Solid wood bar: 4 design tricks

Filling

It doesn’t matter what task you started it for - as soon as it’s installed, the bar needs to be filled.

There are a couple of simple tips for this:

• Start with one bottle
  . The alcohol that can be served in a bar is usually expensive and elite. Not everyone can afford to buy the full collection at once, but one bottle is quite possible. They usually start with something they love. It’s especially easy for those who have opened a bar to mix cocktails - a bottle of strong alcohol can be used in more than a dozen recipes.
• Don't drink everything at once
  . If you have a habit of drinking a lot, try to break it. To do this, start one bottle first, then the second. If you want to drink, drink a little, and the alcohol should be expensive - you won’t drink a drink that costs several thousand as often and in the same quantities as its cheap counterparts.
• Don't invite friends.
  You usually want to show off your bar right away, but it’s better to do it later, and invite only those who are able to stop at a small portion. You should not drink in company until you have at least your third bottle.

The standard bar consists of the following drinks:

• gin, and you need to buy it, even if you don’t like it by itself;
• vodka, by no means cheap from the nearest store, but good and expensive;
• whiskey, in two forms - bourbon and scotch;
• rum - white and aged, two bottles required;
• orange liqueur - used to make cocktails;
• vermouth - sweet and dry, also primarily for cocktails;
• brandy, cognac and tequila.

From such a set you can assemble a huge number of cocktails, plus with it at the bar you will always find something to drink. You can supplement the collection with wines, cider, beer, other liqueurs except orange - in fact, any alcohol that you like.

Advice

Get into the habit of keeping ice in the refrigerator, not just one mold, but two or three. Without it, alcohol and alcoholic cocktails are rarely drunk.

Accessories

To prepare cocktails, the bar (even if it is mini) needs to be supplemented with the necessary accessories. There are not so many of them that you can’t do without:

• Shaker
  . Cocktail ingredients are poured into it and then easily mixed. There is a classic one, which consists of three elements that can be separated, and a Boston one, which looks like two glasses superimposed on each other.
• Mixing glass
  . This mixes ingredients with the same density, which are easy to mix.
• Bar spoon
  . It looks like a regular one, but has a very long handle.
• Jigger
  . It is also a measuring cup that makes it easy to determine the volume.
• Strainer
  . Helps strain the mixture.

Additionally, a blender with a juicer function is useful - with it you can prepare fresh juices. Everything else is essentially optional.

The culture of drinking alcoholic beverages goes back to ancient times. If we talk about Ancient Greece, somewhere around there wine was held in special respect, and in Rus' it is difficult to imagine a landowner who would not while away the evening drinking an exquisite liqueur. But the word “bar” came to us from the West, and without unnecessary talk, a “bar” is a place for people who appreciate high-quality alcoholic beverages, but monks also accept it. Connoisseurs of fine drinks prefer to set up a bar in their apartment, that is, in a country house.

A home-grown bar, first of all, symbolizes the wealth of style and image of its owners. This is an area where you can escape from depression and blues in difficult moments of life while enjoying the coziness and comfort of your home environment. From a bird's eye view, any home holiday is a place to meet, communicate and create a good mood for yourself and your friends.

Almost any room is suitable for the use of a home bar, the very foundation so that it is convenient for you, and the bar furniture is combined with the tone of the room and with the interior of the house as a whole. Installing a bar will allow you to sharpen the functional areas in the house, separate the kitchen from the dining room, and also help to designate relaxation and work areas just like in your home kitchen. Along with this interior solution, the visual unity of the zones is preserved, and at the same time a clear boundary is visible, which is more interesting than walls and partitions. With a home bar you can make the interior more interesting and cozy.

The area where it is time and conscience to know the home bar is located should be at the height of the situation and correspond to the interior and style of the room in which it is equipped. Your bar can vary in size, and in the same way in configuration: it can be mobile or stationary. The classic interior of a stationary bar includes an altar counter and high chairs or stools. It may come with a buffet. A simpler version of a home bar can be a rotating (in presence) vertical stand with a tabletop and a device for glasses and bottles. This (species) change is small in size and can accommodate no more than two or three people.

For those who love volume, and space allows it, a home bar can be of significant size and size. In such cases, the bar design uses a separate room. In such a room, a special shelf is used for storing bottles and dishes; it is equipped with a refrigerator, stove and sink. Usually the drawing board in such a bar is spacious, which is incredibly convenient for those who like to host parties at home.

If you don't have space, it's best to use a mobile bar. This bar looks like a cabinet, which when opened turns into a mini-bar counter. Mobile bars are an ideal option for small spaces: they take up little space, but have everything you need. It would be perfect to place such a cabinet on a table in the bedroom, on the carpet by the fireplace, or in the living room.

A home bar can be quite simple and, on the contrary, luxurious and artsy. Until now, it depends on the materials from which the bar counter and all the furniture adjacent to the bar are made. For interior design in classical and Empire style, the ideal choice is noble wood, decorated with carvings and gilding. For those who prefer high-tech speech, furniture made of glass and chromed metal is suitable. For lovers of antiques, the five will suit a bar stylized as an antique secretary, but the stools for such a bar should also be high and comfortable.

When arranging a home bar, you need to think through everything to the smallest detail, die and not get up then it will look stylish and attractive. Special attention in the design of the bar should be given to lighting. Local lighting is often used, sometimes even with backlighting of different colors. It would be a good idea to adjust the lighting, this will allow you to change the surroundings, depending on the parties being held. Using a variety of LED lamps and neon lighting will highlight the unique design of your bar and help your lady save on lighting costs. If you decide to create a home disco currency, then approach this idea creatively and then it is possible that it will be Sklifosovsky with your pride

Summer is the time to relax outdoors, so it's time to think about small changes and improve your interior. We suggest setting up a home bar. And we're not talking about a small corner reserved for a few collectible bottles waiting in the wings. If space allows, you should treat yourself to a stylish and spacious bar.

Working with wood

Creating a mini bar at home from wood is very simple. This is due to the fact that working with such material is familiar to many. In addition, it is far from necessary to use boards, because you can take an old bedside table to give the main volume to the future bar.

Having prepared the grinder, screws, boards and the bedside table itself, we make a mini bar from wood. Mirrors can be used inside to create a more beautiful design. They should be secured with glue.

The action algorithm should be as follows:

• marking boards;
• cutting out the necessary elements using a grinder;
• surface treatment with varnish;
• fixing mirrors;
• decorating the external volume of the bedside table.

This type of minibar is suitable for classic interiors. What makes it distinctive is that it can be designed in absolutely any design direction.

Common mistakes newbies make when organizing a home bar

1. Filling the bar with alcohol for every taste. If you choose drinks that will appeal to every potential guest, you could spend a fortune on alcohol that you will rarely drink. Don't forget that the main client of your home bar is yourself.
2. Too wide variety of drinks. If you fill a bar like a professional one, you need to have the skills of a bartender.

If guests ask for a cocktail you don't know how to make, or you serve the alcohol incorrectly, it will only spoil the fun. Start with the drinks you need to make cocktails that you like and know how to make. Do you like Manhattan? Buy whiskey and red vermouth. And when you want something new, add other drinks to your bar lineup.

When choosing drinks for your home bar, focus only on your preferences and desires.

Useful tips on how to set up a home bar

When arranging a meeting for guests at home, or in a cafe or restaurant, you want the party to take place in a relaxed, homely atmosphere. Take this into account when you decide what your home bar should be like. Next, it is important to decide on the design of bar furniture. On the one hand, it should be combined with the interior design of the room, and on the other hand, it should stand out in it. This can be achieved, for example, by separating the bar with various partitions.

If you want to buy a wine cabinet, then most likely the classic one will suit you. This style is timeless, it is always relevant.

The size of the bar is determined by the area of ​​the house and the flight of your imagination. The bar can be made stationary, or it can be made mobile. A buffet or rack with bottles and dishes, a counter table and a place to sit - this is already enough for a bar. But you can, of course, develop the idea or, on the contrary, simplify it.

In a small apartment, it will be enough to have a place equipped for storing bottles and a small table. Well, if space allows, then you can allocate a whole room for a bar, placing in it cabinets with shelves, refrigerators, stoves, a coffee machine, various fixtures and bar accessories, a sink, an ice maker and other equipment and furniture.

A very convenient thing when there is a lack of free space is a mobile bar. This could be a small shelf on wheels or a cabinet that can even be placed on a coffee table.

Having solved the problem with furniture, think about what to fill the bar with. This includes drinks, dishes, various bartender accessories, and lighting. The following points should be taken into account:

• Vodka, cognac, gin, whiskey, vermouth and a couple of liqueurs should always be in the bar.
• Wines come as a separate item. You should not forget about them, but it is better to store them separately in a special wine cabinet.
• Don't worry about soft drinks - they are easy to find in any store. Take several juices, mineral water, syrup, and cola without fail. In addition, you should always have ice, lemon, salt, sugar, olives, and Tabasco on hand.
• Any bar can be decorated with a humidor with cigars. For the latter, purchase special scissors and matches.

Further, as they say, there is no limit on the path to perfection! You can significantly expand the range of drinks by placing on the shelves of your bar different types of whiskey (scotch, bourbon, single malt whiskey), cognac of different ages, Armagnac, Calvados, absinthe, different liqueurs (Jägermeister, Riga Balsam), schnapps and the like.

You can install a coffee maker in your bar and make wonderful espresso or latte. You can even install a beer draft (today there are installations for sale for home use for small volumes of beer). However, to make your bar look truly professional, we recommend getting some accessories that will last you a long time.

• Ice bucket. Ice is needed for cocktails, and in such a container you can serve a bottle of vodka or champagne. It is better to choose a model with a double bottom. Then the melted water will not accumulate, and the ice will remain drier.
• Ice tongs. It is correct to put ice in the dishes using tongs.



• Ice scoop. Performs the same function as tongs. The scoop will come in handy for parties with a large number of participants. It allows you to scoop up several portions of ice at once and then scatter it into glasses.
• Measuring cup - jigger. Experienced bartenders can do without it.
• Geyser. A nozzle on the neck of the bottle for uniform pouring of drinks in a thin stream. Geysers come in plastic and metal. Metal geysers look more solid.
• Shaker.
  A device for mixing cocktail ingredients manually. There are two types of shakers: European (standard) and American (Boston). The European one consists of three parts: a glass (the ingredients are placed there), a strainer (the contents are filtered through it before pouring the cocktail into the glass) and a lid. The second type of shaker is more spacious, but less convenient to use. It consists of two glasses - iron and glass. Through the transparent part you can observe the degree of readiness of the stirred cocktail. However, the shaker itself is more cumbersome and requires some training. For the Boston kit, you need to purchase a strainer - a strainer on a stick.
• Blender. This is an electromechanical tool designed for whipping drinks, mousses, and crushing ice. Some cocktails cannot be prepared using a shaker. In addition, using a blender it is easy to prepare crushed ice (for example, for a Margarita cocktail), fruit puree, and meringue.
• Bar spoon. It resembles a teahouse, but has a very long handle. This spoon is needed for stirring drinks in tall glasses (highball glasses).
• Bar knife and board. Useful for cutting lemons and creating decorations for cocktails.
• Pestle (mudler). This is a crusher for grinding spices and fruits directly into a glass. Used, for example, in making mojitos.

Interesting design ideas for minibars with photos and descriptions

In addition to the main types of bars, you can make other equally chic options. Many of them have excellent functionality and help store various things, including alcoholic drinks.

PHOTO: hipsterpride.me

To create such a bar for your home with your own hands, it is recommended to use reinforced plastic material. It is more rational to make a retractable tabletop for this design from wood of sufficient thickness.

A true connoisseur of alcohol is obliged to acquire a minibar for his home. It's stylish and very comfortable. In addition, this is a great opportunity to surprise guests with your collection of alcohol.

Often, home bars are styled to resemble familiar objects in the house so that they do not stand out too much from the interior.

Types of solid wood furniture for bar

• Open
  . These include all kinds of shelves and racks. Bottles with alcohol in them stand in plain sight, unprotected from sunlight. This bar can be used by placing bottles in it immediately before use. You can store whiskey, liqueurs, gin and cognacs in it for a short time; it is better not to store wine at all.
• Closed
  . These are the same shelves and racks, but closed with doors. In addition, the doors serve as protection against unauthorized access to alcohol for small children.



Such bars are usually made in the form of cabinets and buffets, characterized in that the shelves have dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of standard bottles. In addition, they provide convenient drawers for accessories and folding shelves that turn the cabinet into a miniature bar counter.

Often, bar cabinets are included in a set of furniture for a living room, office or kitchen. This allows you to keep all interior items in the same style. For example, most Italian kitchen furniture sets have pull-out shelves for bottles.

• Hidden bars
  . These include home bars built into various pieces of furniture. Usually these are coffee tables, armrests or backs of sofas and armchairs.



• Portable
  . These are the already mentioned models of mobile minibars. They are made in the form of various furniture elements (cabinets, tables, bedside tables), usually equipped with wheels.



• Wine refrigerator
  . Each group of alcohol has its own storage conditions. And if, for example, strong and medium alcohol (vodka, whiskey, cognac, liqueurs) can be stored for a long time in a fairly wide temperature range, then when storing wine (especially dry or sparkling) you must strictly observe the temperature regime (usually from +2 ° C to +12 °С). In this case, of course, you cannot do without a refrigerator.

Nowadays you can find quite a lot of models of refrigerator cabinets for wine. There are mono-temperature and multi-temperature cabinets with several sections for different drinks.

Some models, in addition to temperature, also maintain a certain air humidity. Such samples have special compartments for storing cigars. The design of bar refrigerator cabinets is also different. These can be units built into a set of kitchen furniture, separate cabinets, or mini-refrigerators inside a decorative bar cabinet.

• And if you take the matter very seriously, we recommend that you purchase a cabinet for bottles
  ,
  a bar counter
  and all the necessary accessories. The cabinet can be made in either a classical shape or in the form of a globe, a barrel, or a musical instrument, for example, a grand piano.

By the way, the material for solid wood countertops for a home bar can be:

• Fake diamond
  . Products made from it are resistant to moisture and mechanical damage, do not require special care and have a long service life.
• Natural wood
  . These countertops look stylish and expensive. They are durable and, if handled with care, retain their aesthetic qualities for many years.
• A natural stone
  . Due to its durability, variety of patterns and shades, this material is ideal for creating countertops.
• Glass or metal
  . The modern appearance makes these materials attractive for making bar countertops. They are often used in the manufacture of custom bars.