Small Space Design: Bar Carts and Home Bar Area

This entire post began in my head when I saw this beautiful and strikingly different bar area today…

{ House Beautiful }

I love the use of Carrera marble with the Aladdin tile from Waterworks! I started to think that bar areas and bar carts have never really gone completely out of style.  Go into any home in Palm Springs or Rancho Mirage and you will find one.   They’re certainly making a resurgence in popularity here in Southern California, perhaps because our entertaining season is longer than normal and I think a stylish bar is a great small space ‘accessory’ to any home, particularly if you entertain.

You’ll need to keep a few things in mind, like whether you plan to wash your glassware in the bar area itself, how many people you’ll serve, and whether this space will be used for things other than entertaining.   For example, if you plan to use the area for things other than entertaining, a bar cart may be an ideal solution. If you plan to turn a small space into a built-in bar, you’ll need to consider different bar surfaces, whether you’ll have seating or whether this will be primarily a service area.

Whether you prefer a bar cart or a bar area, casual or elegant, here are a few ideas for designing and using this small space in your home…

{ Orange Bar Cart }

I love the simple elegance of this cart against the wallpaper on a wall that may have otherwise been wasted space..

{ Veranda }

I thought this was an interesting idea for a sun porch or outdoor area.  You don’t typically see them in such heavy or large scale…

{ Style Redux }

And this just looks perfect in this setting…

{ Wentworth }

A small space that may otherwise go unused may make for a great bar or beverage area…

This area in a Malibu home becomes an elegant coastal-inspired focal point with the bar area and driftwood mirror above it…

And this area was turned into a masculine focal point with the addition of wood and granite…

Just scrolling back through this post, I’m struck by how many ideas and styles there are for creating one for every personality. How about you, is it in your personality to create one in your own home?