The 45 Best Home Bar Ideas For Hosts of Every Type
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If you’re like us, then you have a soft spot for entertaining. Maybe it’s just during the holiday season or you’re a part of a dedicated dinner party group, but throwing a get-together is your speciality. So why not set up a beautifully decorated bar area to ensure your house is always ready to entertain? Below, we’ve gathered up some of our favorite home bar decorating ideas.
Whether it’s inside or out, there are tons of ways to set up a stylish bar that fits your style. Looking for something a bit more rustic? We have tips on how to get the reclaimed wood bar of your dreams! In the mood for something more traditional? Check out our easy DIY ways of jazzing up your built-ins. If you’re looking to take on a bigger project, our closet (yes, closet!) makeover idea will have you ready to turn your least favorite spot into something you love. Regardless of budget or skill level, there are home bar ideas for you here that’ll have you kicking back—cocktail in hand—in no-time.
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Go Wild for Wallpaper
You already know the power wallpaper can have in small spaces (think laundry or powder rooms), but what about in your bar? In this mountain cottage, a green forested wallpaper and a painted built-in cabinet are the perfect foils for the nearby white living room.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: “Forest” by Cole & Son
Cabinet Paint Color: Bancha by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: These 25 Green Paint Colors Will Liven Up Any Room
Try Glass Shelving
To show off the homeowner’s collection of colorful glassware and let a little more light into this river cottage’s wood-paneled pass-through bar, designer Jensen Killen opted for a simple glass shelf mounted halfway up the windows.
Use A Vintage Hutch
Or, any tall antique piece! This antique English dresser doubles as a combination china hutch-slash-bar in a Mississippi kitchen. Piled up with pheasant plates and a silver tray-turned-bar, this serving station makes entertaining easy as bourbon pecan pie.
Get the Look
Wall Paint Color: Dutch Tile Blue by Sherwin-Williams
Style Up Your Shed
In a pinch, any surface can work as a bar. In this stylish backyard shed, stockpiles of split wood feel right at home next to a small collection of liquor bottles primed for on-the-go cocktail making.
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Jazz Up Your Built-In Bar
If your home bar needs a designer’s touch, add furniture-style details that bring loads of character, such as the X-brace glass cabinets fronts and bun footings Ed James, owner of Four Board Woodworks, added to the cypress bar cabinet in his family’s lake house.
Try a Pass-Through Bar
Pass-through bars are perfect for those who love to entertain. The natural flow between spaces means that hosts can prep and party at the same time.
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Use Open Shelving
If a grand built-in bar doesn’t fit your small house floor plan, no worries! In this cozy Maine cottage, homeowners John Wentworth and Jamie Gluck opted for simple bracketed shelves to house their antique glassware. Below, a vintage drop-leaf table plays host to their collection of bottles.
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Opt for Butcher Block
Can’t decide on the perfect material to top your bar counters? Try butcher block! These beautiful wood pieces are often less expensive and more manageable than you think.
RELATED: Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Butcher Block
Add a Statement Mini Fridge
If your built-in wet bar is in need of a little pizazz, try a colorful, vintage-inspired mini fridge, such as the one seen in this Rhode Island farmhouse.
Mix Drinking and Games
No, we don’t mean drinking games! We mean board games. We love the playful feel these collected games bring to the bar, which was crafted from an old post office sorting bay.
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Repurpose an Old Crate
Truly, it can be that simple! This humble home bar was crafted from an antique crate and placed on top of a chrome table base. With a little DIY ingenuity, you can get the same look. Just search for table bases online.
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Go All-In On White
While a home bar might conjure up images of dark, wood-paneled spaces, they can also be light and bright! In this South Carolina cottage, designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas chose a cozy-yet-creamy white and finished the palette with subtle blue details to make this quiet bar feel show-stopping.
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Turn It Into a Coffee Bar
Hosting company for a long weekend? Try a classic coffee bar! In this Wisconsin summer cabin, homeowner Sarah Anderson swapped cocktails for easy-to-grab coffee cups, plus tempting blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls on a cake stand, for the ultimate guest-friendly set up.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: "Raphael" in Black/Dark Green by Sandberg
RELATED: These Are The Best Coffee Bar Decorating Ideas To Help You Espresso Yourself
Stagger Your Shelving
If you have tall ceilings and need to stretch your design plan upwards, try this trick from Ronnie Dunn’s Tennessee barn home and stagger your open shelves to create even more visual dynamism. It also helps if your shelves are filled with a perfectly curated collection of bottles.
Stick to a Basic Bar Cart
When in doubt, a bar cart makes for a crowd-pleasing, fool-proof drinks station. All you need to add for a little personality is some antique glassware, a fun cocktail to share with your guests, and fresh flowers.
RELATED: These Are The Best Outdoor Bar Carts You Can Buy Right Now
Keep It Simple
The classic bar doesn’t require much—all you really need is something to drink and something to drink from. This rustic lake cabin provides just that, all nestled on a simple tray and tucked into the corner of the living room.
Repurpose a Closet
Don’t know what to do with that weird closet in your house that just isn't deep enough? Take this idea from designer Zoë Feldman and transform it into an easy-to-hide bar!
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Take The Bar Outside
Once the weather cools down, it’s time to bring your friends and family together for a cozy outdoor gathering. At this harvest party, hosted by lifestyle expert Debbie Harpe, a serve-yourself bar makes the perfect end note for her long table.
RELATED: See More of Debbie’s Harvest Party (And All Her Good Ideas & Recipes) Here
Style Up Stainless Steel
A more modern, hardworking choice for a bar, stainless steel cabinetry (topped with a cement slab) adds a cool and sophisticated edge to this Alabama farmhouse designed by Paige Thornton.
Grace Your Bar With Garland
If you’re planning on hosting a grand holiday soirée, don't forget to decorate the bar! In this cozy New York farmhouse, shaggy evergreen boughs and an orange garland strung with plaid ribbon add a festive touch to the buffet-turned-bar.
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Pick Rich Materials
In this wood-paneled cabin, warm, cozy tones abound. To contrast against that, homeowners Nora and Dan O’Leary opted for a pop of black soapstone for their built-in bar’s sink and countertop.
RELATED: The Everything Guide to Cozy Cabin Decorating
Try Tailgating
What better way to welcome guests to your party than with a bar on the bed of your favorite truck? This works for all seasons, but is especially appropriate during fall football season.
RELATED: These Are Our Favorite Ways to Add Vintage Charm to Your Tailgate
Just Add a Tray
Truly, it can be that simple. To get this kitchen in entertaining order, all homeowner Karol Ann DeLong needed to do was collect her favorite spirts and corral them onto an antique caddy.
Prep For a Back Porch Party
Setting up various drink stations throughout your house, including on the back porch, is a great way to keep your party going without a ton of extra hosting efforts. Here, a simple cocktail station up top and a supply of whatever-else-guests-might-fancy below does just that.
RELATED: These Are Our Favorite Fall Porch Decorating Ideas
Bring on the Backyard Barn Bar
In this party barn dressed up for an festive fete, a zinc-top dining table plays host to a variety of serve-yourself drinks. Opting for a large table is a great way to take up space in a massive party barn and will ensure guests can have a variety of drink options (that you won’t have to regularly restock.
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Craft a Cocoa Bar
Perfect for family gatherings on cold winter days, this hot cocoa bar is just the thing your Christmas party needs. Just don't forget the grab-and-go quilts or blankets for added coziness!
RELATED: This French Hot Chocolate Recipe Will Change The Way You Make Yours FOR GOOD!
Blend Your Bar In
Bars don’t have to be standout features. This Alabama living room relies on a picture-perfect gallery wall to anchor the room while the dark-toned bar below blends into the similarly toned wall and graphic scene.
RELATED: These Are The 50+ Best Gallery Wall Ideas Of All Time
Go for Gloss
One way to make your bar standout? High-gloss paint! In this butlers pantry-turned-wet bar designed by Eddie Ross, a saturated grassy green adds personality in spades.
RELATED: Our Easy-to-Understand Guide to Paint Finishes and Sheens Will Have You Acting Like An Old Paint Pro
Hide It Behind a Door
For a clean look when not entertaining, stash your bar supplies (whether coffee or cocktail) behind a cabinet door like in this cabin kitchen of Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins. Above, white pottery of all shapes and sizes creates a classic palette on a dreamy dark background.
RELATED: Step Inside Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins’ Party Barn
Put It on Wheels
Yes, wheels! If you have an antique piece, such as this typewriter stand designer Patrick McGuire transformed, that you love but want the convenience of a moveable bar cart, then all you need are a set of casters. Just be sure they are heavy duty and can be locked. It’s that simple!
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Choose a Crusty Cooler
Vintage coolers add the perfect rustic flair to any bar. On this airy screened-in porch, an antique copper foot bath brings a delightfully country spin as the bar’s cooler.
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Make an Entertaining Entry
Nothing gives the right make-yourself-at-home vibe that every hostess strives for like a bar right in the entry. In this Mississippi farmhouse, an antique hunt board plays host to a collection of bourbon bottles and antique barware.
Get the Look:
Lamps: Classical Urn Lamp from Visual Comfort
Wall Paint Color: Roycroft Pewter by Sherwin-Williams
Ceiling Paint Color: Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams
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Add Rustic Flair With Corrugated Metal
Crafting a built-in bar from reclaimed wood and classic corrugated sheet metal is the simple way to bring rustic country flair to your home bar.
RELATED: Here’s Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Buying And Installing Reclaimed Wood
Twirl Up Your Work Bench
Aren’t sure what to do with your dad’s old work bench? Or, have a hunky antique piece you love but aren’t sure where to put it? Turn it into bar! The masculine flair this old work bench adds to the room is offset with fresh flowers and a smattering of unique art above.
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Add a Peninsula Island
If your basement or backyard retreat has a kitchenette has a kitchenette with a little extra space, try adding a peninsula island to give it an elevated speakeasy feel. In this converted barn, a timeless white island is paired with equally simple antique stools to craft the perfect hangout spot.
RELATED: These Are Our Favorite Design Ideas For Kitchen Islands
Craft a Patriotic Porch Bar
Hosting a BBQ for the Fourth of July? Then there is no better time for a patriotic porch bar! All you need is your favorite crusty piece of furniture, a good big-batch cocktail, some glasses, and your go-to patriotic decor. Here, simple blue hydrangeas and a pair of American flags nod to classic Americana.
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Rely on Rattan
If you want to bring a more laid-back, breezy feel to your bar, opt for a bar cart made of a natural material such as rattan or wicker. In this backyard party tent, a rattan bar adds a tropical note against the classically country gingham walls.
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Make Your Mantel Into a Bar
In an older house where square footage is at a premium, the mantel is a great option for a paired-down bar set-up. Follow the lead of serial renovator Holly Williams and pick just a few of your favorite bottles and stand out glasses—perhaps something you need to make for your signature house cocktail?
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Pretty Up Your Porch
Once the weather warms up, you’ll want to pretty up your porch. We recommend welcoming porching season with a vintage hutch transformed into outdoor bar and casual dining table so you're always ready to receive neighbors.
RELATED: These Porch Decorating Ideas Will Add Instant Curb Appeal to Any Home
Set Up a Back Door Bar
Having a group over for a classic country walkabout? Or, hosting a backyard party for tons of guests? Set up an easy-to-access bar by the back door that keeps guests from having to leave the main party space.
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Turn Your Potting Table Into a Party Station
It’s that simple for a classic garden party. On top, a batch cocktail and snack supplies keep guests happy, while hardworking grilling tools and a selection of kid-friendly sodas are stashed below behind a simple DIY curtain.
Set Up a Concessions Stand
In the mood for a movie night with friends? Set up a chic concessions stand-style bar, complete with an antique-style popcorn machine and your favorite drinks.
RELATED: More Ideas For Hosting a Backyard Movie Night
Add Custom Signage
Upgrade your casual bar with a custom chalkboard or chalk-painted sign where you can write the day’s in-house cocktail. Here, a small citrus tree helps the space feel even more elevated—and hints at the citrus libations being served.
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Decorate for the Derby
If you’re going to throw a party for the Kentucky Derby, don’t forget to decorate your mint julep bar! Here, fun custom prize ribbons, a horseshoe-shaped wreath, and fanciful, ribbon-worthy hats add to the festive mood.
RELATED: Want to Throw Your Own Derby Party? Check Out Our Full How-To Guide Here!
Get Creative With Your Display
Sometimes an outdoor set up requires you to get a little creative. Here, particularly positioned branches create an organic mug rack. Other popular ideas for mug and glass displays include antique bottle drying racks and hat racks.
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