Trending Now: Home Bars, Big & Small
From carts to custom-built wet bars, at-home bars are the new entertaining zone.
With the holiday season up us, we rounded up some of our favorite at-home bars from the H&H archives. “There really is something special about being able to enjoy a bar experience right in your own home; it makes the everyday feel extraordinary,” says Louis Duncan-He of his clients’ basement lounge. Scroll down for some of our favorite looks!
A facetted Caesarstone bar in the 2023 Princess Margaret Show House is set up for tastings, and is close to a generous wine fridge.
In this Muskoka cottage, a party-ready fluted bar is perfect for after hours entertaining. The U-shaped bar squeezes in plenty of seating, and allows lots of elbow room for the bartender.
The bar is topped by a cool preserved moss installation that Louis Duncan-He designed himself. On winter evenings, they enjoy manhattans with bourbon-soaked cherries and godfather cocktails with homemade amaretto. Says one owner: “There really is something special about being able to enjoy a bar experience right in your own basement; it makes the everyday feel extraordinary.”
In this Muskoka cottage guest house, a hidden bar is backed by a bronzed mirror, for a secretly luxe “cabinet of curiosities” feel.
In this Muskoka boathouse, the downstairs bar has a pass-through with pocket windows for serving snacks and bevvies to guests outside. “The porcelain tile feels very ‘Italian café,’ and it’s also weatherproof,” says designer Anne Hepfer.
“We have three bars in the house, and everything is always stocked,” says designer Philip Mitchell of his Chester, Nova Scotia home. “We love classic martinis, but we have anything from champagne to Chablis on hand to keep our guests happy.”
A wet bar designed by Brian Gluckstein for the 2022 Princess Margaret Showhome features restaurant-grade hidden appliances and a graphic Caesarstone tiled floor.
An antique bar cart in a dramatic library by designer Colette Van Den Thillart.
Designer Brian Gluckstein tweaked the concept of a formal library in this showhome and made it a social hub with the addition of a long bar set on a high console. “Libraries are not a necessity,” he says. “We’re more fluid in the way we work with laptops on sofas now. This is a much cooler take on the library.”
Integrating your bar into your pantry area is a natural fit. The glass fronted cabinets framed in walnut contrast with the white kitchen.
In the 2020 Princess Margaret Showhome, designer Sarah Baeumler created a high style speakeasy on the lower level. There’s no need to run up to the kitchen — this hardworking hub has everything you need: a full-size refrigerator, pantry, dishwasher, wine fridge and ice maker.
You won’t be missing cocktail hour at a buzzing downtown bar when you see the luxurious basement in this country house, that includes a dining room that seats 30, a lounge with a glamorous wet bar, plus a hidden catering kitchen.
If you’re hosting an alfresco gathering, a covered patio with a wet bar makes entertaining easy. A double sink, woven storage bins and plenty of open shelves are perfect for prepping a BBQ or summer cocktail hour.
Perfect for small spaces, a vintage bar cart on wheels adds a touch of glamor to a front hall. “I can roll it to wherever it’s most convenient, store extra wineglasses and set a vase of fresh flowers on top if there’s space,” says homeowner and Tonic Living founder Janine Morrison.
Inspired by old apothecary cabinets, this forest green bar area has vintage charm. Spirits and bitters are stored conveniently above the wine fridge, while an ice maker is concealed behind false cabinet fronts for a seamless look.
In this galley kitchen, a designated bar zone with a full-sized wine fridge makes the most of the compact space. “Open shelves can be styled with framed art and small sculptures to help personalize the kitchen and take it beyond its everyday function,” says designer MaryLynne Meschino.
No room for a built-in bar? No problem. Opt for a leggy, mid-century modern-style bar cabinet for a retro-cool vibe.