Home Bar Ideas for Living Room: 12 Cabinets, Carts and Racks

Home PlannerApp Team · December 18, 2022

12 bar cabinet ideas, from a cabinet built into the wall to a drink cart and an antique piece, and the tools you need before the first cocktail.

Low light, quiet music, good company (or none at all) and a cocktail you like. You do not need to go out or hire a butler for that evening. A corner of your living room can do the job. Below are 12 home bar ideas for living room corners and walls, and the tools to start with.

Many home bars start with furniture you already own. An old standalone shelf or a dresser can become a corner bar or a built-in bar. If you have wanted a bar for a long time but do not know where to start, start with the tools: they decide what you can mix, and they take less space than you think.

What bar tools do I need for a home bar?

Five tools cover the most popular cocktails: a shaker, a bar spoon, a jigger, a muddler and a corkscrew. You do not need to buy the whole bar department of a store. This is the short list.

Shaker

You need a shaker for every cocktail made by the shake method. There are two types: the Boston shaker and the European shaker. For a home bar, the European one is easier. It has a glass, a base, a lid with a built-in strainer and a cap. For a beginner, it is the most convenient option.

Bar spoon

A bar spoon does three jobs.

• Stirring. The long handle makes it the main tool for the stir method (you mix the ingredients with ice in a mixing glass) and the build method (the same, but directly in the serving glass).
• Layering. You pour layered cocktails over it. The most popular are "B-52", "Hiroshima" and "ABC".
• A second tool on the back. The other end of the spoon usually has a muddler for mint or sugar with bitters, or a small fork to move citrus slices.

Jigger

A jigger measures the ingredients. The right proportions decide the taste of a drink, so this tool matters more than it looks. Most jiggers are metal and have two cups of different sizes. The common volumes are 20/40 ml, 25/50 ml and, for larger drinks, 30/60 ml.

You can use a measuring cup or ordinary shot glasses instead, if you know their exact volume. A jigger is still easier to work with, and some have a measuring scale on the inside.

Shot glasses can stand in for a jigger, but only when you know exactly how much each one holds.

Muddler

A muddler is a pestle. It crushes sugar, herbs (usually mint), berries and fruit to release their flavour. You need it for a "Mint Julep", a "Mojito", an "Old Fashioned", a "Caipirinha" and others. The handle can be stainless steel. The tip is usually plastic, so it does not react with the fruit.

Save a tool: if your bar spoon has a muddler on the back, you probably do not need a separate one.

Corkscrew or sommelier knife

For wine, you need a corkscrew. There are several kinds:

• Classic spiral. The simplest one.
• Lever. The design cuts the effort needed to pull the cork by a lot.
• Electric. It opens a bottle at the touch of a button.

A sommelier knife (also called a waiter's knife) is another practical choice. It holds a corkscrew, a small knife to cut the foil from any bottle, and a bottle opener for beer.

Which bar cabinet ideas suit a living room?

The ones that fit the room you already have. A wall cabinet keeps the floor free, a cart moves where the guests are, and a converted pedestal reuses furniture you already own. Here are 12 ideas, decorative and practical.

A bar with a message inside

Line the inside of the cabinet with gold leaf, so it looks like a safe for valuable contents. Then add a warning message for anyone who reaches for the bottles without asking.

A bar cabinet in the wall

Hide the bottles behind custom-made wooden doors. Treat the doors as a piece of art in their own right, so the wall looks finished when the bar is closed.

A functional bar cabinet

If you prefer use over show, choose a cabinet with space for glasses, tools and small appliances, plus wine shelves.

A pedestal bar cabinet

Build the bar into a pedestal. The objects you place on top lift the look of the whole room, and nobody sees the bottles below.

An open rack

A drinks rack can be one part of a set: a bar counter, chairs and the rack together, as in one apartment in Munich.

An open rack inside a pedestal

Convert an ordinary pedestal: place a couple of wine shelves inside and hang a slate board above it, as in a real bar.

A drink cart

A trolley can replace a full bar. Some models come from restaurants and hotels and have many sections and drawers. You can also build one yourself.

A ship cabinet

For a sailing fan: a cabinet shaped like a ship. Glasses go on the deck, bottles go in the lower compartment. Guests will not walk past it.

A bar cabinet with storage doors

Use the inside of the doors as extra shelves. A slate board with the day's cocktail specials sets the mood.

A rustic bar cabinet

If the room will have a bar, plan the rest of the interior around it. Even boards and iron from an old court can become a bar cabinet. If the result looks too rough, soften it with a fun bar stool or a vintage advertising poster.

A cabinet from wine boxes

Build a cabinet from the boards of old wine boxes and add a container for wine corks. The accessories create the bar mood on their own.

An antique cabinet

A cabinet in the mid-century style, carved with a biblical story: Adam and Eve in paradise. That did not stop its owner from keeping a bar in it.

Home bar ideas on a budget: do you need a full bar?

No. A dresser, a pedestal with wine shelves, a drink cart or a cabinet made from wine-box boards can do the job of a full bar.

You do not have to give a whole room to "cocktail time", with a bar counter, high chairs, a wine cabinet and everything that goes with them. If you want that, the ideas above give you the pieces. If you do not, one corner and fewer changes cost less.

Plan the bar before you move anything

A bar cabinet that blocks a walkway is a problem you only see after delivery. Measure your living room in Home Planner, draw it as a 2D/3D floor plan, and try a wine cabinet, bar stools and other furniture from real brands in the corner you have in mind. Still not sure which idea fits? Start from a ready-made layout for your living room and adapt it.