A home bar is more than just a piece of furniture, it is your space, your sanctuary and it is “the place where everyone knows your name”. There are many ways you can set up a home bar and I have a few tips and tricks along the way to get you started – remember don’t do it by yourself grab a mate and make a weekend out of it.

Choose your location
This will become the most important space in the house so make sure you pick the right location for your bar, we are going to tailor make this bar so it’s unique to you and you only. The games room or basement/garage are the best spots for this type of thing and you need to plan for at least 4 feet square in a corner – well it doesn’t have to be in a corner but you’ll find it will save space and time constructing it too.

Select a theme for your bar
Are you going to have a car theme with hubcaps and steering wheels? or are you more of a footy kind of guy so it will be more of a sports bar with all the memorabilia? Whatever you choose make sure it fits in with the overall decor of the room otherwise it will look out of place.

Set a budget
Make sure you know what you want to spend on the project before you get started, look around, ask for discounts and bargain for materials. Make sure you do this before you start so there are no costly surprises.

Plan your extras
Are you going to have the standard counter and liquor cabinet or are you going to go all out with a keg box, mini fridge, sink and water hose? Basic bars can do the job and look pro but make sure you plan to fit your budget.

Work on the design

Now it’s time to wake up the architect within you – everything must be drawn, outlined, plotted and sketched. Your measurements are fundamental spending 3 hours measuring will save you twice that rebuilding if its wrong. You want to make sure you have a set design in place so you start on the right foot.

Start by building the base

Use pressure treated two-by-fours to outline the base of your bar. Once this is done you want to cover this with three-quarter in plywood – this isn’t the finished product so don’t worry if it looks a little rough. Now you have the base you want to raise this skeleton bar to meet your desired height – bar height is important so make sure you have measure correctly. Knock up the structure with two-by-four pine boards, it doesn’t need to be fancy it is just the base and it’s not visible. Once you’ve got the wall structure in place erect the boards evenly and secure them with angle bars to ensure sturdiness. Make sure you lock everything into place, nice and tight.

Cover your base
At this point you have made a decision on your bar theme now it is time to cover the base with the material you have chosen to fit your theme. You will need glue and finishing nails to secure the material to the base. Shelving can be done with half-inch plywood and use a small wooden baguette to make a rail so there are no accidental breakages. Cabinet doors should be made out of the same material as your cover so you have the over all affect. If you are going all out with plumbing and electrical for your bar remember to have holes cut where necessary for these – licensed professionals should be called in for safety reasons to install these.

Counter top time

Granite and marble tops look the part but can be pricey, wooden tops do the job and can look great with the right stain. You also have synthetic materials that would do the job.

Finishing touches

It’s time to complete the bar with useful accessories: bar mats glasses, bottle openers, an ice bucket, coasters and most importantly a stocked bar. Now all you have to do is invite the boys around and enjoy your new space.