The Ultimate Guide to Home Bar Furniture
Home bars are great ways to entertain guests, keep your drinks cold, and store your favorite wine and spirits. Depending on your space, style, and needs, there are different kinds of furniture that can suite your needs. Here’s an overview of the most common types of home bar furniture so you are equipped to choose the right fit for your space, style, and budget.
THE STANDARD HOME BAR
A home bar can be as simple as a countertop area with stools where you set out wineglasses and bottles of booze, or it can be an elegant piece of furniture that blends seamlessly into your living area. The standard bar height is 42 inches allowing for bar stool 30 inches high. Wet bars come with built in sinks and require a plumbing hook up while a dry bar has no running water but offers convenient counter space for serving and storage for liquor bottles, bar tools and glassware. Some even come with cabinet space to slide in a small fridge. When choosing the shape and size, be sure to measure how much room you have available. Corner bars, folding bars, hidden bars, wrap-around bars – those are just a few of the various shapes and styles you can choose, and from metal to wood, there are a lot of great finish options to meet every taste.
BAR CABINETS
If you love wine, but don’t have room for a large wine rack or a cellar, a space-saving bar cabinet can be a great way to give your bottles a secure and stylish home. Wine cabinets vary greatly in size and shape, You can opt for a wood or glass fronted piece with expansive multi-cabinet display or a simple design that offers drawers for storing accessories like mixing spoons, cocktail shakers and glasses. Though they’re normally hidden away when not in use, bar cabinets can still be an elegant statement piece in any room.
SIDEBOARD SERVERS
A sideboard server, or buffet table, is a multipurpose piece of furniture that can also serve as a bar. If you’re pressed for space, having one unit do double duty as your drink station and your dining room hutch is an option. It can be used as a central bar in your kitchen or dining room, but it can also be positioned against a wall to store dishes, wine glasses and even linens. Sideboards are typically narrow enough for entryways or hallways, too—so if you live in an apartment with limited space, it could work very well for you. And yes: The term sideboard is often used interchangeably with credenza (and sometimes also buffet). They're essentially interchangeable terms that describe a piece of furniture that's built into one wall of a room and features shelves and/or drawers for storage.
BAR CARTS
One of the most versatile pieces of home bar furniture is a well-designed bar cart. A bar cart can be placed in any room that doesn’t have built-in counter space but having one designated for cocktails makes for quick access to your liquors and spirits. Plus, since they roll around on casters, you can bring it out when you’re entertaining or tuck it away when not in use. Also, because of their smaller footprint (and typically lower price point), bar carts are great if you don’t want to commit to creating an entire bar area. For example, you could place a few bottles of liquor on top along with mixers and glasses—you can even store them inside! Then just wheel it into another room when needed. However, many people choose bar carts over traditional cabinets for aesthetic reasons as well. Most rolling bars are made from metal with clean lines and glass doors so they fit right in whether paired with vintage decor or sleek modern furnishings. They also look beautiful by themselves without any extras on top, adding visual interest to living spaces with their slim profile.
Whether you’re in a small space and need a functional and compact bar cart, or in a larger room and want a large, central bar cabinet for entertaining, there are endless ways you can personalize your home bar and entertainment room.