefits and homeowners began investing heavily in their homes to provide more appeal and ambiance for their families and guests.

Outdoor kitchen with fireplace and patio

Manufacturers began to notice this preference for home hosting and quickly shifted marketing of their products to encourage this trend. Consumers were bombarded with home appliance and other product advertisements that would help them elevate their residential entertainment prowess.

Simultaneously, consumer alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage trends have also shifted. This means that party hosts must be prepared for guests with not only diverse drinking preferences, but also penchants for emerging liquid refreshments in new product categories.

Recess Mood Magnesium & Adaptogen Infused Sparkling Water Drink Calming Beverage

Recess Mood Magnesium & Adaptogen Infused Sparkling Water Drink Calming Beverage

True Residential shared the following consumer alcoholic and social drinking trends:

  • Low-ABV and non-alcoholic options are raising the bar
  • Hard seltzer sales show no signs of slowing
  • Adaptogens are going mainstream
  • Natural wine sales are continuing to go up
  • Ready-to-drink beverages are expanding

Data shared from NielsenIQ further confirmed the broadening range of consumer preferences, which shows small percentages of consumers who drink alcoholic beverages strictly within only one category. In other words, many consumers who consume alcoholic beverages drink from more than one beverage category.

True Residential Anatomy of the Home Bar NielsenIQ's Wine & Spirits Consumer Consumption Chart

Image courtesy of True Residential

Additional Comments from Purgula:

Over recent years, homeowners have had a growing need for increased functionality within limited spaces, which has led to the creation of flexible spaces, assisted by transformable design.

True Residential Anatomy of the Home Bar: Butler's Pantry by Thorpe Concepts

A well-designed butler’s pantry that can seamlessly transform into a home bar
Design and photography by Thorpe Concepts

Given that more members of households were spending more time at home, many homeowners also looked to their outdoor spaces to meet their pressing needs: fresh air; solitude; casual entertaining spaces; exercise; and more.

The expansion outdoors has further fueled the popularity of indoor-outdoor living, which aims to connect key amenities — inside and out — for a seamless, convenient lifestyle.

Given these recent trends, we were not surprised to see so many creative examples of home bars during the presentation, especially those that were created within “found” or transformed spaces.

True Residential Anatomy of the Home Bar, slide 47: Under-utilized spaces - closets

Examples of closets creatively transformed into home bars
Designs by: Studio Shamshiri (left image); Ann Lowengart Interiors (middle image); Coats Homes (right image)
Photography by: Stephen Kent Johnson (left image); Jose Manuel Alorda (middle image); Coats Homes (right image)

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Key Decisions for Your Home Bar

A major factor in designing your home bar is determining preferences for and feasibility of its location.

  • Do you prefer to entertain indoors or outdoors?
  • Are you incorporating a home bar to blend with your existing décor or are you looking to make a distinct design statement?
  • Where will your home bar be?
    • Will you need to place it in a newly created or “found” space, such as: an underutilized closet; a transition space between the living and dining rooms; or in a “dead space”, such as under a stairwell?
    • Will your bar be designed to take over an existing room and become a “destination” bar, such as a Mancave, Home Pub or Rec Room?
Lago Lindo Wet Home Bar with True Residential wine storage. Photography by Nader Essa Photography

A stylish wet bar with stools for “staying” and enjoying wine and showcased spirits.
Photography by Nader Essa

With a space in mind, homeowners need to have a clearly defined concept of how their home bar will function, by considering the following polar opposite design choices.

Will your home bar be…

  • For Staying or Leaving?
    • Will the bar be a gathering hub or just a well-stocked beverage serving station?
  • For Standing or Sitting?
    • Should you have lounge chairs, bar stools or just high-top tables?
  • Wet or Dry?
    • Will plumbing be required for a wet bar, refrigeration, dishwasher or ice machine?
  • Concealed or Conspicuous?
    • Would you prefer a secretive bar, such as concealed behind a hidden door, or do you wish it to make a bold statement?
  • Open or Secure?
    • How much security will you need? Homes with minors will require security, such as locked refrigeration and cabinetry.

Knowing the exact purpose and eventual utility of your home bar is important as there are many decisions and options that will accompany the final choice.

Additional Comments from Purgula:

These types of questions enable designers to guide their clients toward making well-informed decisions, with prioritized needs and preferences. Brand marketers go through a similar process when refining the traits of well-known consumer brands. In this case, it’s helpful to think of your future home bar in terms of adjectives that will describe the eventual feel of the space.

Keep in mind that it’s fine to answer “in the middle” or “towards” one of two polar opposite choices when conceptualizing your design and prioritized features and traits. This type of context will help your designer better understand what you are striving for, early in the process.

Knowing the full-range of options upfront can also help homeowners plan incremental phases to evolve their home bars over time.

That said, we would recommend that designers also ask their clients a question pertaining to being “Certain or Uncertain” about their home bar vision. For example, more “uncertain” plans should have flexibility built into the design, so that future adjustments can be made more easily as the bar is used over time.


 

Spaces for Your Home Bar

You may find it surprising how many potential spaces you may already have for a home bar.

Color-coordinated home bar in large great room with mountain views

A stylish color-coordinated home bar in a large great room with majestic mountain views
Image courtesy of True Residential

Here is a list of more obvious candidates for large, statement-making home bars within standalone spaces and rooms:

  • Great Rooms
  • Multipurpose Gathering Rooms
  • Basements
  • Butler’s Pantries
  • Theater/Media/Gaming Rooms
  • Garages
  • Outdoor Sheds
  • Pool Houses & Rec Rooms
  • Downstairs Guest Bedrooms
  • Outdoor Decks and Patios
  • ADUs
Hidden bar in home office designed by Studio LeClercq: Eclectic Classic Encore (Los Angeles home)

A hidden bar in a meticulous home office designed by Studio LeClercq
Image courtesy of Studio LeClercq

A more creative approach to finding space for a home bar is to discover and convert under-utilized spaces, such as:

  • Closets
  • Underneath Stairs
  • Storage Units
  • Shelving Systems
  • Indoor Transition Spaces
  • Indoor-Outdoor Transition Spaces
  • Hidden Doors & Rooms
True Residential Anatomy of the Home Bar presentation: Under-utilized space - beneath stairs

Designs by: Lauren Pesson (left image); Timothy Godbold (top-right image); and Beth Howley Creative (bottom-right image)
Photography by: Cain Thevenot (left image); Timothy Godbold (top-right image); and Beth Howley Creative (bottom-right image)


 

Elements of a Contemporary Home Bar

As you gain a better vision for the purpose and personality of you home bar, you now get to the fun part of considering all of the wonderful features and appliances that will make your bar truly special.

True Residential Anatomy of the Home Bar: Transition Spaces

Designs and photography by: Swati Goorha (left image); Jen Sottosanti (middle image); bba Architects (right image)

We always like considering a broad range of choices and budgets, so that we feel more confident in our final choices, as we align possibilities with reality (e.g. budget, prioritized needs, spacing, timing, primary usage, etc.).

Stephen Kenn designed home bar with True Residential appliances, doors open

A small, but highly functional home bar with well-designed work space
Design by Stephen Kenn. Photography by Amy Bartlam

Home Bar Appliances to Consider:

  • Beverage & Wine Storage
  • Clear Ice Machines
  • Beverage Dispensers
  • Refrigerated Storage Drawers
  • Dishwashers

Home Bar Fixtures & Infrastructure to Consider:

  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • Faucets & Sinks
  • Lighting
  • Footrails
  • Bar Rail Molding
  • Cabinetry & Shelving
  • Materials

Home Bar Furniture, Décor & Accoutrements to Consider:

  • Lounge Tables & Chairs
  • Bar Stools
  • Bar Hooks
  • Glassware
  • Bartender Utensils
  • Parlor Games
  • Charging Stations

 

Setting Expectations

Determining the exact type of bar you prefer may require electrical or plumbing changes so allow for adequate budget and time for extra general construction to ensure a space will meet your specific usage needs.

Luxury home bar in great room, designed by  Katie Kern. Photography by Jill Ockhardt Blaufuss

A luxuriously warm home bar (AKA Neutral Nirvana) in an expansive great room where new plumbing was key. Designed by Katie Kern.
Photography by Jill Ockhardt Blaufuss

Understanding the appliances, how they work and ownership expectations, such as noise volume, maintenance requirements, and energy consumption are equally important.

For example, depending on the type of clear ice machine you choose, you may be surprised at the level of noise during the ice making cycle. In many products, the freezing cycle can be raucous to some, as the fan moving the air, the water pump circulating water, the ice dropping into the ice bin and old ice draining from the bin can take some time to become “background noise”.

In other words, a clear ice maker may not be conducive for a serene bedroom suite, but a small, quiet refrigerator might be the perfect amenity for an intimate ensuite bar.

Setting expectations for the sounds of undercounter refrigerators, ice machines and blenders, is important, especially if the bar is to be enjoyed, so it does not become a nuisance or source of contention within your household.

The Anatomy of the Home Bar by True Residential outdoor beverage dispenser

Outdoor beverage dispenser
Image courtesy of True Residential

When evaluating your budget and feature choices, you will also need to understand which features are must haves (i.e. where you cannot cut corners) for a desired arrangement. An example of this is purchasing a draft tower cooler kit for an outdoor beverage dispenser. Commercial bars are required to have this to prevent pouring foam and to prevent the formation of mold.

 

Related Entertaining at Home Articles & Resources

 

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