We’re all entertaining in smaller groups today, and usually in someone’s home, so a built-in bar is a highly requested add-on for many of my clients. If you’re starting with a new build or a renovation, specifying a space for a bar is a smart investment. Even if you don’t drink, this type of bar can be used for a coffee station or for soft drinks. Here are 3 great benefits to having your own home bar.

1. Traffic Shifter

What I love about these built-in bars is that they help shift people out of the center of the kitchen. That’s one of the most high-traffic areas in the house and it can keep you from being able to prepare a meal or finish your baking when kids or adults troop in and out. Keeping popular family drinks in a separate fridge - alcoholic or not - helps minimize all of those extra bodies in your kitchen.

2. Smart Solution

Many houses have those awkward spaces, like niches, areas between columns, or that under-stairs space that is rarely used. Those can easily be transformed into an amazing built-in bar. All you need is some plumbing and wiring, a bit of tile, and an ice maker and fridge, and you’ll transform that awkward space into a stunning essential. A built-in bar can be placed in a hall near the kitchen or living room, in a den, in a larger kitchen, or in a niche in an open-plan living area.

3. Extra Storage

Having extra storage for glassware, china, bar tools, serving items, and more is a big bonus when you have a built-in bar. You can also create specialty storage like wine racks, platter drawers, kick-plate drawers for flat pans, and more. Think about how you entertain and the extra tableware you need to store and then create the right drawers, shelves, and cabinetry to fit your lifestyle.

I hope I have your creative wheels turning and you’re thinking about where you could put one of these amazing bars in your home. Need help? Give me and my team a call!

All the best,

Kara