from our "home remodeling" project library

Home Bars Make Entertaining Easy

Home bars are making a comeback but you won't see many of today's versions in wood-paneled basements next to a foosball table. The modern home lounge is designed to make entertaining easy for hosts and fun for their guests, which means proximity to the kitchen.

Form Follows Function

Party guests love to congregate in kitchens, and it's no wonder: that's where the food comes from. Adding a home bar and food serving area adjacent to your kitchen designates a specific, convenient space for you to place snacks, drinks, and serving ware; and for guests, it becomes a go-to place but not an all-night destination, encouraging revelers to mingle.

A butler's pantry, usually located between the kitchen and the dining room, is an ideal location for a wet bar, as cabinetry for glassware and other service items are already there. A family room off the kitchen is another good location, especially if there's an unused closet or empty wall where a counter and cabinets could easily be added.

Your home bar and food serving area will require plumbing for the sink, counter space, storage for liquor, mixers, and stocking glassware, and electrical outlets. What's a party without a blender? A larger home bar might also include barstools, as well as a small refrigerator and dishwasher.

Add Personal Style

Home lounges can be tailored to any home, large or small, and should reflect your personal style. If you love home brewing, you might add a refrigerator fitted especially for kegs, and stock the cabinets with beer glasses suited for lagers, stouts, and the like. Hang appropriate artwork… and have fun with the space. It's for partying, after all.