A contemporary home bar can provide a spot of indulgence for one, or be a central hub you gather round when entertaining. Whether you’re thinking of planning a wine bar, outdoor bar, or just making room for a bar cart, browse these images for inspiration, and ask yourself the following questions.

Where should you position your home bar?

The most popular location for a contemporary home bar is in or near the kitchen or dining room. If you prefer entertaining outdoors, however, an outdoor bar can be a dream addition to any Aussie backyard – and imagine the luxury of swimming up to your very own pool bar! If you're building from scratch, a landscape architect can help you work out the ideal design for your space.

What type of home bar is best suited to your needs?

Home bars come in all shapes and sizes, and with an array of practicalities. Utilise an awkward corner with a cabinet bar; maximise floor space with a trunk bar, which unfolds to create a bar counter; or conveniently turn any space in your house into a bar room with a mobile bar such as a fun bar cart. If you prefer a more grandiose option, or all the amenities of a real bar, you can’t go past a built-in contemporary home bar.

What home bar functionalities do you want to include?

Decide how you will use the bar and whether you will need sinks, storage and refrigeration. Including a sink in your contemporary home bar design is a practical addition if you choose a location far from your kitchen. If you’re a wine connoisseur, you may want to include additional wine storage, whereas a mini bar fridge within the kitchen may need no extra storage at all. Home bars that will be used infrequently – perhaps an outdoor bar in the cooler months – may not need refrigeration and could suffice with large ice buckets.



Whether you want inspiration for planning a contemporary home bar renovation or are building a designer home bar from scratch, Houzz has 4,136 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Blue Label Construction and Cabinet House. Look through home bar photos in different colours and styles and when you find a contemporary home bar design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful contemporary home bar ideas photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.