Design Tips to Make the Most of Nooks and Bar Spaces at Home
This wet bar with built-storage and a full-size wine fridge fits perfectly in this Serene Sanctuary home’s dining space.
Regardless of the size of your space, we can design a multi-purpose bar area to fit the essentials - whether it’s for wine, cocktails, coffee or all of the above!
Let me preface this design story with these words: you do not have to love booze to design a sweet bar area in your home! If you enjoy a nice cup of coffee, foamy cappuccino, matcha latte (or a glass of wine!) or you love to entertain and want to make it easy to enjoy your favorite beverage(s), a dedicated bar space can go a long way.
In the featured image at the top of this blog, (the one with the full size wine fridge…), we were renovating a whole home and we had a large dining room wall that could accommodate an expansive bar area that complemented the kitchen design. You may not find yourself updating an entire room or with a large wall that can house a full height wine fridge, a sink, and extra storage - which is totally fine! Space planning with your current parameters can still give you the opportunity to create a functional space for enjoying your drink(s) of choice! Even if you’re not remodeling your home anytime soon, you can always start by organizing your current rooms and consider what works with what you have now, what storage (furniture) you’d like and evaluate your daily habits and routines - even a little bar cart can go a long way!
In my own design history, I’ve found bars to be one of the most sought after additions - even if it’s something small! Below I’m going to share some of my favorites to inspire your own spaces.
This little bar with under-counter wine fridges is installed on the end of an open kitchen that faces the dining table.
A wider view of the full kitchen and dining space from this Color & Contrast Whole Home Remodel.
If you want your bar area to feel more separated from your main kitchen space, it’s possible in a few ways.
In the New Traditions Kitchen Remodel below, we built a kitchen peninsula and decided to place a little bar on the back side that faces the dining room. We gave more depth to the space by using a mirror backsplash on the bar side.
Pro Tip: Most under-counter wine fridges require 24” depth for installation, but if you don’t have that space available, you can find shallow under-counter wine fridges like the one we used here by Summit Appliance. The one in this project is actually just under 18” deep!
As you can see, bar areas can be integrated into the kitchen layout and cabinetry while also defining or differentiating a use of space without compromising the kitchen design. Depending on where you plan or would like to have a bar area, there is also the option to design a completely separate bar area, like in this Serene Sanctuary Home Remodel project.
Something that many people don’t consider is having a more private little coffee bar that’s available in the primary suite space. I know it might seem weird at first - but if you’re spending time getting ready in your bathroom upstairs and your coffee supplies are all downstairs… your routine might take twice as long! These folks (in the image below) are able to enjoy their morning brew with the push of a button before they’ve even taken a shower! Talk about convenient!
A tiny private coffee and beverage bar area designed into the homeowners’ primary bathroom during this Modern Makeover project.
When designing these spaces, I always like to talk to my homeowners about what they use everyday, what their routines are and what would make their routines easier. Here are some things to consider when designing your bar area:
What are your go-to / favorite / routine drinks? Do you use specific equipment and tools to do so? (We want to consider hidden storage options here!)
Do your drinks need water? This sounds like a silly question, but think about what drinks your making - pour over coffee (needs water), coffee machines (need water)… consider a prep sink and faucet (which is what makes the bar a ‘wet bar’) if the bar area is going to be located away from a kitchen sink. Wine? Unless you’re drinking your wine with ice cubes…
Do you have any cookbooks / cocktail books you want close by?
Do you have any heirlooms or special dining/drink ware you want to be able to display?
How much space do you have to work with and how much space do you really need for your routine drinks?
Designing these spaces with intention is what will make them useful! Maybe you’re still gathering your ideas for your perfect house, or you’re taking on smaller design projects at a time - it’s okay! This is time well spent! Having a home you love and thrive in is the ultimate goal.
If you’re in California and want help designing your dream home, let’s talk about it!