With spring finally here, you’d think it’d be time to take our entertaining and our cocktails outside. But in some parts of the country, it’s still a bit chilly. Whether a simple bar cart or an actual space, we asked a few designers how we can create a great in-home bar in our home that acts as a central hub for entertainment. 

Prudence Bailey,

Prudence Home and Design

“Bar areas and rooms are becoming more and more a necessity in my client projects. I love creating moody bar rooms that feel like you have walked into a lounge in Soho. I am doing one now where the whole room is being lacquered in a dark brown and the fabric story is a grayish-blue. It is a chic place to go to have a cocktail with your significant other and feel like you have stepped into a swanky lounge you may have once visited pre-kids to spark that fire.”

“No space for a room, no problem! I love super styled bar carts in clever spots in a home. Wherever you want to sit and truly relax, place a bar cart or cabinet there and voila! It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere!”

Fiona Leonard of Fiona Leonard Interiors

“Our clients are thirsty these days and are getting pretty creative. A coffee bar in the bedroom; a vintage bar cabinet in an office; a margarita station in a butler’s pantry, all fun thoughts and why not? People want their drinks to be accessible at all times and who can blame them. Creature comforts go a long way these days. We are ready to try something new in design and break out of our comfort zone. Trying it out in a small space like a bar or butler’s pantry is a great way to get going. I love the idea of floating oak shelves, or a seductive, textural wallpaper. Consider a small dose, it can really pack a punch. Speaking of punch, where’s the nearest bar?”

Christina Roughan of Roughan Interior

“The home bar is accessible and not hidden behind closed doors. It can be as simple as a gorgeous tray surrounded by decanters and a fine bottle of liquor with classic aperitif glasses or a glass pitcher filled with freshly squeezed orange juice with classic low ball glasses. Alcohol optional.”

Tish Mills

“Home Bars take on many shapes and locations these days. With the increase in working from home, the portable bar and bar cart are more evident. We sometimes get a really chic tray, glasses, etc. and set it up in the Butler’s Pantry. In homes that have enough space, we still do traditional bars in lounges or dens. As people have started entertaining back at home, having an area to congregate that is separate from a dining or workspace is nice.”