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Designing a Home Bar Room
by Gregg Ruais
PORTABLE FOLDING BARS | DECORATING A BAR ROOM | HOME MARTINI LOUNGE | YOUR OWN SPORTS BAR | OTHER BAR ROOM IDEAS

A home bar room becomes the central gathering place for all house parties.  People naturally gravitate towards bars, because they offer such comfortable seating, and because that's where the drinks are! Home bar rooms are not only convenient when entertaining guests, but also become many people's favorite rooms in which to spend personal time.  As with any other room, a bar should reflect the owner's personality.  There is no standard blueprint that must be followed.  Homeowners can decorate their bars as sports pubs, Irish bars, chic martini lounges, and many other styles.

Portable Folding Bars for Entertaining
If you want a bar room solely for the purpose of entertaining guests, you don't have to designate a room in your house for a fully stocked, 500 lb. wet bar that will only be used a few times each year.  It will be much more cost-effective to purchase a folding bar that takes up only a small space when not in use.  There are portable folding bars that make very attractive corner pieces when not expanded, and whenever you want to entertain guests, you can move the bar into any room you like and pull out the leaves.

You can find folding bars in a variety of finishes, including oak, cherry wood, and various painted colors.  Some of the most authentic portable bars even feature brass foot bars and accommodate seating for three people.  These bars include several built-in drawers and cabinets, where you can store glasses and bottles of liquor or wine.  The countertops feature plenty of room for drink mixers, garnishes, shot glasses, or anything else you want to display. 

A portable folding bar comes in handy whenever you host holiday gatherings, Super Bowl parties, or any event when you plan on serving alcohol.  An advantage a portable bar has over a solid bar without joints, is that it can be easily transported when you change homes or decide to use the room for a different purpose.  BACK TO TOP

Decorating a Bar Room
Most people choose to decorate the kitchen, living room, and bedroom with a degree of formality, but a home bar room is the one place where it's advantageous to break all the rules and concentrate on making the atmosphere fun.  A personal bar can be your escape from stress.  Use it as a place for relaxation and recreation.

Regardless of your decorating tastes, there are some things you'll definitely need in order to make your bar comfortable and convenient for both you and your guests.  First and foremost, you need a bar.  If you're especially handy, you can make your own bar, which is the cheapest option.  If you have neither the time nor the expertise to construct your own bar, you can purchase a used bar from a restaurant or pub that has gone out of business.  You also have the option of purchasing a customized countertop made of wood or stainless steel.

If you want your personal bar to look professional, purchase wall shelving to display bottles of wine or liquor and place a mirror behind the bottles.  You will also need bar stools, and for additional seating, chairs and couches.  To accommodate large parties, consider purchasing additional bar tables and stools.   Although not absolutely necessary, a refrigerator and freezer are convenient additions to any home bar, especially if you want cold beer and ice on hand at all times.  BACK TO TOP

Styling Your Own Martini Lounge
If you want a chic martini lounge in the basement, purchase a modern-looking countertop, such as marble, granite, or dark wood, for the bar area.  All martini bars display their selections of vodka and gin, so buy a few expensive bottles just for show even if you plan on drinking less expensive liquor.

The seating can distinguish a high-end establishment from a typical pub.  Try a set of contemporary style cushioned bar stools.  Swivel stools offer maximum comfort.  If you have enough room, purchase one or two round bar tables and place two stools at each.  Many stylish bars feature leather couches and chairs.  Situate the seating in a way that encourages interplay among guests.

Appropriate lighting creates the right atmosphere in your martini lounge.  For a sophisticated look, hang colored lamps over the seating areas.  If you want your bar to have a devilish quality, red lamps make an excellent choice.  Blue lights set a cool, relaxed ambiance.  The colored lamps will not provide enough lighting for all occasions, so it's a good idea to have recessed dimmer lights as well.  Place inset colored lights on the countertop behind the liquor to illuminate the bottles.

As with any home bar, a martini lounge needs music.  Your sound system can be as sophisticated or as simple as you want, but make sure that you do have music to play.  Without tunes playing in the background, it will feel as though something is missing.  BACK TO TOP

Designing a Home Sports Bar
It's every sports fan's dream to have a place in the home where he or she doesn't have to get up for drinks, and so comfort and practicality are the most important aspects of any home sports bar.  Most televised sports events last several hours, so you should choose the most comfortable couches, chairs, and bar stools possible.  Many people hook up keg taps to their bars.  The keg goes in a refrigerator behind the bar, and the lever that makes the beer flow can be easily reached from either side of the counter. 

The majority of home sports bars are located in the basement, because the decorating scheme usually doesn't match the rest of the home.  This is where you post neon beer signs, posters of athletes from the past and present, and even display team football helmets.  If you own an autographed jersey or baseball card, it will look great in your bar room.  The color scheme can match the uniform of your favorite team, or you can make the room look like a regular sports bar.  You can also buy a portable refrigerator that features a professional or college team logo.  A billiards table, a dart board, and a juke box make excellent additions to your bar room.

Of course, the most important aspect of any sports bar is the television.  The placement of that TV is up to you.  Many people situate the television behind the bar, but if you feel more comfortable sitting on a sofa, just place the TV wherever it will be convenient for you.  BACK TO TOP

Bar Room Ideas
A bar room is a great place to be creative with your decorating scheme.  Consider yourself an artist, and the room is your blank canvas.  You might decide to create a tropical theme by purchasing a faux palm tree, building the bar with bamboo, and serving drinks with miniature umbrellas.  Keep ice on hand, and have a blender to make frozen drinks.  If the bar is located in the basement, you can even decorate the walls with seashells, a conch, and beach rocks.  Starfish also make great decorations.  A gazebo is a great location for a tropical bar.

A retro-style bar room makes a great conversation starter and a fun place to hang out with friends and family.  Purchase some colorful soda fountain stools, the type found in diners during the 1950s, and set them in front of a bar made with white laminate countertop.  Black-and-white checkered flooring and a five-cents-per-play juke box add to the vintage motif.  Visit a local thrift store to search for affordable old-school furniture, such as velvet couches and 1950s-style lamps.  Hang black-and-white photographs of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and other celebrities on the walls.

Other popular bar styles include Country and Western, formal English pubs, and Irish bars.  Choose whichever style suits your personality, and remember to have fun.  This is your room, and as long as it reflects who you are, other people will appreciate its authenticity.  BACK TO TOP

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