With Summer on its way, having a home bar is the perfect setting to host a gathering with family and friends, and having a functional and totally modern home bar will allow you to do so!

Inspiration for a large country galley wet bar in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, glass-front cabinets, distressed cabinets, granite benchtops and dark hardwood floors.

Photo by Hannah Corey
Inspiration for a large contemporary galley seated home bar in New York with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets and wood benchtops.

Photography by: Grey Crawford
Large contemporary galley seated home bar in Los Angeles with shaker cabinets and medium wood cabinets.

Inspiration for a large transitional galley seated home bar in Kansas City with brown splashback, stone tile splashback, medium hardwood floors, brown floor and black benchtop.

This is an example of a large modern galley wet bar in Phoenix with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartzite benchtops, white splashback, glass tile splashback, dark hardwood floors, brown floor and white benchtop.

LOWELL CUSTOM HOMES Lake Geneva, WI., - This Queen Ann Shingle is a very special place for family and friends to gather. Designed with distinctive New England character this home generates warm welcoming feelings and a relaxed approach to entertaining.

Photo of a large transitional galley seated home bar in Other with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, wood benchtops, grey splashback, porcelain floors and beige floor.

AFTER: BAR | We completely redesigned the bar structure by opening it up. It was previously closed on one side so we wanted to be able to walk through to the living room. We created a floor to ceiling split vase accent wall behind the bar to give the room some texture and break up the white walls. We carried over the tile from the entry to the bar and used hand stamped carrara marble to line the front of the bar and used a smoky blue glass for the bar counters. | Renovations + Design by Blackband Design | Photography by Tessa Neustadt

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW The homeowners built their traditional Colonial style home 17 years’ ago. It was in great shape but needed some updating. Over the years, their taste had drifted into a more contemporary realm, and they wanted our help to bridge the gap between traditional and modern. We decided the layout of the kitchen worked well in the space and the cabinets were in good shape, so we opted to do a refresh with the kitchen. The original kitchen had blond maple cabinets and granite countertops. This was also a great opportunity to make some updates to the functionality that they were hoping to accomplish. After re-finishing all the first floor wood floors with a gray stain, which helped to remove some of the red tones from the red oak, we painted the cabinetry Benjamin Moore “Repose Gray” a very soft light gray. The new countertops are hardworking quartz, and the waterfall countertop to the left of the sink gives a bit of the contemporary flavor. We reworked the refrigerator wall to create more pantry storage and eliminated the double oven in favor of a single oven and a steam oven. The existing cooktop was replaced with a new range paired with a Venetian plaster hood above. The glossy finish from the hood is echoed in the pendant lights. A touch of gold in the lighting and hardware adds some contrast to the gray and white. A theme we repeated down to the smallest detail illustrated by the Jason Wu faucet by Brizo with its similar touches of white and gold (the arrival of which we eagerly awaited for months due to ripples in the supply chain – but worth it!). The original breakfast room was pleasant enough with its windows looking into the backyard. Now with its colorful window treatments, new blue chairs and sculptural light fixture, this space flows seamlessly into the kitchen and gives more of a punch to the space. The original butler’s pantry was functional but was also starting to show its age. The new space was inspired by a wallpaper selection that our client had set aside as a possibility for a future project. It worked perfectly with our pallet and gave a fun eclectic vibe to this functional space. We eliminated some upper cabinets in favor of open shelving and painted the cabinetry in a high gloss finish, added a beautiful quartzite countertop and some statement lighting. The new room is anything but cookie cutter. Next the mudroom. You can see a peek of the mudroom across the way from the butler’s pantry which got a facelift with new paint, tile floor, lighting and hardware. Simple updates but a dramatic change! The first floor powder room got the glam treatment with its own update of wainscoting, wallpaper, console sink, fixtures and artwork. A great little introduction to what’s to come in the rest of the home. The whole first floor now flows together in a cohesive pallet of green and blue, reflects the homeowner’s desire for a more modern aesthetic, and feels like a thoughtful and intentional evolution. Our clients were wonderful to work with! Their style meshed perfectly with our brand aesthetic which created the opportunity for wonderful things to happen. We know they will enjoy their remodel for many years to come! Photography by Margaret Rajic Photography

A lower level home bar in a Bettendorf Iowa home with LED-lit whiskey barrel planks, Koch Knotty Alder gray cabinetry, and Cambria Quartz counters in Charlestown design. Galveston series pendant lighting by Quorum also featured. Design and select materials by Village Home Stores for Kerkhoff Homes of the Quad Cities.

Inspiration for a large contemporary galley seated home bar in Las Vegas with an undermount sink, solid surface benchtops, white splashback, black benchtop, flat-panel cabinets, grey cabinets and grey floor.

Custom wet bar with island featuring rustic wood beams and pendant lighting.
Inspiration for a large country galley seated home bar in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, black cabinets, quartz benchtops, white splashback, subway tile splashback, vinyl floors, grey floor and white benchtop.

**Project Overview** This new construction home is built next to a picturesque lake, and the bar adjacent to the kitchen and living areas is designed to frame the breathtaking view. This custom, curved bar creatively echoes many of the lines and finishes used in other areas of the first floor, but interprets them in a new way. **What Makes This Project Unique?** The bar connects visually to other areas of the home custom columns with leaded glass. The same design is used in the mullion detail in the furniture piece across the room. The bar is a flowing curve that lets guests face one another. Curved wainscot panels follow the same line as the stone bartop, as does the custom-designed, strategically implemented upper platform and crown that conceal recessed lighting. **Design Challenges** Designing a curved bar with rectangular cabinets is always a challenge, but the greater challenge was to incorporate a large wishlist into a compact space, including an under-counter refrigerator, sink, glassware and liquor storage, and more. The glass columns take on much of the storage, but had to be engineered to support the upper crown and provide space for lighting and wiring that would not be seen on the interior of the cabinet. Our team worked tirelessly with the trim carpenters to ensure that this was successful aesthetically and functionally. Another challenge we created for ourselves was designing the columns to be three sided glass, and the 4th side to be mirrored. Though it accomplishes our aesthetic goal and allows light to be reflected back into the space this had to be carefully engineered to be structurally sound. Photo by MIke Kaskel

Design ideas for a large contemporary galley seated home bar in Kansas City with medium wood cabinets and grey benchtop.

A restaurant style, walk-in wine closet is convenient for parties and serves as an architectural feature and backdrop that can be viewed from the living room, bar, and kitchen.

Our Petite Lounge was formerly a small atrium, but after opening up the small doorway to create this dramatic entry, it is a stunning part of a trifecta of spaces meant to elegantly and comfortably entertain well. The black marble tile in inlaid with brass undulating details, which we echoed in the custom brass fittings we used to support our glass shelves.

Interior Designer: Allard + Roberts Interior Design, Inc Architect: Con Dameron, Architectural Practice Builder: Dan Collins, Glennwood Custom Builders Photographer: David Dietrich Photography

Basement Bar Area
Photo of a large contemporary galley wet bar in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite benchtops, multi-coloured splashback, stone tile splashback and porcelain floors.