Home Bar Styling Tips Borrowed from a Charleston Interior Designer

Home bars are a great space for entertaining and socializing. Depending on your home’s layout, you can dedicate an entire room to your home bar, or you can opt to tuck it into your kitchen or dining space. To help elevate your home bar, our Charleston-based interior design team at PRD Custom Homes design-build firm has put together our favorite styling strategies to use when working with home bars. Follow this home bar styling guide to create an inviting atmosphere and seamlessly incorporate your personality into your interior design.

The Prime Location

A bar is a great addition to any home, creating a welcoming atmosphere of hospitality and warmth. Install your bar seamlessly into your space in a central location during your home renovation or new build project. Your home bar should be the focal point for dinner parties and hosting events. PRD’s interior designers typically recommend two primary placements for a bar if you are in the process of building or renovating: 

1. Install an at-home bar beside your main living and/or entertaining space.
With this bar placement option, your guests will not have to stray far from the entertainment to make themselves a mule or mimosa. This placement also makes for a seamless transition from the living room to the eating space, allowing for conversation and guests to flow from room to room. 

2. Install an at-home bar in your kitchen.
One of the most traditional locations for a home bar is in the kitchen. Consider adding an island or peninsula to your current counter design to accommodate a bar in your new build or home renovation plans. Our interior design team also recommends a built-in home bar in your kitchen for easy access while cooking and entertaining.

3. Use a separate room altogether for a home bar.

When planning the design for a more secluded bar area, consider creating a dedicated space that is separate from the main living areas of your home. By incorporating a home bar into a separate room as part of a new construction project or home renovation, you can establish an intimate entertainment space that offers a cozy hosting atmosphere.

Choosing the right location for your home bar is an important step in the design process. The right location will ensure your parties and events run smoothly and bring a sense of inviting hospitality to your home. 

At-Home Bar Styling & Storage 

A home bar requires plenty of storage for drinkware, bar tools, wine and spirits, and other home bar essentials. We suggest using glass shelving or open shelving displays for your glassware and bottle collection to showcase your “bar personality.” Open shelving allows you to show off your taste, whether it be statement martini glasses or simply high-end crystal rocks glasses. This is just another avenue of making your bar feel yours.

For items that are used less frequently, or are simply a bit less aesthetic, (think cork stoppers, stirrers, etc.) our Charleston interior designers suggest installing cabinets and drawers underneath the counter of your home bar. This helps keep the space clutter-free while keeping bar items easily accessible. Curated horizontal surfaces are key to achieving an optimal bar aesthetic.

At PRD Custom Homes & Interiors, our Charleston interior design team often uses wine racks as a stylish and functional storage solution in our client’s home bars. This can allow you to store and showcase your wine collection above or below the bar. For those requiring additional space, we also recommend the inclusion of a wine fridge as an excellent storage option. For an added bougie touch? Consider an ice drawer.

Tie Your Personality Into Your Bar Styling

Let your personality and taste shine through your home bar’s design. Though this space may be small compared to other areas of your home, it is an excellent place to incorporate colors and patterns that represent your style. 

• The latest interior design trends include vibrant and eye-catching backsplashes with unique patterns and finishes. Our design team often suggests using your backsplash to add depth and character to your home bar. Bold wallpaper and murals are two other elements that can be incorporated as well. These pops of color, style, or patterns will also help your bar area stand out from the rest of your living or dining space. 
• Another great way to personalize your home bar is by integrating interesting or bold artwork. By carefully selecting and displaying art and wall decor, you can create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere in your at-home bar, even when it’s not in use. This approach allows you to infuse your style into the space, making it feel unique and welcoming. 
• Bar accessories, tools, and adornments are excellent ways of incorporating more personality into your home bar design. You may choose to display family decanters, unique wine stoppers, or statement coasters to add to your bar’s color palette, serve as a decorative accent, or simply showcase additional personality. 

As with any new build or home renovation project, be sure to incorporate design elements that reflect both you as well as your family and friends. Play with colors, art, and accessories when styling your home bar to ensure the space mirrors your taste. 

Ambient Lighting 

After all the hard work you’ve put into styling and designing your home bar, you’ll want to showcase it with beautiful ambient lighting. When it comes to lighting styles, the options are endless. Our interior designers are some of Charleston’s best and have worked with a vast variety of lighting styles. Below are a few of our favorites for the home bar area: 

Recessed Lighting

Our Charleston-based interior designers often recommend recessed lighting below the shelving and cabinetry of a home bar. This lighting effectively illuminates the workspace, highlights storage displays, and creates a warm atmosphere. Two options are available: strip and puck recessed lighting. Puck lighting serves as a spotlight and is good for task lighting, while strip lighting provides more even lighting and can run through the bottom of the cabinetry. The key to choosing between the two options is deciding how much light is needed.

Sconces

Another option to consider is to install sconces on the walls of your home bar. Sconces bring a timeless aesthetic to the design and do an excellent job of providing soft, ambient lighting to the space. With their understated elegance, sconces elevate the overall look and feel of your home bar.

Pendant Lighting

For bigger bar spaces, PRD’s interior designers in Charleston recommend unique pendant lighting as well as chandeliers. These fixtures add a touch of elegance and flair and can elevate the entirety of your interior design based on their style and finish. 

Interior Design Tips For Your At-Home Bar Styling

A home bar can be the perfect centerpiece for dinner parties and hosting. To recap, during your bar design process, we recommend elevating your project by considering:

1. Location

2. Smart storage solutions

3. Showcasing your personality

4. Highlighting the design with ambient lighting

At PRD Custom Homes & Interiors we strive to bring your interior design dreams to life. By incorporating your personality, taste, and preferences into the design process, our Charleston-based interior designers create the home of your dreams. If you are located in Charleston or the greater Lowcountry area and are ready to transform your home with our design-build firm, reach out to our team today!