Home Bar Considerations: An Essential Checklist

There’s a lot to consider before building up a home bar, and there are options to suit all styles and budgets. As with most home additions, the more thought you put into it at the front end, the more likely you’ll be pleased with the result. Grab a pen and paper and jot down a few notes as you work through the following questions (our thanks to kegworks.com for a few of these considerations):

Location

• Where will you locate the bar? (Ideally, it should be in the area where you do the majority of your entertaining)
• How much time will you spend in your bar area? Will it be basement bar used only for guests, or will it be the focal point of one of your main living spaces?
• Is there a bathroom nearby? If you’ll be entertaining regularly, it’s a good idea to have one in the general vicinity. If you’re putting the bar in the basement and there isn’t a bathroom, consider installing a half-bath as part of the project.

Time and cost

• Are you going to build it yourself or hire a professional?
• What is your budget? 

Structure

• How much storage area do you want? Glassware, liquor bottles, cocktail recipe books, bar tools and blenders all take up space.
• Will you be putting in a back bar or just some simple wall shelving behind the bar?
• Will this be a wet bar or dry bar? In other words, will you have a sink? If so, you'll need to run water lines and a drain system, you might want to get a plumber involved.
• What type of refrigeration will you need? You’ll want some way to keep mixers and bottled beers cold. If you’re a wine enthusiast, you might also want to install a wine refrigerator, which chills wines at a different temperature. Or you might prefer to create a wine cellar  as part of your project.
• Will you be installing a draft beer system? If so, how many faucets? (usually one or two is plenty) 
• Will you be including an ice machine?
• Will you need an exhaust system? (If there will be smokers around your bar, this is a must)
• Will you be adding a big-screen TV or entertainment center (see our section on Home Theaters ) Positioning these correctly is key.
• What kind of restrictions or obstacles are there? (for example, low ceiling height, sump pumps, oddly shaped room, water and drain lines, electricity, cable TV outlets)

Other details

• Is there a theme to your home bar? Funky tiki bar? Retro Hollywood glamour? English pub? Sports bar?  
• Do you have young children that you’d like to keep out of your bar area? You may need to incorporate a locking liquor cabinet into your design at a minimum; if children are very small tucking away your stools when you’re not there and adding a gate to close off behind-the-bar access may be adequate.