Concord Carpenter

Staying Trendy: A Checklist of Current Home Bar Features

Written by Barstool Comforts

It’s no secret that the kitchen and living room are two of the most important, functional rooms in any home. But what about when you’re entertaining? Sure, you could squish your guests onto a love seat or have them huddled around the kitchen counter, but what fun is that? For those who love to entertain, a home bar is the ideal solution.

Home Bar Trends

A lot of people are getting turned on to home bars. Many homes are finding new and interesting ways to put bars into their home—and it’s not always where you may expect it. A lot of homeowners are now transforming their rarely used great rooms, basements, sitting parlors, and dining rooms into fully stocked bars.

Oh, and by “fully stocked” we’re not just talking about liquor (although that’s an important part). While many homeowners are using home bars for wine and cheese parties or weekly football viewing parties, a lot of them are also serving non-alcoholic drinks at their bars, using them for everything from children’s birthday parties to family gatherings.

In a nutshell, the home bar is fast becoming one of the most adaptive and most often used rooms in the modern home, right up there with the kitchen and living room. Because of its versatility and functionality, designers, builders, and homeowners are always trying new things to bring a fresh take to their home bars.

So, what exactly are they doing? Check out this list of increasingly popular home bar design trends and just try not to be inspired.

Sizing Up the Home Bar

While the expression “Belly up to the Bar” is quite popular, it doesn’t necessarily mean you must use it in your home bar design. These days, the average bar measures 42 inches high and will be stocked with 30-inch bar stools (though bigger sizes are also common). This median height makes the home bar accessible to most users, allowing homeowners to worry less about their guests’ comfort and more about keeping their glasses full.

Keep Things Chill (Literally)

Once reserved for commercial bars, more and more people are adding small refrigerators and/or beer meisters to their home bar. The growing market for these items have led to competitive pricing, making it easy and affordable to fit these cooling units in the smallest of bars.

A Theme for Any Home Bar

Bars come in plenty of varieties: Sports bars, wine bars, Irish pubs, and so on. Each of these concepts bring with it a variety of design options that can be used to make any home bar unique. Where in the past some homeowners would install a bar, throw on some lacquer, and call it a day, many of today’s home bar owners are investing in chic bar stools, intricate back splash designs, and other colorful options to make their bar truly their own.

Liquor Lockdown

While a fully stocked home bar may be a dream come true, it comes with a level of responsibility. This is particularly true for homes with young children or teenagers. Because of this, home owners are now building lockable liquor cabinets in their home bars to keep alcohol out of the wrong hands

Show Guests the (Pendant) Light

While some people may prefer a dark, low-lit dive bar, that rarely works in a warm home setting. Because of this, it’s not enough to have good lighting, but it’s also helpful to have stylish fixtures that don’t just light up the home bar but enhance the experience. As far as lighting trends go, pendant lighting has become a popular choice among designers and builders alike. This fashionable choice offers a modern yet versatile look that can fit with many other design features.

Rack Up the Glasses

It’s difficult to have a comfortable home bar experience without the right glassware (unless your thing is Solo cups…don’t worry, we’re not here to judge). Glassware can present a unique challenge when it comes to finding a place to store it, especially in smaller spaces. Because of this, many home bar designers opt for placing glass racks above the bar. Not only does it save space, but it also provides a stylish design element that give the home bar a more classical look.

A home bar can offer a unique, charming option for entertaining guests. Thanks to new and evolving design trends and options, home bars can keep up with the changing tastes of home owners who enjoy inviting guests into their home.