Home Bar Ideas: Let Us Entertain You

A look at stylish home bars to entertain like a pro

There’s a time and place for garish neon beer signs and life-sized cutouts of your favorite ball players, but in your home bar, you should probably reach for loftier heights.

Be it big or small, chances are you’ve got some space to install a swanky, stylish setup that will impress your guests—the real question is, what form do you want it to take? To that end, we’ve gathered some inspiration and tips from across the design world to help your brand-new bar take shape. Here’s what you need to know…

FIND THE SPACE
You don’t need a gargantuan basement to have a home bar (if you do, though, we’re jealous). A well-designed bar can be tucked into a compact corner of your living room, a vacant closet, or any decently sized nook or cranny in a well-placed area of your home. Check out the bar created by designer Jean Liu, which efficiently utilizes some open closet space to create a cool, secluded space for a full home bar.

Hypothetically speaking, though, let’s say you do have a surplus of space. If that’s the case, you should use it to its maximum potential! To get an idea of what we’re talking about, check out the look of the repurposed butler’s pantry, designed by Heather Hilliard. A bar should be a space where you can have some fun, which is why we love the patterned wallpaper and glass-front cabinets to display the glassware collection.

SHOW OFF
A bar is the perfect stage to display your collection of unique glassware and funky liqueur bottles (that said, use your best judgment to determine which are best saved for a cabinet). Whether your space only allows for a mobile bar cart and a few floating shelves, or can fit a full-on cabinet stocked with captivating curios, this is a fun way to show off unique items that might not have a home with your everyday kitchen glassware. We adore the shelves in this room, also designed by Heather Hilliard, which take advantage of open wall space to create an area that serves as both decoration and storage. 

GO CLASSIC
If you have the space, nothing makes a home bar feel authentic like the addition of a classic billiard table can. Case in point? We were awestruck by a traditional (yet design-forward) approach to a home bar, created by Los Angeles-based design studio Commune Design. With the dark wood beams reflecting similar floors and furniture finishes, the room feels comfortable and sophisticated.

To achieve a similar look with your bar area’s flooring, check out LL’s Pioneer Leather Oak solid hardwood flooring, which can help add those deep, rich tones to your design. Find out how easy it is to order free flooring samples through LLFlooring.com. Its a piece of cake!

What is a home bar design idea you like? Post photos on Facebook or Instagram and tag @LLFlooringOfficial for a chance to be featured on our page!

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