Pete's Tavern

Create an Exciting Home Bar DIY

A home bar is such a popular do-it-yourself (DIY) project that every modern house should have. Improving your home is always a good thing to do. Bring the value of your home up and sell for above the going value. A home bar will bring out something new and fresh that makes you feel good. We have the best ideas for you to check out. If you want to improve your kitchen, then a mini-bar is something you should consider. Here we have another challenge, regarding the small apartments. These home bar ideas will amaze you!

If you are the type of person that enjoys having guests over, then these ideas will help you. Making your own mini-bar is not a hard task, even when facing the challenge of a small space. Once you’ve installed your new home mini bar, visit a winery to help you stock it with some local wines.

Something Old Now New

I love the idea of repurposing old furniture. As I was gifted my Grandmother’s upright piano, which I played for a few years with good intentions, I repurposed it.

Old piano repurposed

Now as you see from my photo I made it into a desk which I am using as I type.

I could have just as easily made it into a home bar. Like this piano bar I found on Pinterest made by Leighton Hurry.

Piano Bar

Flea Market Find

I’ll share my flea market find that I transformed into a small space home bar. The before pick is at the flea market, not bad at first look, but it needed some TLC. I was able to talk them down to $25.

Flea market find - DIY mini bar

I could have just sanded it down and painted over the old stain, but I saw something in the top veneer that I wanted to preserve.  As you can see in the picture above there was quite a bit of water damage. To see for sure what the top would look like once refurnished I wiped it with a cloth of mineral spirits. This will reveal the true beauty of the wood yet it won’t harm the wood.

I started by scraping of the top layer of finish dry, no goop, just a good scraper. It fleck off the top easily. Once I removed all the finish on the top with the scraper, I then used a fine grain sand paper to smooth it out.  I wiped it down with mineral spirits again to see how it looked. A couple of water spots, although not too bad.

The sides were not as brittle as the veneer so I used refinishing for the remaining pieces. This is a lot of work, especially the areas where there are beveled edges.

Refinish a mini bar cart

A couple of weekends later and I had the finish removed. Next step I re-stained the whole piece and mixed techniques of wiping off and leaving some areas on longer. I’ve never refinished anything before so I had fun testing the materials. I used a gel stain. I did have to reference some HGTV sites to get my steps done correctly. After the final coat of stain was dry I revealed the end result of this quaint little mini home bar.

DIY mini bar cart

I love how the faux leather book bindings color matches the red stain on my other furniture. It is small and out of the way and easy to move around by the 4 swivel wheels. The front door pulls down like an oven to reveal the goodies inside. The refinishing time was longer than expected yet I didn’t mind putting the work into this Flea market find mini bar cart.

Stocked mini bar cart

The view of the top of the veneer looks beautiful.

Bar cart top view

There are so many ideas you can find to create your own DIY home bar cart or an area in your home. I found some other great ideas to share with you below.

Enjoy these great ideas of small home bars that I hope will inspire you to do one in your home!!!

Home bar design layout

If you are interested in adding a custom home bar, make sure it has all of the essentials. This lovely home bar features cabinetry and shelving for your spirits, a small sink, and even additional hidden storage underneath. This project is more labor-intensive than temporary solutions, but it’s a great idea for anyone who wants a permanent home bar.

Home Bar

DIY home bar ideas

If you want something that feels intentional without undergoing a whole renovation, this idea is a great choice. Look for a standalone shelf that pairs well with your existing wet bar or cabinetry (a perfect match isn’t essential). This will provide a dedicated space for spirits that still feels in sync with your other decor.

Home Bar

We can’t get enough of this home bar. The sleek black paint and framed print backsplash give it a high-end cocktail bar feel. Painting your home bar a dark color is a cheap and easy way to give it a moody, luxurious feel similar to a real bar.

Home Bar

Home bar design ideas

What’s even better than a home bar? A nook in your home that’s perfect for relaxing and unwinding after a long day. This boho corner features a small bar cart decked out with the essentials and a few comfortable seating options for relaxing with a glass of wine or a mixed drink.

Home Bar

Adding a mirrored backsplash to the side of your home bar is a great way to give it that commercial feel and make the space appear larger. This home bar features glass shelving for barware and mirrored siding to give the illusion of more space. This is a great idea if you want to create a cozier look in a dining room corner or a butler’s pantry.

Home Bar

Small home bar

This lovely idea is perfect for anyone who lacks a lot of floor space but still wants to introduce a bar into their home. This wall unit has a mid-century vibe and is a great addition to a dining room or living room, wherever you entertain most.

Home Bar

Home bar ideas for small spaces

A bar cart is one of the easiest ways to add a home bar to any room in your house. We love a multipurpose bar cart that can easily display bottles, glasses while providing a workstation to mix drinks. The wine and glass storage underneath is an added touch. Be sure to stock with some local wines and visit the vineyards to have a story to go with the wine.

Home Bar

One of the best ways to create a workable home bar is to take advantage of all of your available wall space. This lovely modern home bar features a contemporary rustic wood wall shelving unit that has a small footprint but works well to store glasses and bottles.

Home Bar

Home bar ideas on a budget

We can’t get enough of this elaborate home bar. Not only is it super well-stocked, but we love the idea of repurposing a vintage dresser or desk to create a classic home bar. Install a few floating shelves for wine glasses and bar tools and you have a space perfect for any cocktail party.

Home Bar

This lovely home bar features silver and gold accents to help create a fancier vibe. Metallics are great accent colors for a home bar (ever wonder why so many bar carts are gold?) and a great way to experiment with them if you have an otherwise minimalist home.

Home Bar

Luxury home bars

One of the best ways to make your home bar feel luxurious and high-end is to add a small beer or wine fridge. Even if a totally built-in option like this one is out of reach for you, adding a mini-fridge next to your bar cart or table is a great way to make your space even more functional.

Home Bar

This home bar idea is classic, sleek, and perfect for a nook in a kitchen or even standalone in a den or living space. The leaning shelf is perfect for a home bar because it elevates any space and helps it feel a little fancier.

Home Bar

If you are a wine connoisseur then this home bar idea is probably a dream setup. Even if you can’t recreate such an elaborate wine vault in your own home, hanging a wine rack against a wall or adding a few stackable wine boxes can provide easy storage.

Home Bar

If you have space for a butler’s pantry, that can be a great place to repurpose and build a home bar. This beautiful home bar is tucked away where a butler’s pantry could go to create a wonderful space to store drinks and mix cocktails for your guests.

Home Bar

If the whole speakeasy vibe is your thing, you will love this amazing home bar. This impressive set up is perfect for entertaining friends or escaping to a separate space to wind down after work. Though it looks impressive, you can recreate the look with a few easy chairs, a built-in breakfast bar, and a bar cart or two.

Home Bar

If you can’t commit an entire room to your home bar, help delineate a shared space with the use of wall art. We love this home bar idea that features a mid-century dresser and a pink arch to give it a separate look and feel from the rest of the room and help it appear more intentional.

all photos shared on Pinterest

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