Dining room bars and islands are coming back in a big way lately. If you can afford the space, they can be a great addition to your kitchen. They offer another seating area, another place to eat, another place to prep and sometimes another place to store items. Plus, they offer a place to do everything else you would do at a table: work, study, doodle, etc. They make for a very practical but also very stylish addition to any kitchen. But how would you go about it? There are so many variations. What do you need to do to make a dining room bar work? We explore here.
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Use Your Wall Space
A bar or island is going to take up space in your kitchen, which can be useful if you’ve got a large kitchen that might look a little empty without it, but any storage it provides is on top where everything is on display. And considering you need the flat surface to eat, prep and everything else, that leaves a lot of things that need storing out in the open.
You can install a bar or an island that incorporates cabinets for storage, but there is also the option of using up your wall space. If you have any empty wall space around the bar, consider installing shelves or cabinets to store anything you need in the kitchen.
Use the Smaller Options
If your kitchen is too small to accommodate an island or a bar, there are other ways you can incorporate a bar into your home. You can create your own wall-mounted bar in a little nook, the same way you would install a shelf. You can also create a multi-functional bar with a surface on top of a bar trolley. Take the wheels off so it’s stationary and fix a top to it and you’ve got a bar. The top can even have a drawer for even more storage.
There is even the concept of a foldaway bar, which turns into a piece of art when it’s hanging on the wall or a simple table when it’s taken down. If you’re looking for cheap furniture, this is a good option.
And there is even the option of a slimline bar. Not as bulky as traditional bars, you can go slimmer and fit it into a smaller kitchen.
Use Dining and Drinks
A bar can be very multifunctional. It can be a place to eat, to prepare food, to present food, but it can also do all those things for drinks.
If you consider yourself a fan of cocktails, you can display all your fanciest bottles on the bar, along with a trusty shaker, or if you’re more of a wine connoisseur, you can install a wine rack underneath for all your bottles.
Your bar will become the hottest place to be where you can truly invite people over for drinks, and make it feel like an event rather than the hassle of a big meal.
