55 Home Bar Ideas That Bring the Party to You

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Whether you want to create a fully stocked wet bar in the basement or plan to dedicate a nook in your living room to housing your favorite spirits, there are home bar ideas for every space and budget. A home bar can be as simple as a stylish bar cart stocked with essentials or as elaborate as a themed bar room outfitted with a counter, stools, a sink, dishwasher, and beverage storage that rivals your local watering hole.

Get inspired with these home bar ideas that will bring the party to you, perfect for unwinding with family or entertaining a crowd.

Add a Curved Bar Counter

This white and wood home bar from Emily Henderson Design occupies a corner of this downstairs living space. The rounded edge of the bar counter preserves flow, while adjacent double doors leading to the outside give it an indoor-outdoor feel.

Layer Black-on-Black

This basement rec room home bar from Christina Kim Interior Design layers black-on-black finishes that embrace the dark moody basement setting, creating a chic watering hole in the multipurpose space.

Style a Bar Cart

A well styled and stocked bar cart can create a functional and space-saving focal point in a smaller home. Forbes + Masters gave this home bar cart stocked with essentials pride of place on a blank wall between windows in an Oakland, CA highrise apartment. A pair of decorative tasseled mirrors above the bar cart adds style and defines the space.

Add Midcentury Vibes

Use a midcentury cabinet to create a home bar corner with retro style. Cathie Hong Interiors stacked bottles in a brass tray and hung a framed black-and-white photo on the wall above to define the bar area in this midcentury modern living room renovation.

Stain it Dark

Add a bar to your home library to create a space that's built as much for after-dinner drinks with a good book as entertaining. This spacious home library from Leanne Ford Interiors has wraparound wood paneling in a rich stain. A small section of bookshelves was donated to house a small home bar with a counter, simple stools, open shelving, and a pair of armchairs and a bistro table nearby that creates a private club cocktail lounge feel.

Stick to Black and White

Stick to clean lines and shades of black and white to create a contemporary home bar that works in an urban setting. Interior designer Alvin Wayne created this home bar corner in a NYC apartment using a sleek black table stacked with bottles, lit with a sculptural Serge Mouille wall sconce, and decorated with an abstract black-and-white painting.

Keep It Long and Linear

This home bar from Emily Henderson Design is recessed into a niche that might once have been a closet and finished with white tile, cool marble-effect quartz, stainless steel appliances, and blue cabinetry that matches the walls of the room for a cohesive look. A long bar shelf that runs from wall to wall adds elegance and display space for bottles and glasses.

Keep It Light

This bright basement bar in Medina, MN from Martha O’Hara Interiors is decorated in shades of blue and white. Comfortable upholstered bar stools, brass accents, and plenty of storage and counterspace create space for entertaining your friends and practicing your mixology skills.

Use a Vintage Rattan Cart

A vintage rattan bar cart lends nostalgic charm to a simple home bar that can be moved around the house or to your patio to make hosting easier and more fun. This white-walled Southern California living room from K Shan Design includes a fully stocked rattan bar cart that doubles as decor when not in use.

Channel Retro Glam

Turn your lower level into a gilded oasis that channels the glamorous style of eras past to create a home bar for the ages. Leanne Ford Interiors decorated this home bar with a faceted gold bar counter, a wall-mounted glass and brass shelf to display bottles and glassware, retro floral wallpaper, high-gloss dark ceiling paint, and floor-to-ceiling drapes. A taxidermy peacock presides over the bar, ready to greet you after a long day.

Mix Open and Closed Storage

This Florida dining room home bar from interior designer Maite Granda has a mix of open and closed storage and an adjacent living wall that energizes the contemporary space.

Make It Moody

This moody stocked home bar from Ashley Montgomery Design has black bar shelves contrasted with brass railings to add some shine while keeping bottles in place.

Repurpose a Buffet

This bar area from Living With Lolo is anchored by a long buffet with some floating shelves on the wall above for display and storage. This is a simple and affordable solution for adding a dedicated cocktail area that could work in a basement, dining, living room, or small space.

Use Freestanding Cabinetry

This British basement bar from deVOL Kitchens came together with kitchen cabinetry outfitted with a wine fridge and glass-front upper cabinets to display and store bottles. The countertop is styled with cocktail accoutrements and decorative objects like an antique candelabra to add ambiance.

Hang Simple Shelving

A trio of inexpensive wood shelves supported with white metal brackets anchors the bar corner and takes advantage of vertical wall space to provide storage for glassware in this light and bright kitchen bar corner from Velinda Hellen for Emily Henderson Design.

Add a Wine Storage Room

This modern home bar in West Fargo, ND from Martha O’Hara Interiors has sleek black, wood, and antique bronze finishes. An adjoining climate-controlled wine room with glass doors keeps bottles within easy reach.

Mix Materials

This modern rustic home bar from JLF Architects is set in a large picture window and finished with a mix of materials that gives it texture and interest, from the reclaimed wood surround to the floating glass shelving.

Add Tropical Vibes

This basement home bar from Louis Duncan-He Designs has a tropical lounge vibe, with botanical wallpaper, a mix of dark finishes and bright velvet barstools, and a round table and chairs for game nights.

Add a Flat Screen

Brophy Interiors hung a large flat screen on the wall of this home bar in Rancho Mirage, CA that creates a spot for watching sports events with a cocktail in hand.

Repurpose a Vintage Cabinet

Repurpose a vintage china cabinet into a home bar that will have plenty of room to accommodate everyone's favorite spirits. This greenish-brown stained china cabinet turned bar cabinet from K Shan Design has glass-front doors that keep your collection on display.

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Spiff Up a Bar Cart

Sometimes a home bar is nothing more than an elegant bar cart, equipped with essentials and styled with flair, like this one from Emily Henderson Design.

Go Vintage

Maestri Studio created a small and stylish home bar with a decorative vintage bar cabinet that complements the wood-paneled dining room.

Add Color

You don't have to spend a lot of money or sacrifice space to set up a charming home mini bar. Studio Peake housed bottles and a tiny ice bucket in a tray on an antique side table in a quiet corner that doubles as decor when not in use. A quaint vintage lamp and colorful artwork finishes off the vignette.

Keep It Modern

This L-shaped home bar from Urbanology Designs is minimalist and modern, with simple furniture and lighting for an uncluttered feel.

Use a Mirrored Backsplash

This home bar from Gianpiero Gaglione Interior Design is neatly tucked into a niche, with glass shelves and a mirrored backsplash to make it feel larger and lighter.

Go Bold With Blue

Navy is a crowd-pleasing color choice for a home bar that pairs well with white countertops. This classic home bar idea from Jennifer Backstein Interiors has a glass-front beverage fridge and gold finishes to elevate the look.

Add Farmhouse Vibes

My 100 Year Old Home created a simple home bar set-up in the corner of the farmhouse dining room by topping a weathered chest of drawers with a silver tray, some glassware, a selection of favorite spirits, and a table lamp.

Add a Colorful Rug

A hot pink runner breaks up the cool tones of this basement bar from Martha O’Hara Interiors.

Add Chalet Vibes

This living room at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort from WRJ Interior Design is a modern rustic take on a classic Swiss chalet, with a large home bar to the left of the fireplace that is designed for entertaining.

Add an Arch

Mindy Gayer Design Co. created an arched home bar that features a floating wood bar shelf that is contrasted with a glazed tile backsplash, marble countertops, brass accents, and soothing painted blue lower cabinetry.

Mix Warm and Cool Finishes

Mix warm and cool finishes to add contrast to your home bar. Envi Interior Design mixed warm flat-front wood cabinetry with a rich stain that highlights the wood grain with a cool gray horizontal stacked tile backsplash and silver finishes in this rustic chic Montana home bar.

Dress Up the Butler's Pantry

Whittney Parkinson Design turned a butler's pantry into a stylish home bar with dark blue cabinetry, brass fixtures, glass shelving, and vibrant blue flowered wallpaper.

Choose a Mascot

White Sands chose a neon flamingo as a mascot for this cheerful Southern California home bar outfitted with candy pink cabinets, under-counter glass-front drink refrigerators, and floating wood shelves.

Add Window Shelves

Emily Henderson Design suspended slim white-and-brass bar shelves that run from wall to wall in front of the window in this home bar niche, providing storage without blocking light or views.

Use Rustic Wood

This rustic home bar from Kibler & Kirch has a mix of dark wood finishes and a play of patterns that gives the space a log cabin feel.

Be Bold

This home bar from JLF Architects is hidden behind folding doors on a wall of walnut-stained wood that is personalized with bold splotches of blue paint for a memorable effect.

Lock It Up

This DIY wall-mounted liquor cabinet from A Beautiful Mess is located in the dining room, hung high off the floor to keep it safe from curious kids.

Use the Under Stairs

The space under the stairs can be an ideal spot to tuck away a home bar that won't encroach on the rest of the room. This under-stair basement game room home bar from Envi Interior Design has a patterned tile backsplash that defines the space.

Build a DIY Bar Cabinet

A Beautiful Mess built a bright and colorful home bar that's set up like a second dining room, with a chunky wood table and bench seating, a Turkish kilim rug, a gallery wall, and a DIY bar cabinet with plenty of storage and display space.

Stay Neutral

Neutral finishes and mixed materials give this living room home bar from Envi Interior Design a calming feel.

Keep It Dry

WRJ Interior Design created a simple home bar by placing a collection of bottles and glassware on a large tray on an antique wood cabinet to the side of the stone fireplace in this rustic living room, and hanging a pair of animal portraits on the wall above to define the space.

Add Western Saloon Vibes

This Montana ranch bar form Kibler & Kirch has echoes of a Western saloon from a bygone era, with dark carved woodwork, fringed leather barstools, and vintage-style pendant lighting.

Make a Happy Hour Marquee

This home bar from A Beautiful Mess has a DIY marquee sign on the wall above a stocked vintage bar cart that is lighthearted and fun.

Steal Part of the Kitchen

This home bar from Bartone Interiors is located in a corner of the kitchen, defined with glass shelves that display glassware against the dramatic stone backdrop.

Create a Focal Point

This home bar from Kate Marker Interiors is simple and modern, with a mini wine cellar that provides bottle storage and creates a focal point.

Outfit a Covered Patio

Create an indoor-outdoor entertainment space by adding a home bar to a screened porch or covered patio. This home bar from Bartone Interiors is conveniently located along one wall of a covered patio that straddles indoor and outdoor spaces.

Add Retro Curves

This curved white home bar from Hub of the House Studio has a retro feel, with its all-white finishes and graphic dot wall cabinet for a punch of color.

Install a Wine Fridge

One of the easiest ways to make your home bar feel luxurious is to add a compact wine fridge. This little home bar niche from Joy Street Design is outfitted with a dramatic black-and-white backsplash, a white countertop, black open shelving, and a snazzy little wine fridge that keeps your favorite bottles at just the right temperature.

Backlight the Bar Shelves

Luxurious touches like dedicated wine racks and ambient lighting will give your home bar an elevated feel. Michael Robert Construction added polish to this home bar with floor-to-ceiling wine racks and backlit open shelving that highlights glassware and spirits.

Build a Mini Wet Bar

Turning a niche into a small home bar is a fun DIY project for an amateur with intermediate skills. This mini home wet bar from Daly Digs features cabinetry and open shelving for spirits, a small sink, and additional hidden storage underneath.

Use Glass Shelving

Use glass and mirrored finishes to make a small home bar feel larger. This home bar from Mark Simmons Interiors features glass shelving to display glassware and mirrored siding to create the illusion of more space.

Try Industrial Style

This home bar from Studio Thomas has industrial style vibes, with a palette of black, white, and gray. Contemporary glass shelving mounted on the subway tile backsplash create an open and airy feel, while black hardware and accents add a graphic touch.

Choose Black Cabinets

Painting your home bar a dark color is an affordable and easy way to give it a moody, luxurious feel. This home bar from Kelly Stone Interiors has sleek black painted cabinetry and a mosaic tile backsplash that give it cocktail bar energy.

Add in Metallic Elements

Mixed metallic finishes add a touch of glam to a home bar. Paper Moon Painting chose a silver backsplash and bright gold accents to add bling to the home bar in this bright modern space.

Delineate With Paint

A painted wall accent is an easy and affordable way to add color and define your home bar from the rest of the space. Allison Sexton Interiors chose an arched design in a soft shade of pink to complement this home bar perched atop a midcentury dresser.

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Read the original article on The Spruce.