The Best Bar Bar None

If you've got the space for it, consider putting in a home bar. A house bar helps make your home ideal for entertaining in style. This area is liable to become the focal point for leisure and will jumpstart your social life by giving you the perfect place to host your guests and make them feel welcome.

Soothing Qualities

If you are still drawing up plans for your home, it pays to research the various ideas and techniques that will make your house bar a terrific asset for home entertaining. Get it all down on paper before you start. Some people think of the bar as an extension of the rest of their home décor and decorate accordingly, while others use a complimentary design theme incorporating calming colors like greens or blues. These colors are known for their soothing qualities and can lend a relaxing atmosphere to any space.

Next you'll want to consider bar stools. The standard wooden stools are always a good choice since they are practical and work with just about any décor. But if you want to shoot for deluxe, you can up the ante and go for leather upholstery. You can have the stools upholstered in any color you prefer. You'll also want to think about function: swivel or stationary stools?

Partying Mood

A stereo sound system is a great addition to your home bar. Some soft background music can be a very sexy addition to a home-hosted cocktail hour before dinner, and helps get your friends in just the right partying mood. Or you may choose to install a small television where your friends can nosh and enjoy some drinks while watching football.

Of course, the main function of the bar is to have a way to store and serve beverages. A refrigerator or cooler is a must for keeping cold drinks cold, and a sink is also a really nice feature to have in your home bar so you won't have to walk back and forth between your kitchen and the bar for cleanup and so forth. Think about what type of glassware you'll be using in the bar and incorporate storage plans for these items in your home bar design. You'll need many different types of glasses to do things up right, since the various beverages are best drunk in specific types of glassware. Think about the color scheme and consider this when choosing such accessories as coasters and swivel sticks.

Last but not least comes the lighting. Think about recessed or track lighting. Recessed lighting gives a neater look to a small space. Dimmer lights are also a popular lighting solution so you can create a romantic setting for intimate parties with soft light, or have them fully lit for a larger bash.