Whether you’re installing a permanent home bar or simply adding a standalone drinks trolley to your living space, a dedicated spot for entertaining is always a welcome addition.
Razzle Dazzle
A standalone drinks trolley brings immediate glamour to a living space, and it proves a versatile number, too, if you don’t want a permanent home bar set-up. “Once you have styled the space with all the essentials – from barware to booze – a failsafe way to finish the look is to add in a few decorations,” says Rockett St George co-founder Lucy St George. “You want the space to sing and not be hidden away, so go as big as you like and let your bar take centre stage. Embracing a theme is the best place to start, whether that is considering a seasonal colour theme or curating your bar cart around your favourite cocktail.”
Disco ball drinks trolley, £195 (rockettstgeorge.co.uk)
Cabinet Meeting
The Chester bar cabinet from Andrew Martin is a stylish addition to living spaces, but one that doesn’t immediately scream home bar – until it’s opened up to reveal its mirrored interior, sensor activated LED lighting, and its deco inspired brushed brass stem racks. Ideal for intimate gatherings, the pull-down front doubles as a nifty surface for mixing drinks, while the unit’s grain-matched walnut exterior and solid walnut branch-like legs make it one aesthetically handsome furniture piece. But we’ll raise a glass to its functionality, too.
£2,295 (andrewmartin.co.uk)
Raising the Bar
A modern open-plan kitchen is often seen as the heart of the home. When it comes to hosting, then, it seems a natural fi t to double up on cooking and entertaining space: guests can prop up the kitchen island instead of the bar. Daval’s new half-height fitted furniture range includes the Salcombe Charcoal home bar, which comes complete with custom accessories like under-cabinet stem racks to safely (and decoratively) store wine glasses, ample shelving for tall bottles, and a mirrored backing, which awards the unit a slice of evening-ready glamour.
Daval furniture is made-to-order and made-to-measure with kitchens starting from £10,000 + vat (daval-furniture.co.uk)
Special Reserve
New research shows that some homeowners are willing to spend more on bespoke cabinetry for drinks and glassware than on a kitchen renovation, proving that the home bar trend is here to stay. Fitted furniture brand Neville Johnson’s offering includes handy hidden storage to keep your bar well-stocked; mirror backed shelving that gives decorative bottles and glasses extra sparkle; and even a nifty library ladder for when it’s time to reach for that 1988 Bordeaux you’ve been saving.
From £3,000 + VAT (nevillejohnson.co.uk)
In the Mood
If you’re dedicating a corner of the living room to a home drinks set-up, don’t forget to set the mood with ambient lighting. “A home bar is a statement piece,” says Peter Legg, lead designer at Där lighting. “Often people choose to section these areas by using an eye-catching wallcovering to define the space. Clear glass or crystal designs will let the design shine through and won’t distract from the focal point. If the wallcovering has a horizontal pattern, try to position the top of your light against a defined line to keep the flow.”
Nimbus 6 light pendant, £426 (darlighting.co.uk)
Winding Down
Serious oenophiles will need serious storage solutions for their growing collection. With space at a premium in the Capital, it’s little wonder the spiral wine cellar is a popular choice – not to mention an impressive status symbol. West London based Spiral Cellars offer fully bespoke subterranean wine storage, individually tailored to clients’ needs and available space. Naturally ventilated and providing the perfect cellaring conditions, they can hold up to 1,600 bottles. Chin chin!
From £24,550 (spiralcellars.com)
