As home entertaining enjoys its current renaissance, a renewed interest in the home bar has emerged. We’re not talking about the secretive, shuttered bars of decades ago designed to keep the liquor stash hidden. Quite the contrary. Today’s bars tend to be sophisticated design statements that serve not only as a gathering spot for cocktail-hour guests, but also as a multifunctional, family-friendly place to use throughout the day. Yes, you can have the best of both worlds. After all, it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere.
Get creative with your floor plan
Christy Blumenfeld, the Dallas-based architect behind Blume Architecture, says the trend started during the pandemic. “Instead of going out to bars and restaurants, we all turned back to using our homes in a different way than before. Now we want to entertain by day and night in a bespoke setting. You know that vibe from the corner booth at your favorite watering hole? After the post-COVID flight to comfort, people want their spaces smaller and more intimate,” Blumenfeld explains.
For new construction homes, that may mean opting out of a formal living room with the traditional sofa, two chairs and a piano and replacing that setup with a dedicated bar space. “We’re now doing more of a loungy, even speakeasy feel for many clients, where there’s maybe four chairs and barstools,” Blumenfeld says. “It’s a comfortable den that’s separate from the great room and the TV room.”
She typically places a home bar between the kitchen, great room and dining room as a kind of catch-all space. “When you’re entertaining, it expands the kitchen,” Blumenfeld shares, noting that partygoers will congregate at a bar similar to the way they do around a kitchen counter.
In large spaces, Blumenfeld adds, guests tend to huddle next to furniture or gather in a hall because they’re more comfortable in a cozy setting. With that in mind, smaller and more intimate home bars make sense, with a counter to lean on and bar stools that allow guests to remain at eye level even while seated. She also suggests leaving space on both sides of a bar counter for seating, which allows for better conversation between the hosts (aka bartenders) and their guests, as opposed to just the standard shoulder-to-shoulder seating.
As far as renovating to include a bar, Blumenfeld recommends considering the living room space or getting creative in some unexpected places. Many homes include a large walk-in pantry, even though most families no longer store large quantities of shelf-stable food. “We’ll separate that pantry into two spaces, and maybe steal a little space from a back hall to convert that space into a bar.”
Interior designer Mary Beth Wagner also gets creative with her home bar renovation projects. “Recently, I converted a client’s unused AV closet into a hidden lacquered bar. The paneled door opens to reveal stunning wallpaper, brass shelving and a wine fridge. This bar added a fantastic element of surprise to the room,” she says.
There are multiple approaches you can take with a home bar. “You can display old-fashioned glasses or liquor you’re collecting and even feature some hidden gems,” says Blumenfeld. “When people have children, they really just want a plop space, so we hide and lock all the liquor, and it just looks like a beautiful secondary kitchen.”
Families obviously cozy up to the bar for so much more than adult beverages, so you want to make the space comfy. “Some of these bars have built-in banquettes for family game night and then a soda-fountain-style bar for smoothies, appetizers or sandwiches. It’s a serving area, a gathering spot, a place to do homework. There are so many functions for a bar,” Blumenfeld says. “We’re doing a lot of chairs in the round, so a big ottoman in the middle with four or five chairs instead of a stiffer sofa and two chairs. That brings the family together.”
Wagner takes a similar approach with her clients. “Whenever possible,” she says, “I love creating a singular intimate space within a home for entertaining small groups for games such as mah-jongg or poker.”
Features that raise the bar
As for the nuts and bolts of a home bar, appliances play a big part in a multifunctional space. It’s no surprise that a Sonic-style ice maker tops the list of most requested features. Blumenfeld also includes a “leave out” drawer for a cooler, so when clients entertain, the cooler isn’t taking up precious floor space during an event. “It’s underneath the cabinetry, close to the floor, with big doors on it. We tile the bottom of the drawer so if the cooler happens to leak you can catch the mess,” she says.
Blumenfeld also recommends refrigerator drawers, beyond the usual standard size that simply hold soft drinks. “There are a couple of super-cool, lockable refrigerator drawers that are deeper and can hold bottles of opened wine.” Beyond that, she’s including dishwashers, plus hidden microwaves, warming drawers and trash containers.
“Really it’s a mini kitchen, that way you can use it as a serving buffet for Thanksgiving or to host a kid’s sports team after the game,” Blumenfeld says.
To elevate the space, she has a host of recommendations, including frame TVs, a new category of television that hangs on your wall like a work of art. You can customize the display with art or photos from your travels rather than having an obtrusive big black box in the middle of the room.
Blumenfeld typically works with top interior designers in the area, including Wagner. “Collaboration is important, because we think about space and how it’s going to relate to the balance of the house,” Blumenfeld says about an architect’s point of view. “Paneling, tile and the materiality of all of these spaces really matter, because if you just have cabinetry and Sheetrock, it’s not as interesting as if you layer the walls with material. So we’re doing everything from wallpaper, to board on board, to wood ceilings, tile on the walls and ceiling, mirrored tile.”
“I love incorporating unexpected elements like unique wall coverings, lacquered cabinetry, unique stone-and-brass or acrylic shelving,” Wagner agrees. “Bars are the perfect place to create a ‘wow’ moment in a home.”