November 15, 2022

How to Create a Beautiful Home Bar

The holidays have arrived in Sarasota—and with them come festive gatherings with friends and family, twinkly lights and the clink of Champagne glasses. If you’re designing your home with entertaining in mind, a custom bar is a great addition—and it can be as traditional and cozy or streamlined and modern as you’d like. A bar can be part of a kitchen, game room, living room or dining room, or have its own dedicated space—when it comes to the design, the possibilities are endless.

Some features to consider:

Custom cabinetry

Beautiful custom cabinets can range from traditional to modern, in colorways from white to black to green and beyond. Custom cabinetry also means you an design your storage for your specific needs—from your bottle collection to your glasses and servingware.

A sink

A wet bar, like the one pictured above, includes a sink with running water, as opposed to a dry bar, which does not. Depending on where your bar is located, a sink might be a good option for you, as it’s convenient for cleaning glasses and other servingware—and frees up the kitchen sink.

A built-in wine fridge

Like a wet bar, this is a convenient addition if you want to free up space in your main refrigerator—and make sure your Champagne is perfectly chilled at all times.

Seating

If you’re creating a counter space for guests to gather ’round, consider adding seating. Bar stools and chairs come in a variety of styles, colors and price points, allowing you to add a pop of personality with your choices.

Liquor Selection

Once your bar is open, you’ll want to keep it stocked. Liquor choices are personal, but we suggest keeping vodka, gin, tequila, rum and whiskey on hand—plus the liqueurs, garnishes and mixers (tonic, seltzer, soda) you use most. Don’t forget non-alcoholic options for mocktails, too—there are so many great alcohol-free drinks and mixers out there these days.