Types of Bar Cabinets and Furnishings: Choices for Your Custom Bar
Bar cabinets and furnishings help to set the mood and create the atmosphere you want for your bar. Whether you are looking to build a new bar or update your existing bar – at home or in a commercial setting – the options abound. And, the only way to bring the bar-of-your-dreams to life is to get an idea of the options available for customizing your bar’s cabinetry.
Learn everything you need to know about the different types of bar cabinets and furnishings available for designing your custom bar. Find out what factors play a role in making the best choices concerning your bar’s location, features, and design aspects. And, see what considerations go into choosing cabinets for a commercial bar, as opposed to a home bar.
How to Choose Bar Cabinets: Custom Cabinet Options for Your Homes Bar
Bar cabinets come in many shapes and sizes and serve a multitude of purposes – depending on the type of bar you want. If you are dealing with somewhat limited square footage, a small bar cabinet is a perfect addition to the room in your home in which you entertain guests. On the opposite spectrum – a large bar with many cabinets and storage features is a great choice for a custom basement remodeling project.
The choice of which bar cabinets and storage options best serve your project is based on your space, budget, and aesthetic preferences. For instance, stainless steel is high-quality and durable, but hardwood is more elegant and attractive for a prohibition-style speakeasy bar. But, stainless steel might be perfect for a sports bar in your man cave remodel.
What is a Bar Cabinet and Where Do They Go?
A bar cabinet is designed to function as a storage and display case for alcohol, glassware, and other bar essentials. On a traditional bar cabinet, the bar surface-top stands about as tall as your kitchen countertop, with storage and display cabinets stretching about 8 feet tall, directly behind the bar. Today, you can choose an all-in-one space-saving bar cabinet, or mix-and-match different types of casework to customize the perfect bar for your office, basement, kitchen, living room, dining room – or anywhere else.
Here are some of the most popular types of bar cabinets to choose from when customizing your personal or commercial pub, saloon, speakeasy, or cocktail lounge:
Corner Bar Cabinet – Space-saving with Small Capacity
A corner bar cabinet is just what it sounds like – often shaped like a triangle, as viewed from above. This type of bar often features cabinet storage space below the bar, as well as a wine rack or liquor display above the bar. Corner bars are a great all-in-one option for saving space while adding atmospheric value.
If you are customizing a bar in a space with limited square footage, corner cabinets save space. If you are designing a bar that spans two perpendicular walls, a corner bar continues your surface-top, making a smooth transition between bar cabinets. Whether your bar is confined to a corner, or merely spans a corner, it serves an invaluable aesthetic and practical function to the overall design of your bar.
Wine Cabinet
Everyone who loves wine dreams of having their wine cellar, but a wine cabinet is a dream that can be a reality in your custom bar. A wine bar or wine cabinet is, simply, a bar or cabinet customized to store and display wine bottles, glasses, and other bar implements. Wine bars and cabinets come in several variations, ranging from all-in-one space-savers, to lavishly finished displays for fine wine collections – and everything in-between.
A wine cabinet makes an elegant addition to your custom bar. Furthermore, it provides custom elements to display and store wine glasses upside-down to refrain from dust collecting in the glasses. They also feature specially designed racks for shelving wine bottles so as not to dry out the corks.
Hidden Bar Cabinets
Anywhere you don’t want alcohol displayed, a hidden bar cabinet is a perfect choice. Hidden bars or hide-a-way bars are custom-built out of another piece of furniture, like a dresser or desk. But, open up the top, and it is a secret bar, hidden in plain sight.
A hidden bar is a great way to save space and provide a subtle drink solution in any location. All the beautiful aesthetics of custom casework is on display, but, little do your guests know – until the big reveal. One thing is certainly true: a hidden bar will always get you compliments from guests.
Wrap-Around Bar Cabinet
The wrap-around cabinet is the central focal point to your custom bar, designed as the home-base for a mixologist. For intimate bars, a single wrap-around bar cabinet is all you need. And, for a bar that hosts many guests, simply extend the sitting area by adding bar segments on either side.
The wrap-around differs from other bar cabinets, in that the bartender serves guests from behind the bar. Guests see a front-facing bar of finished hardwood or smooth granite, while behind the bar, mixologists have access to stemware, wine racks, built-in coolers, and more. Your custom bar is a product of your imagination, and there is a custom bar cabinet solution to enable the vision of your bar. Want to start customizing your bar? Talk to a casework specialist to start bringing your custom bar cabinet dream to life.