HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT BAR FOR YOUR ENTERTAINING NEEDS!
Home entertaining is a trend that is quickly becoming more popular, and an increasing number of people are coming up with ideas on simple, convenient and sophisticated ways to entertain guests. It is more personal, less expensive and a lot more fun than going to a bar or a restaurant.
Having a wine and spirits bar in a den or living room is now becoming a common application in designing rooms, especially in houses, lofts, and condominiums. The convenience of having everything in one place - from stemware to wine openers and accessories - has been a popular reason for this. There's no need to leave guests in the middle of a conversation to get something that could be easily within reach in the same room! Also it can be a focal point in the home for gathering and dazzling your guests!!
Depending on the size of the room or the preferred bar size, there are options you may want to consider in choosing the right bar for your home. Following are a few considerations, that should be taken into account when shopping for a home bar:
CONSIDER THE SIZE OF YOUR ROOM
- Check on the dimension of the bar itself and compare it with the space you are looking into placing it in.
- Make sure you will have room to move and allot space for additional supplies, if necessary. Some people take into account space for their bar fridge or cooler. While some home bars are built to accommodate this, it is best to check into bar fridge space as well.
- Check on height clearance. The standard bar height usually goes to about 40" to 42" in height; should a bar have a counter top, it will usually be 36" in height with a backsplash the goes up to 6". Make sure there will be enough space between the bar height and any overhead or over-the-counter clearing.
- A favorite type of bar for small spaces such as condos or small dens are the expandable bars that are compact and foldable for space saving purposes. These will usually function as storage for your bar accessories as well so you won't have to store them on separate places, which will actually defeat one of the purpose of having the home bar.
CHOOSE YOUR FINISH
- Home bars come in a variety of finishes to match your room theme or decor, most popular of which are black and cherry finish. However you can go for a modern look if you prefer and choose other materials or finishes.
- Depending on your personal taste, check your room to match or create a contrast to make the bar stand out, and become a center point for gathering.
- Some will consider look longevity, too, and will opt for a more classical finish.
THE RIGHT MATERIAL
- Determine what the home bar will be specifically used for.
- Indoor bars are usually made of materials that will not hold well in open areas such as gardens or patios. Find out what they are made of and if they can be used for any environment setting.
- Outdoor bars are specially made of materials that can withstand weather conditions such as extreme heat, rain or snow. Some are foldable or have covers to protect them.
YOUR PERSONAL STYLE
- Because the home bars have increased in popularity, more and more manufacturers have come up with designs to suit everyone's personal taste, from the classic, to contemporary, to modern, and even to the most outlandish style there is.
- Consider what look you are going for and imagine how they will look like in your room. While at it, imaging how your party or lifestyle will look like with that particular home bar.
FIND YOUR HOME BAR SEATING
- Nothing makes for a perfect home bar setting than a bar with matching stools!
- While the obvious choice to match stools with the bars will be its major finish, consider the bar stools' accents, too, as your focal point in matching them.
- Bar height stools will range from 28" to 32" in seat height. Note that most products will indicate its overall height which accounts for the bar stools' back rest.
- For a bar with a 36" high counter top, consider counter stools whose seat height will range from 24" to 27". As with the bar stool, most product dimensions will indicate overall height, taking into account its back rest.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT ACCESSORIES
- Whether practical, or for decoration purposes only, accessories can greatly improve the look of your home bar, and provide the perfect complements that will make your life easier when you are entertaining, and will generate compliments from all your friends.
