Introduction
Being able to gather with your friends & family, have a drink and some good times in your own home bar is bliss. If however, you feel like your home lacks the space to fit a traditional sized bar, you may need some small home bar ideas. We hope this article will offer you some clever solutions and ideas on how you can optimize your bar space in limited room.
What size should a small home bar be?
Well… this is a broad question and I’m afraid that there are no right or wrong answers. When you have enough space to play around with, the size of the bar area is of course going to be a question of personal preference and will probably end up being proportionate to the space you’ve got to work with.
Having space in your home also allows for design flexibility and being able to design a bar without size restrictions is a luxury. You have the freedom to choose different shapes for your bar like an ‘L’ shape or a ‘U’ shape. But don’t be disheartened if space is minimal, with a bit of creativity and thought, you can create wonderful spaces.
Designing a small home bar
So how do you design a small home bar? Don’t forget that you can create a social drinking/entertaining space with a simple mobile bar cart, wheeled into your usual seating space. With that in mind, the key is not to focus on the space you don’t have but to focus on the ‘spaces’ you do have and get inventive.
Do you have an alcove that you can convert? What about space under the stairs? Can you bridge one area to the next by the use of a hall way bar? What about a blank empty wall or an unused corner? All of these home spaces can be transformed into a beautiful bar.
Creating a small home bar area
Creating a small home bar area can be quite simple once you’ve decided where to put your home mini bar. As mentioned before, you should be focusing on the ‘spaces’ you have. If your in need of some inspiration, we’ve listed some common places found around the average home to give you some small home bar design ideas;
- Alcove – An alcove is a great place to make a small home bar, if your alcove has an arched celling then this can add to the decorative features of your bespoke small bar.
- Hidden cabinet – If you’d like your small bar to be in your main social seating area such as a living room or dining area, but don’t necessarily want the bottles and drink making equipment to be permanently on display, a hidden bar cabinet is a great option.
- Display cabinet – Display cabinets allow for easy access to all your bar equipment and bottles. They come in many shapes, styles and sizes and can be put pretty much anywhere around the home.
- Bar cart – A bar cart is one of our favourite alternatives for limited space. They allow great freedom and flexibility due to there mobility. A bar cart won’t look out of place when wheeled to a seating area or stored against a wall when not in use. We have a whole article on bar carts for you here.
- Under stairs – An under stairs bar will add a really unique, classy look to your home. If you have the space for this option, we advise you consider it because it looks beautiful. The angular look of the stairs really adds to the decorative effect.
- Shelving – When floor space is limited, see if you can make use of an empty wall. Use shelving or a wall mounted cabinet to create your small home bar.
- Closets and cupboards – Many houses have a closet or two. They are usually filled with junk but offer a great small space to be converted into a stunning home bar.
- Basement – This one may be away from socializing areas but if its big enough, get some seating and create a small home bar in your basement.
- Corner – If you have an unused corner in one of your rooms, use a corner cabinet or corner shelving to fill the space.
Small home bar furniture
If you need some inspiration, check out some of our favourite small home bar furniture ideas below.
Décor tips for small bars
Small spaces can present more of a challenge to style and decorate. Here’s our top tips on how you can utilize your small home bar décor to make the space look bigger;
- Use contrasting colours and keep the colour tones light.
- Get creative with lighting and let as much natural light as you can.
- Avoid clutter, less is actually more in smaller spaces.
- Use mirrors! Mirrors are amazing, they can make spaces appear bigger, open a room up and make the room seem to have more depth.
- Use minimalistic furniture evenly spaced around the room, take care not to block your walkways and try not to block the view of the room.
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you some lovely small home bar ideas of your own. It is perfectly possible to maximize the spaces in your home and turn them into a beautiful small home bar. Once you’ve created your bar, be sure to stock it with all the equipment you need, check our article on home bar essentials here. Cheers!
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