The Perfect Home Bar: Step One, Location!

Location, Location, Location!

A home bar …the excitement of making the decision to move ahead with your project, the fun of planning it, the satisfaction of seeing it all come together.

The best part though, finally enjoying the big event to celebrate your “new addition” with family and friends!

So where do you start? It our humble opinion, it make sense to start at the beginning…location!

There are many factors to consider in the placement of your perfect home bar. Obviously looking at your home and determining your options for available space is a big one.

Taking into consideration the kind of entertaining you do, the amount of friends you want to be able to accommodate, and what you use your current space for will all play into your decision making processes.

Many people will have limited options in the placement of their home bar, but for those of you that have many, or even a couple, here are some things to consider.

Where do you currently entertain?

Do your gatherings focus around the kitchen, a main floor family room, or a basement ruckus room?

If you and your guests are accustomed to a party at your home taking place in a certain area, do you want to maintain that or is it time to switch it up?

Also consider the path your guest will take from the entrance of your home to your new bar. If your set up is in the basement, does that require someone upstairs watching the door for guests while the rest of the party is in full swing downstairs.

Keep in mind too that, despite the fact that in most homes you expect your guests to remove their shoes at the front door, in a party situation most ladies will prefer to keep their shoes on, as they are definitely part of a well thought out ensemble.

So is there a way to have a path from the door to your bar that would allow for that?

Flooring choices come into play here, carpet gets soiled, hardwood can get dented, but a laminate floor or a wood floor that has a “rustic” look to it could do the trick.

If you feel strongly about shoes in your home, it is acceptable to let your guests know in advance that “indoor” shoes would be acceptable for your gathering. (When attending a home where she knows this is the case, Lynn always takes a pair of clean, soft soled “indoor” shoes to change into at a party.)

Another consideration for your location is noise.

What is the location of your bedrooms, and will there be people sleeping during your party?

Children, over night guests, neighbors…any of these can be impacted by your fun. Planning accordingly will allow you and your friends the freedom to enjoy your fun without disturbing those around you.

A couple other things to consider are plumbing and electricity. If your ideal home bar set-up includes a full wet bar, several appliances in the form of small dishwasher, bar fridge, blender, coffee maker, or kettle, not to mention audio and visual entertainment, you need to have the ability to accommodate those plans.

And last, but certainly not least, remember the importance of the location of your washroom facilities!

Preferably on the same floor, easy to access but not too close to your home bar, is definitely the ideal in our opinion!

So stay tuned for the next article in “Building your perfect Home Bar” and remember…

W.C. Fields once said, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house – unless they have a well-stocked bar.” …by the time this series is done, that will be you!

Cheers, The Drink Guy Team!