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Whether you like popping out to the local for a pint or sitting in your own garden with a glass of wine we all have ideas of how we would like our ultimate home bar would look. Some want traditional, others modern, or a mixture of both.
But one thing all of our home bar shelving ideas will need is storage, not just for the booze but glasses, barware and other paraphernalia too. You can have home bar shelves specifically designated to each of the items or mix it up by having enough shelf space for everything.
Let us remind ourselves as a homeowner with a DIY ethos, that if you have the space, time, money and ability to have a home bar you are seriously winning at life as not everybody is as lucky as you. However, even a barrel and a few shelves in the corner somewhere will still be somewhere to relax and enjoy your guests.
If you have the room in the garden or a basement, or a man cave you can also easily convert a shed or part of your kitchen into a great home bar. Even the simplest do it yourself design ideas can be used to give a great atmosphere that can be enjoyed all year round.
Our home bar shelving ideas will hopefully show you the best ways to add personality to your home by having small touches here and there, whether it be colour, lighting, mirrors or installing nice sleek finishes that will impress your friends and family.
Avoid Clutter on Your Home Bar Shelves
I know there is a temptation to fill your bar shelves with liquor bottles, glasses, trinkets and those holiday souvenirs but let’s be honest at some point you are going to have to wipe them down and do you really want to be moving all that clutter back and forth?
I am not for one moment suggesting that it is a featureless landscape but having just the right number of bar accessories on display will fully accentuate the new DIY shelving you or your building contractor has painstakingly installed.
We will show some ideas of current styles of shelving unit so why not try at least two of them in your home bar. Easy to dedicate one to drinks and the other to glasses with a few of those keepsakes scattered amongst both shelves. You can store wine bottles in wine racks whilst storing beer bottles in cabinets.
Can You Really Do It Yourself?
If you have the DIY ethic plus the skill and confidence, I am sure you could attempt any of the suggestions we make. A good drill, a spirit level, a tape and a willingness to save money then anything is possible.
Alternatively, if you are a do it for me person, then find the number of a good carpenter or even enlist friends to help as I am sure the prospect of an invitation to the opening night will encourage anyone to pick up a tool in honour of such a good cause.
Home Bar Shelving Ideas and Styles
Only you can determine the look and style of your home bar and that can come from any source. It could be an homage to your favourite bar or that fantastic club you visited whilst on holiday, but whatever it is that you decide the storage solutions will be key to the overall look.
So here are some of the most current trends of 2022 that will take you over into 2023. Theme and materials are key to home bar ideas you may have, so ensure you have a think before you start.
Steam Punk
This look has been high up on many designers’ radar for the last couple of years and shows no sign of losing its cool but the newest look is to use a thick 25mm plywood for the shelving.
This creates the ultimate in industrial looks whilst also being extremely strong. Lightly sand the edges, round off any corners and a thin layer of clear varnish for protection and hey presto you have form and function and one big scoop of style to show off to your friends.
Reclaimed wood is another great option to achieve that unique look and a big part of sustainable DIY Culture. The pipe work becomes the bracket to effectively support the shelf to which you can add lighting and the most popular trend today is the use of green illumination, but any colour will be a great addition to the overall mood you are hoping to create.
Metal Shelves
Always a great look for any home bar and with many metal designs there are an abundance of ready-made kits available online so installation can become much easier even with limited Do-It-Yourself skills.
Some of the kits currently available can give the floating shelving look which draws the eye directly to them creating unique way to display all of your bar accessories and the fact that they will be wall mounted makes them safe and strong.
Adding some lighting or even having a mirror as the background will accent the contemporary style of the bar area that you are looking to achieve.
Cover the Entire Wall with Shelving
This definitely gives you every answer to the storage solution as you will be spoilt for choice for perfect places to display your drink and glassware collection. Remember that not all of the shelves need to be open to view as you could add doors to create a cupboard or display cabinet whilst retaining the way you show off your great whisky and brandy collections.
Easy enough to do it yourself with some solid wood shelves but something a good carpenter would be able to make for you. Again, don’t forget you can use lighting or mirrors to add that extra dimension.
Reclaimed Bar
Ever thought about buying a bar straight out of an old pub then now is (unfortunately for the hospitality industry) a great time to do so.
With so many public houses closing down here in the UK there is a growing number of opportunities to buy a classic pub bar area. Obviously, you can go for the whole bar including the shelves but there is a chance you can buy these separately. It really does not get any more authentic than this.
The Club Look
If your more of a club than a pub person, then something less old fashioned will appeal but be careful not to go overboard as cool and smooth can easily become tacky and dated. With the updating of lighting systems, the LED choice not only gives you longer lasting brightness but increases your environmental credentials.
As I have said this is a look that can age very quickly but with the right lighting you can constantly chance the appearance of the bar shelving. Once again floating shelves give a modern and contemporary style and your choice of materials such as reclaimed wood can make the smallest of spaces appear warm and welcoming.
Not Enough Space for a Home Bar
Not all of us are lucky enough to have enough space to completely dedicate an entire room to our quaffing delights but have no fear there is usually somewhere you can squeeze in this addition to your home.
Cupboards and understairs areas, dining rooms and even the basement can be developed into fantastic yet small entertaining spaces with the right shelving. Converting an old bookcase or sideboard into a free-standing bar with shelving above or incorporated into it will give you the area you crave.
After all it is about you and your guest’s enjoyment, and a sense of Diyism satisfaction. As long as you have the correct number of shelves to display your most essential items then you have a home bar. An addition of bar stools located near to the bar cabinet will make it really appeal to not just you, but guests and even potential buyers should you ever sell your home.
I Really Need To Think About My Budget
The absolute beauty of rewarding yourself with a home bar is that you do not need to break the bank to get the desired effect.
Old tables can be painted or for the most up to date trend why not try decoupage, which is to basically wallpaper any furniture you have. Go for bold colours, shapes, and styles to really make it stand out and then add some older reclaimed crates or pallets. Preferably with logos that emulate the alcohol industry.
The overall effect is about as DIY as any of our options if you have a good home improvement store nearby.
Top tip: Regarding the crates is if you cannot find any that suit your look simply visit your local greengrocer and ask if they have any spare fruit crates. You can then age them with a simple varnish or even apply transfers to make them look more original.
To Sum Up Our Home Bar Shelving Ideas
We hope you’ve enjoyed these home bar shelving ideas. You can choose any of the designs above or create your very own, either way you will get to enjoy the fruits of your labour in the comfort of your own home.
