Large contemporary u-shaped seated home bar in Paris with beaded inset cabinets, laminate benchtops, mirror splashback, ceramic floors, grey floor and brown benchtop.

Manotick Custom Home- Contemporary Elegance

StyleHaus Interiors

Marc Fowler- Metropolis Studio
Design ideas for a contemporary u-shaped seated home bar in Ottawa with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, brown splashback, mosaic tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and multi-coloured benchtop.

Indian Ridge Remodel

Angela Wells Interior Design

Trent Teigen
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary seated home bar in Los Angeles with quartzite benchtops, porcelain floors and beige floor.

Perham

Euroline Steel Windows

Contemporary seated home bar in Orange County with dark wood cabinets.

Evanston Residence

Elle Cherie | Inspired Interiors

Mid-sized contemporary galley seated home bar in Calgary with no sink, flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, quartz benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone slab splashback, vinyl floors, grey floor and brown benchtop.

Casa RR

Bernardo Pozas Residential Design

Photo credit: Mike Kelley
This is an example of a contemporary seated home bar in Other with an undermount sink.

Montage Penthouse

Alder and Tweed Design Co.

Love the luxe tile our design team used for this stunning bar
Inspiration for a large contemporary galley seated home bar in Salt Lake City with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, black cabinets, granite benchtops, black splashback, ceramic splashback, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

Iron House by Ricardo Rossi

NEOLITH by TheSize

Ricardo Rossi of Ricardo Rossi Architecture and Interiors, has specified Neolith® by TheSize, the brand of Sintered Compact Surface, in the refurbishment of IV Centenário, a residential home in São Paulo (Brazil). El arquitecto Ricardo Rossi ha elegido la Superficie Compacta Sinterizada NEOLITH®, para la Rehabilitación del proyecto del IV Centenario, una lujosa vivienda residencial situada en São Paulo (Brasil). Interior and exterior wall cladding: Neolith Iron Copper. Photography: Dámaso Pérez, FOTOTEC

Family Lake House

aamodt / plumb architects

A bar that overlooks the pool
Contemporary seated home bar in Austin with flat-panel cabinets and light wood cabinets.

Luxe Lodge: architectural interior design project photography

User

Design by Mark Gacesa of Ultraspace. Construction by Stewart Homes. Photography by Fred McKie.
Mid-sized contemporary seated home bar in Brisbane with open cabinets and medium hardwood floors.

Evelyn Benatar, New York Interior Design

This 2,500 sq. ft. lower level is luxurious enough to entertain in, yet comfortable enough for the whole family to enjoy. It consists of a movie theater, play room, spa bathroom, gym, wine cellar, bar, billiard table, sitting area and powde...

Hilltop Dream

User

Again, indoor/outdoor living. The concept was to design a family-friendly casual place for playing pool, ping-pong (there is a ping-pong table top that attaches to the pool table), and enjoying time with friends. The intent was to make it comfortable and fun and to make it not feel like a basement even though it’s in the lowest level of the house. The 18’ accordion door opens the space up to the outside, where pool-goers can grab a seat at the bar. An under-counter refrigerator stocks ice-cold beer and soda. Comfort and durability were a top priority. Toward that end: the quartzite countertop, cork flooring and wipeable Plastic barstools. The raised ceiling over the pool table features a light cove with perimeter LED lighting, which offers interest and dimensionality to the space, along a comforting glow.

Fieldstone Cabinetry Contemporary Wet Bar in Cherry

Fieldstone Cabinetry

This wet bar was created with Fieldstone Cabinetry's Tempe door style in Cherry finished in Butterscotch with Chocolate glaze.
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary u-shaped seated home bar in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, multi-coloured splashback and beige floor.

Contemporary Home Bar

This is an example of a contemporary seated home bar in London with open cabinets and dark hardwood floors.

Basement Bar & Living Area

FBC Remodel

The bar faces into the main living area of the basement creating an open area for gatherings. ©Finished Basement Company
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary l-shaped seated home bar in Denver with a drop-in sink, white cabinets, quartz benchtops, vinyl floors, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Basement Bar

PAVELI Cabinetry and Custom Millwork Inc

Basement Bar. Is a cool and relaxing space that allows you to have a drink with friends in your own home. And with the right amount of storage, organization, right materials though, your bar can feel bright, fresh and updated.

Home Bar & Entertainment Room

LNDesigns

This was a fun lockdown project! We created the clients a sophisticated entertainment room where they could relax once the kids were in bed. Fit with a fully functioning bar area, we also constructed a personalised DJ booth for the clients’ music decks and plenty records and installed disco lighting to run in sync with the music. And, so sound couldn’t travel through the rest of the house, we fitted acoustic lined curtains and used acoustic oak cladding as a focal feature on the walls… There’s something so satisfying about creating a beautiful design that is secretly functional too!

Post Oak Place

JC Custom Design & Renovation

New Season Photography
Photo of a large contemporary single-wall seated home bar in Dallas with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, beige cabinets, onyx benchtops and brown splashback.

Valley Vista Modern Organic

Meridith Baer Home

Design ideas for a contemporary galley seated home bar in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, mirror splashback, light hardwood floors, beige floor and grey benchtop.

Casa GB

Bernardo Pozas Residential Design

Large contemporary u-shaped seated home bar in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, brown floor and yellow benchtop.

Contemporary Seated Home Bar Design Ideas

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.

What bar furniture will you need?

Seating is essential to any home bar and will impact the style of your home bar design. Bar stools, for example, come in an array of materials and styles, from traditional wooden bar stools, to resort- and industrial-style stools. Storage is another important element, so look for a liquor cabinet and wine racks. Next, if you are creating a freestanding station, you will need a bar table, which are taller and shallower than regular dining tables. Check that your stools and table height work together before you finalise any home bar designs.

How can you personalise your bar design?

Bar tools and accessories are an easy and interchangeable way to personalise your bar design. You may want to create a wine bar, tavern-style bar or retro bar, so look for wine glasses and tumblers, for instance, that will help carry this style. Coasters, bar mats or signage will help you to further achieve your desired look.