Jeff Dow Photography
Photo of a mid-sized country galley seated home bar in Other with an undermount sink, dark wood cabinets, onyx benchtops, grey splashback, metal splashback, green benchtop, brown floor, raised-panel cabinets and medium hardwood floors.

Rustic Kitchen Cabinets

Diana Paul Design

Our client brought in a photo of an Old World Rustic Kitchen and wanted to recreate that look in their newly built lake house. They loved the look of that photo, but of course wanted to suit it to that more rustic feel of the house.

Comal County Ranch House

Dibello Architects, PLLC

The 3,400 SF, 3 – bedroom, 3 ½ bath main house feels larger than it is because we pulled the kids’ bedroom wing and master suite wing out from the public spaces and connected all three with a TV Den. Convenient ranch house features include a porte cochere at the side entrance to the mud room, a utility/sewing room near the kitchen, and covered porches that wrap two sides of the pool terrace. We designed a separate icehouse to showcase the owner’s unique collection of Texas memorabilia. The building includes a guest suite and a comfortable porch overlooking the pool. The main house and icehouse utilize reclaimed wood siding, brick, stone, tie, tin, and timbers alongside appropriate new materials to add a feeling of age.

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Andesite Family Lodge

Miller-Roodell Architects Ltd

David Marlow
Inspiration for a country seated home bar in Other with black benchtop, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

30 - Park City, Utah Residence

Magleby Construction

Mid-sized country u-shaped seated home bar in Salt Lake City with dark wood cabinets, stone tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, brown benchtop, recessed-panel cabinets, wood benchtops, brown splashback and brown floor.

Heritage Cabin

RMT Architects

Photo of a small country l-shaped seated home bar in Denver with dark hardwood floors.

Crooked River Home

Villa Decor

Ashley Avila
Country wet bar in Grand Rapids.

Rustic Retreat

Swanson Construction

Inspiration for a country u-shaped seated home bar in Other with medium wood cabinets and mirror splashback.

Whitefish Yacht Club Residence

Locati Architects

Gibeon Photography
Inspiration for a country home bar in Other with dark hardwood floors, recessed-panel cabinets and dark wood cabinets.

Our Escape

PineRidge Timberframe Inc.

Photo of a mid-sized country single-wall seated home bar in Toronto with concrete floors, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops and brown benchtop.

Home Bar Design Ideas

A 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 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 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 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.