Think You Haven’t Got Space For a... Home Bar?
Serve your drinks in style from a compact version of the classic bar, such as a neat trolley, cool cabinet or chic tray
Few of us have space for a bar you can sit at and, in recent decades, the traditional home bar has been put out of business by the breakfast bars and islands many of us now like to perch at with our evening tipple. But serving cocktails from some form of dedicated drinks-mixing station, from a simple tray right up to a bespoke cabinet, is fun and pleasurable. So check out these ingenious ideas for compact, micro bars to suit even the tiniest of homes.
See more in this series: Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Garden I Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Boot Room I Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Walk-in Wardrobe I Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Home Office.
See more in this series: Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Garden I Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Boot Room I Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Walk-in Wardrobe I Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Home Office.
This beautiful drinks trolley tucks in neatly against a section of wall that would otherwise not be usable thanks to the radiator positioned there.
The trolley’s light design allows it to sit unobtrusively in front of the cast-iron radiator without totally obscuring it or blocking the heat (it would just need to be wheeled away before the ice bucket was filled!), while a vintage cabinet makes use of the wall space above.
11 common questions about radiators
The trolley’s light design allows it to sit unobtrusively in front of the cast-iron radiator without totally obscuring it or blocking the heat (it would just need to be wheeled away before the ice bucket was filled!), while a vintage cabinet makes use of the wall space above.
11 common questions about radiators
A drinks trolley will slot nicely into a chimney breast alcove, too. If you plan to leave it there, rather than wheeling it around your home, you can afford to load it up with lots of bottles, creating a well-stocked bar that still only takes up minimal space.
If you like plenty of worktop space for chopping limes and shaking cocktails, seek out a trolley with folding sides. It’s still brilliantly compact, but will offer a greater prep area than trad trolley designs.
Conceal in a cupboard
Tuck your micro bar away in a kitchen cupboard. Choose neat pocket doors that will disappear to reveal its shelves, drinks and glasses and make the ‘bar’ easy to use.
Reserve a portion of one shelf at a suitable height as drinks prep area, and use the others for storing bottles and glassware. A mini sink for rinsing glasses is another great addition for those intending to take their bar area seriously.
Tuck your micro bar away in a kitchen cupboard. Choose neat pocket doors that will disappear to reveal its shelves, drinks and glasses and make the ‘bar’ easy to use.
Reserve a portion of one shelf at a suitable height as drinks prep area, and use the others for storing bottles and glassware. A mini sink for rinsing glasses is another great addition for those intending to take their bar area seriously.
The previous bar in a cupboard was only a waist-height and above design, but this fabulous creation spans a full-height cabinet. You have to love the gold paint, funky light and tiered, curved shelves – very Jazz Age!
Repurpose an old piece
Create a mini bar in an old suitcase with its lid propped open. There’s obviously no room for a wagon wheel or horse brasses here, but that’s no bad thing! Instead, your drinks collection will have a nicely vintage feel. Fancy an Old Fashioned, anyone?
Create a mini bar in an old suitcase with its lid propped open. There’s obviously no room for a wagon wheel or horse brasses here, but that’s no bad thing! Instead, your drinks collection will have a nicely vintage feel. Fancy an Old Fashioned, anyone?
Go tall
Take a simple shelving unit and redesign it as a vertical bar. This piece has a strong, industrial feel, with a metal frame and wooden shelves that can happily support the weight of bottles and books for the quaffing connoisseur, or recipe books if the space needs to be multi-purpose.
Take a simple shelving unit and redesign it as a vertical bar. This piece has a strong, industrial feel, with a metal frame and wooden shelves that can happily support the weight of bottles and books for the quaffing connoisseur, or recipe books if the space needs to be multi-purpose.
Try a tray
Confining your bottles, glasses and ice buckets to a simple tray can create the illusion of a tiny but well-ordered bar. While leaving bottles out on a sideboard can look a bit half-hearted, lining them up carefully on an oblong tray looks purposeful and shouts ‘get your margarita here’!
Confining your bottles, glasses and ice buckets to a simple tray can create the illusion of a tiny but well-ordered bar. While leaving bottles out on a sideboard can look a bit half-hearted, lining them up carefully on an oblong tray looks purposeful and shouts ‘get your margarita here’!
Make your kitchen work harder
Give a portion of your kitchen a dual identity: by day, breakfast and hot drinks station; by night, bar! Open shelves allow glasses and bottles to easily be seen and grabbed once it’s no longer time for tea…
Give a portion of your kitchen a dual identity: by day, breakfast and hot drinks station; by night, bar! Open shelves allow glasses and bottles to easily be seen and grabbed once it’s no longer time for tea…
Slim down
Take the classic bar design, complete with bar stools, and pare it right back. Suddenly, you have something super-elegant that can slide into even a small space.
This bar is completely freestanding, so it looks more like a piece of delicate furniture than a solid feature. It was made bespoke and mounted on slim legs, which help it look light and unobtrusive. A simple shelf mirror behind gently references the mirrors often found in bars and pubs, but in a cool, minimal way.
Take the classic bar design, complete with bar stools, and pare it right back. Suddenly, you have something super-elegant that can slide into even a small space.
This bar is completely freestanding, so it looks more like a piece of delicate furniture than a solid feature. It was made bespoke and mounted on slim legs, which help it look light and unobtrusive. A simple shelf mirror behind gently references the mirrors often found in bars and pubs, but in a cool, minimal way.
Take to the shelves
Keep drinks, glassware and your favourite decanters displayed on simple shelves in a dedicated spot above a worktop. In-shelf lighting, glinting on the glass, will give a bar effect after dark. When cocktail hour arrives, simply take down the bottles and glasses and mix your drinks.
Discover 10 ideas for creating a clutter-free and multi-functional kitchen
Keep drinks, glassware and your favourite decanters displayed on simple shelves in a dedicated spot above a worktop. In-shelf lighting, glinting on the glass, will give a bar effect after dark. When cocktail hour arrives, simply take down the bottles and glasses and mix your drinks.
Discover 10 ideas for creating a clutter-free and multi-functional kitchen
Build into a partition
Make use of a partition or strip of blank wall to carve out a recessed bar. This slinky design benefits from a mirrored back, which gives depth to its shallow shelves and bounces light around, too.
Make use of a partition or strip of blank wall to carve out a recessed bar. This slinky design benefits from a mirrored back, which gives depth to its shallow shelves and bounces light around, too.
Adopt an alcove
Give a classic alcove a new identity by filling the shelves traditionally reserved for books and DVDs with an enticing mix of drinks and glassware.
This smart enclosed design has been backed with mirrored metro tiles for a glamorous touch that works beautifully with the brass lighting and rich, dark paintwork.
Have you tucked a micro bar into your home? Tell us how you did it in the Comments below.
Give a classic alcove a new identity by filling the shelves traditionally reserved for books and DVDs with an enticing mix of drinks and glassware.
This smart enclosed design has been backed with mirrored metro tiles for a glamorous touch that works beautifully with the brass lighting and rich, dark paintwork.
Have you tucked a micro bar into your home? Tell us how you did it in the Comments below.
A drinks trolley is an elegant piece of furniture that’s enjoying something of a style revival right now. And no wonder! Those slim lines and delicate casters are appealing and won’t gobble up space, plus a trolley can be moved around and parked up in an out-of-the-way corner when not in use.