The best moments in one’s life are those spent with family or shared with friends at home. Before the pandemic, a lot of people have enjoyed hosting parties and get-togethers at home. Some also enjoy cookouts and potlucks even if there isn’t any birthday, holiday, graduation, or the like to celebrate.
While it is a good way to extend your social circle by meeting other people at the venue, it is not very economical if you are there to only share a drink or two with a friend. So what if you can save that cost in the long run by having a bar at home?
It would be a worthwhile project during the pandemic and ensures a good venue for future get-togethers. Creating your own bar at home has its aesthetic value and could also potentially add market value to your home should you decide to sell it when the housing market is on a high.
If you have the time and the tools, you could build your own wine bar at home.
Depending on the size of your home, it is best to calculate how long and how big it will be. Also, the bar should be located where you plan to host future parties and accommodate guests in your home. There are plenty of design ideas in Pinterest you could take inspiration from which would also match or fit in well with the central aesthetics of your home.
If you aren’t really much of a DIY person, you can just purchase a chic bar cart which you can just push or pull where you are hosting.
Whether by the pool, the living room, theatre, study, or any other part of the house where a drink could be needed a bar cart would make the homeowner and guest feel comfortable to reach and mix their own drink. The thing to remember with bar carts is not to leave it too messy, keep it clean, and don’t let it get too cluttered.
Bar Decor Tips
A subtle tray of alcoholic drinks in the patio or sunroom could make an ordinary shelf or bookcase a small bar. If you do not want this to be a focal point of the room, the design of the room, artwork, plants, and other decorations would be a good addition to the room. Since it is only a tray the beverage that should be put there should be curated and chosen well.
A console table is also a good alternative as it has shelving and a flat surface to put all the bottles and mixing tools. If you are an avid mixer this would be the best option for you and aesthetic value, you can put a vase of fresh flowers, a designer lamp, and other decorations that could fit in with the aesthetic of the particular room it is in.
There are DIY tutorial videos that you can follow along on YouTube, some even for as low as $100. However, if your future objective for this project is to host and network at home or add market value to your home you might have to shell out a bit more than that. Once you have decided on a design you would also need to look into the shelves underneath and their lighting.
Your local hardware stores would have a friendly employee or two who can help you pick the materials needed and the fixtures needed to be placed on it, whether it be the primary necessities or the design you have decided for it. Here you can also adjust the budget that you can spend or decide to go over it with the recommendations of the store helpers.
Once you have the materials, it needs to be cut into shape, sanded, painted and coated. Depending on the design, sometimes it would be nailed, screwed, and glued together before it’s painted and coated. You have to decide for yourself which would not only be convenient for you but also which methodology would make the finished product look tastefully done.
As for the contents of the bar, the most important thing to consider for your home bar is choosing which alcoholic beverage or spirits to put. For this, you need a variety of spirits and not only different brands of your favorite. That way, when you accommodate guests you don’t need to run off to the store and get some.
You can build up your repertoire of spirits slowly based on the cocktails you know how to mix, your own preference, and also the drinks you would like to mix for others. Even one spirit every month could add up to the number of drinks you can mix eventually. You can use Bartender’s Choice app and Vine Pair’s cocktail recipe database.
For mixers and drink modifiers, a bottle of vermouth, Campari, and Cointreau in small quantities. Other than that, you also need to stock up on carbonated drinks, tonic water, and others. Aromatic bitters like a bottle of Angostura or orange bitters would also be a good addition if you like mixing classic cocktails.
As for glassware and bar tools, the simpler it is the better. A mixing glass, shaker, jigger, Hawthorne strainer, bar spoon, and hand juicer is a must. Experts recommend newbies to buy from professional suppliers that sell it for less than upscale retailers. It is also of better quality as it is catered for professional bartenders.
Chairs for your bar should also be as chic as it is safe and comfortable. The Height Adjustable Wobble Stool BH2 at FlexiSpot could be a good option.
This wobble stool is ergonomically designed and height adjustable up to 28.1 tall and has a thick sponge cushion with high resilience that makes a cozy and pleasurable sitting experience. It swivels 360 degrees and tilts left and right at 15 degrees as well and is portable to carry anywhere with its small volume and stable 11 lbs. iron base. Find out more at the website.