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Wet bars are back in style! If you are looking for wet bar design inspiration, then you are in the right place. We have compiled several great wet bar ideas to take your home bar to the next level. You can make design and decor changes that can improve the space tremendously.
What Do You Do with a Wet Bar?
A wet bar is a small bar in your home that you can use to mix drinks. This home bar is for entertainment purposes and is usually found in a finished basement. It’s also very common to find a wet bar right next to or inside the kitchen, the dining room, or the entertainment room. Building your home bar outside is another option. This combination makes it easy and convenient to entertain guests.
A wet bar has a tap and sink, and these allow you to serve more drinks because you can wash glassware in the same space.
Wet Bar Versus Dry Bar
There’s only a small difference between a wet bar and a dry bar, and the names give it away. In a wet bar, you get a sink and running water, while you don’t find these in a dry bar. This means that if you have to mix a lot of drinks and recycle used stemware, you can do this much faster with a wet home bar.
Wet Bar Renovation Costs
Renovating your home and adding a wet bar can have some advantages. It allows you to entertain your family, friends, and other guests better. If you are a fan of hosting parties, it can make a world of difference. Installing a full wet bar from scratch can cost upwards of $5,000. One of the main things to consider is the need for plumbing to the sink. You can cut some of the remodeling costs with some DIY home bar ideas. So, if you are doing a basement remodel or kitchen remodels, you might want to combine this with a kitchen or basement wet bar.
Value Addition and Home Renovation
Building a home bar from scratch or making material changes to an existing one can be a substantial expense as we saw in the section before. Investing in a wet bar area can add value to a home. Should you ever decide to sell the house, you can expect it to be worth more because it has this extra feature.
What to Include in a Wet Bar
When it comes to wet bar design, there are a few key elements that you are bound to see in most wet bars regardless of size and placement in the home. Other features may only be present in older home bars or those that are found in the basement of the house. Let’s walk through some of the more common features and how you can use these to make your bar area spectacular.
Wet bars can include the following elements and structures:
- Wood cabinets for your glasses, wine, and other beverages
- Countertops above the cabinets. This is where you are going to mix cocktails.
- High shelving to store more of your liquor and other beverage ingredients.
- A sink for cleaning up at the spot instead of taking everything to the kitchen dishwasher
- A small fridge or wine cooler to keep drinks cool and store ice
- Rollaway bar carts or rolling wine cart
- Home bar furniture like stools and a table
Design Ideas
With all the wet bar ideas presented above, it is important to consider the bar design in the combination of all the elements. You want a beautiful wet bar, but you also need it to have high functionality and ergonomics. For example, when you select your cabinets, the color and style must match that of the other parts of the room.
If the wet bar is near the kitchen area, then you want to use similar cabinetry and color in both spaces. If you are using blue cabinets in the kitchen, then you should also use blue cabinets in the wet bar located in or next to the kitchen area. Wood cabinets are commonly used. You can also look into adding wine racks into your cabinetry for even more storage space.
When kicking your countertops, make sure you use a surface that is easy to clean and does not stain easily. Granite countertops are a great pick because they are beautiful, more affordable, and extremely durable. You can also look into soapstone countertops and marble countertops. You can place a wine holder on top of the countertops to take care of any wine that cannot fit inside your cabinets and other wine storage areas.
For the wet bar shelves, most homeowners prefer open shelves. Open storage areas make it easier to access your bottles. You don’t have to worry about opening cabinets and shelving doors, which could potentially reduce spillage.
The sink is an essential part of your wet bar beverage center. Again, you want this to closely match your kitchen sink if the two spaces are near each other. The home bar faucet should be a quality option with a great design. If you can fin done with a pill-out nozzle, that can add to the functionality of your wet bar and make your cleaning up faster and easier.
When choosing the refrigerator for your wet bar, make sure you pay attention to its capacity and how much cold bottle storage space you are going to need. There are many options to choose from including a beverage fridge, a wine captain, and an icemaker.
You don’t want to forget about having a range of wet bar furniture pieces Depending on the space you have on hand, you can include stools and other forms of seating. You should also think about the ceiling, floor finish, which could be tile, the wood paneling, the colors, accents, pattern, and texture, the wall paint and wallpaper, and everything else that affects the wet bar area design. You can also think about adding a backsplash, which could be a mirror backsplash or backsplash tiles.
Decorating Your Home Bar
All you need is a style or theme and a few key art and decor pieces to make your wet bar better. You can also make some changes regarding the color and material of the fixtures and fittings in your kitchen or basement wet bar.
One of the best-wet bar design ideas you can implement is to transform the lighting. For a pub-like ambiance, then consider using soft lights and low-hanging bulbs. You can also add some under-cabinet lighting.
When it comes to home wet bar decor, don’t forget about the walls. You can add some paintings and artwork that you like to give the space a bit of personality. You can even add some photos you have taken to the mix. Many home bar owners like to decorate the space with handmade art pieces of vintage wall hangings as well. You can pull out your collection of relevant items if you are going for an international wine and travel theme. Aim to create an enjoyable experience, environment, and mood.
Conclusion
The kitchen and basement bar ideas in this article can help you to improve your current wet bar area The next time you through a party, you know that everyone is going to enjoy the vibe you have created with the basement wet bar designs and tips here. Lighting, wet bar furniture, and other design elements can also affect the look of the home bar.
Reclaimed 19th century quarter sawn oak panels repurposed in new basement.
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