11 Home Bar Design Ideas to Enchant and Entertain

If you entertain frequently, or just like to unwind in the comfort of your own home, consider adding a home bar. Wet bars can be added to nearly any room of the home.

They can be as appliance-filled as this model, or as sleek and minimalist as you desire. No matter how big or small your space, there is almost always room for a wet bar.

Traditionally, most home wet bars are added to basement recreation or game rooms.

Outfit these so-called "man caves" with sleek, dark wood and stone to complement the low-lighting in the space. Glass doors help visually enlarge the area, which is set into a U-shaped layout to get the maximum amount of storage space available.

If your home has an open floor plan rather than a lower level, consider adding the wet bar just behind the living room, off the kitchen. This central location gives your guests the chance to help themselves as they mingle.

Because the bar is so close to the kitchen, use the same cabinetry and faucet designs for a cohesive look. To change things up, consider a different counter or backsplash design.

Another way to take advantage of an open layout is to place the bar in the living room. This provides extra seating for guests, and keeps the bartender right in the middle of things.

Tie the bar in with the rest of the room by using the architecture of the space; columns flow right from the bar across the room, while the same wood in the cabinets can be found across the room in the bookcases. The green color of the counter picks up the outdoors seen through the windows.

Small homes with open floor plans often have spaces like the kitchen working double-time. Place a small wet bar just off the kitchen for space, but change the flooring and color scheme of the area to help delineate this as a separate room.

If your home has a butler's pantry or other small nook, consider tucking the bar into it.

This well-lit space is fully outfitted, accessible for the bartender from the kitchen, but accessible for the guests from the living room by a half-wall. Creating a half-wall or a key-hole in load-bearing walls helps open up these small spaces and makes them more user-friendly.

Bars don't have to be formal or contemporary if the rest of your home is anything but. This rustic bar would fit right into any log cabin with quartzite floors and rough-hewn cabinetry.

Take cues from the rest of your home's decor whenever making choices for the bar; bars are so often open to the rest of the room, that while this is a separate space it should fit in seamlessly.

Wet bars don't require a lot of space, particularly if your home doesn't have a lot of space to give. This alcove wet bar is tucked back between two walls and accented on all three sides by a tile backsplash. While it doesn't have a counter to sit at, it does include just enough storage and a small fridge to make it useable.

If you have a patio or entertain frequently outdoors, consider adding a wet bar to the area. Outdoor wet bars are usually less formal than interior models; make use of simple cabinetry and counters that complement the rest of the space and don't try to bring a heavy cabinetry outside.

Another natural area to add a wet bar is poolside. Keep the laid-back vibe of the pool yard and extend it to the bar itself. This bar uses Caribbean influenced tiles on the counter to add an exotic touch to the space.

While set back a ways from the dining room, this bar fits right in by utilizing the small, bright color scheme. Using color in your bar this way helps give your bar a fun, carefree atmosphere, while still maintaining its place in the house.

Don't be afraid to try some interesting interior paint combinations for your bar!