The bar is often the hub of a party, so it’s important that it looks the part. Whether you transform your console into a drinks station or mix martinis from a brass cart, here are 8 ideas for a stylish home bar.
Topped with a vibrant table lamp and fresh floral arrangement, a classic brass drinks cart invites guests to admire this room’s striking artwork.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Source: House & Home Best Decorating special issue, 2012
Designer: Nancy Riesco
This bar cabinet from Susur Lee’s Toronto restaurant, Lee, looks just as beautiful open as it does closed. To achieve a similar look, hunt down an antique Chinoiserie-style bureau and stock it with a selection of unique and colorful spirits.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home November 2011
Designer: Brenda Bent
Chef Rodney Bowers’ handsome drinks cabinet is topped with bowls of seasonal nuts, and fitted with functional, super-deep drawers. “Wineglasses fit perfectly in here and won’t break,” he explains.
Photographer: John Cullen
Source: House & Home November 2010
Designer: Melissa Davis
Turning a console into a drinks station is a great option for small spaces. Here, a pretty tray keeps a cocktail shaker, carafe and seltzer bottle in one place, leaving plenty of room for setting up glassware.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: Best Decorating special issue, 2012
Designer: Joel Bray
An antique demi-lune table makes an ideal spot to display crystal decanters filled with your favorite aged spirits. Set against a striking red wall clustered with vintage trays, this Victorian space calls to mind a 19th century cocktail party.
Photographer: Virginia Macdonald
Source: House & Home October 2007
Designer: Lee Caswell and Blaise Gaetz
If you live in a climate that permits outdoor entertaining (lucky you!), why not take your cue from Colette van den Thillart, who arranged rosy spirits and fresh greenery on an airy glass dining table.
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home July 2015
Designer: Colette van den Thillart
An antique Biedermeier dresser is reimagined as a bar in Toronto designer Tommy Smythe’s living room. Placing accents and artwork around the tray helps the display blend in with the rest of the space.
Photographer: Michael Graydon
Source: House & Home December 2009
Designer: Tommy Smythe
Stocked with everything you need for a satisfying nightcap, a round, two-tiered bar cart is a perfect addition to a library, study or den. “The only thing missing here is cigars,” jokes designer Natalie Hodgins.
For more festive home bar ideas, click here!
Photographer: Angus Fergusson
Source: House & Home October 2013
Designer: Sarah Richardson and Natalie Hodgins