A Guide to Creating a Stunning Home Mini Bar
What is a Home Mini Bar?
A home mini bar, also referred to as a beverage bar, is designed so that you can enjoy a drink with friends, family, and guests without having to leave the comfort of your house. A home mini bar or beverage bar can be constructed anywhere in your house, including in the basement, kitchen, or living area.
Best Mini Bar Ideas & Features
Refrigeration
As the name suggests, mini bars are often small, so you want to avoid taking up precious bar real estate with an oversized fridge. Let’s run through some refrigeration suggestions below:
- Mini fridge: A mini fridge provides the perfect solution to keep your beverages cool without over-cluttering the space. Mini bars typically have a small fridge with one or two storage shelves. You can consider an under-counter mini fridge if space issues are a concern or if you want to place it in this location.
- Wine cooler: A wine cooler is a refrigerator that keeps your wine cooled to an optimal temperature. Wine coolers vary in size— they can be small or the size of a standard refrigerator, depending on your preference and space.
- Icer Maker: Enjoy ice in abundance without constantly stocking up or making your own ice trays. Ice makers are the perfect accompaniment to any mini bar, ensuring your drinks are nice and cold for every occasion.
Counter Space
Select from options such as a high counter, a prep counter, or a service countertop – depending on your preference and space allowance. You can also consider selecting a durable material such as marble, granite, or wood slab.
Mixing Station
Shake up those cocktails, slice lemons, and set bottles with a mixing station! You can select any style for your mixing station using wall decals, appliques, or other decorations.
Bar Sink
A bar sink, also called a prep sink, is a fantastic addition to your home mini bar. Bar sinks are generally 12-18 inches square and are usually decorative, featuring copper, pewter, bronze, or stainless steel. Bar sinks are discrete, even easily concealable under a cutting board. To guarantee a unified design, we advise coordinating your sink materials with the design of the other fixtures in your mini bar space.
Storage
Your mini bar storage will be dependent on how much space you have. For example, if you have a tight space, consider integrating wall shelves for storage with zero floor space and very minimal shelf space. If you have a larger area, consider an open box shelf that serves as storage and showcases your bottles and glassware. Other storage options include closed storage compartments, nooks, wine racks, and drawers and cabinets.
Lighting
Re-create the ambiance of a real bar through your lighting selection. You can make any lighting fixture fit the bar theme, such as pendants, recessed lights, exposed bulbs, or quirky lamps. Consider using warm, inviting colors like deep oranges and reds or cool, creative hues like blues and purples for a modern feel. You can also consider neon lighting to enhance the “real” bar feeling in your home space.
Important Design Considerations
Location
Set aside a space for your at-home bar. Regarding mini bar locations, there’s no one-space-fits-all spot. Instead, place it close to where you’ll be doing most of the entertaining. You can be in the center of the action by locating your home mini bar in the living room, dining room, or kitchen. Alternatively, if you do not have space in these areas, consider locating your mini bar in your basement.
Decorations
Once you’ve decided on your home mini bar location, construction, and storage needs, you can have some fun decorating! Consider decorative trays, mirrors, nooks, wine racks, and bar carts.
Ambiance
Once you’ve taken care of the necessities, now is the time to create the best ambiance for your family, friends, and guests. To optimize bar ambiance, consider using lighting to highlight your favorite parts of the bar. Backlighting or frame lighting works well here, or you can run a strip of LED tube lights underneath the bar counter.
