We often undermine the value of a basement in our houses and use it only to store useless and weary things. Basements, if properly utilized, can turn into a fantastic place to showcase your creativity. With a minimum expense and a little effort, we can convert our basement into any additional space we miss in our homes, be it a game room, a library, workshop, a personal office, or even a man cave. Utilizing a basement has many benefits as it is a low disturbance area and soundproof.
The basement bar idea is one of the best and most innovative ways to make your basement functional and light it up. So, if you want a small bar area in your house but are also in a dilemma about which corner to utilize, then definitely go for a basement, no matter how small your basement is. Be with us, and this article will significantly help you decide which basement bar idea is well suited for your house.
But first, let’s have a look at a few essential things to consider for a basement bar.
Things you can add to your basement bar to make it more appealing for you and your guests to hang out.
Proper lighting: Basements are dark places, and bars need ample light to showcase your liquor collection and make your drinks in the right proportion. Light is an essential component for the ambiance of a bar; you need to light up your bar with not just uniform lighting but a mixture of lights to highlight the details of your home bar. One can use numerous lighting equipment for designing a bar, such as chandelier-style lighting, Edison bulbs, LED strips, wall sconces, etc.
Ice maker: The ice maker is another very essential accessory for a bar. And it’s very important to have a proper provision for ice in the basement bar because, every time you run out of ice, you’ll have to run up to collect the ice, which can be a wrong impression on your guests and can be a mood spoiler too. You can have a freezer too but only if it has extra space for ice making because a normal freezer can’t keep up with the demand for ice when you are giving a house party.
A Sink: You can decide whether you want a dry bar or a wet bar; adding a sink to your basement bar is a matter of functionality and will require some sort of professional help. In the beginning, you can start with a dry bar and later on plumb in a sink to wash glass and other utensils; you can also add a dishwasher to your bar.
Entertainment Spot: Adding fun parts to your basement bar is another important aspect of making your bar pleasing to your guests. You can make your bar entertaining by adding any kind of sports equipment according to the size and space of your basement. You can add arcade games, a foosball table, a billiard table, or even a ping-pong table; if you do not have enough space left after placing the bar counter, then at least add a customized dart board to your basement bar.
Adding any one of the following sports equipment will not just enhance the look of your bar but also make it engaging and entertaining for you to spend more time with your buddies.
Bar equipment: If you are a drink enthusiast and want to experience different types of drinks and mixtures like cocktails, martinis, margaritas, mojitos, etc., you need to have proper bar tools to mix and measure drinks in the right manner and proportion. Some must-have bar tools are mixing glass, bar spoon, muddler, strainer, jigger, and blender.
Custom bar signage: Designing a home bar requires fascination, and if you want your home basement bar to reflect that fascination, you need to be creative with the designing aspect. Use custom sign boards engraved with the bar name on them and can also make it sassy by adding a bottle opener to it.
We have come up with some extraordinary basement bar ideas depending on various basement sizes.
Simple Wooden Basement Bar
This wooden bar idea is a simple design and is not very expensive to build. It is a DIY project for those who are good at wooden work and can also be made with a little bit of professional help. This wooden bar does not require much space, and you can spare enough space for additional entertainment in your basement.
The polished wooden bar top with a neutral background gives the bar a finishing touch; You also need to take every tiny detail of this bar into consideration, such as the custom open signboard, the glass holder, metal stools, a foot rail, which altogether makes this simple wooden bar look exotic.
Vintage Style Basement Bar
This throwback design of the basement bar is a bit high on budget and requires much space to build. The classy dark wooden theme with black chairs and illuminating sconces of this wet basement bar is sure to give you the Kansas city feeling. The glass shelves with mounted lighting will highlight your liquor collection; a TV in the middle will be quite a show when it’s Royals vs. Twins.
Modern Minimalist Basement Bar
With the growing trend of minimalistic houses, we have some of the most amazing minimalist bar ideas to apply to your homes. This neat and clean bar design is a perfect example of a minimalist wet basement bar, as the central theme of minimalism is its design, texture, and functionality. The wooden framing with smooth countertop and iron rod chairs gives the bar an elementary feel, and the glass shelves with mosaic tiles for a background feel like a real pub and look exquisite.
Also, an open cabinet with a glass hanger and geometric shelves for wine collection makes it a complete in-house bar for you to hang out with your mates.
Sleek Modern Minimalistic Bar
This sleek wooden cabinet corner bar is another example of a minimalist bar for your house. The dark wooden polished cabinets with mirrored shelves and mounted cabinet light look stylish and complete. This design can be used for homes with a small basement, and you can spare enough space to add a couch or any sort of sports equipment that suits you.
Whole White Basement Bar Idea
This white wet bar is one of the most relaxed and sophisticated basement bar ideas; this one might look like it will occupy a lot of space to build but it won’t. The white counter has blended right in with the wooden flooring, and the white metal stools also have a soothing effect with the neutral background. One significant advantage of using white color as your bar theme is that you don’t need extra lights; the recessed lights will be enough to illuminate your bar. Although you can add undermount lighting to these elevated countertops.
The cubic box liquor shelves with a dual splash of color are like the cherry on the cake, and you can always use wall hangings to give the bar a particular theme and own the space totally.
Saloon Style Basement Bar
This old-school bar setup is another excellent idea for a wet bar in a cellar. The sheer stonewall with an arched wooden counter and marble countertop gives a deep insight into the sharp taste of the owner. Although the entire theme of this bar is marvelous, the first and foremost thing that people walking down those stairs are gonna like and appreciate is those nice cool cowboy stools.
Then the cask in the corner makes this bar look like a complete saloon, with headlamps highlighting every tiny detail. One can add a poker table to this basement bar idea and make it an utterly retro design.
Man Cave Basement Bar
Man caves are the best place to spend your leisure time, and if your man cave includes a bar then it is the ultimate place to hang out with your friends on weekends. This basic man cave bar idea is simple to design and looks fabulous. The Semi-sanded wooden texture cabinets for storing glassware with the marble countertop is an excellent idea to go with wooden flooring. You can use these lighting ideas and the custom sign boards to illuminate and design your home bar most stylishly.
The advantage of using this basement bar model for your man cave is that you can spare a lot of space, and people usually fill their man cave with multiple gadgets. Like in this picture, there is also a refrigerator in the corner, a recliner, an electronic dartboard, a TV, and so on, which makes this man cave a complete package for your buddies to chill out.
Rustic-style Basement Bar
The old rustic design of a basement is the perfect place for setting up a bar, as it will look like the bar has also aged like the wine stored in it and the Stone walls with tree columns are a perfect blend like whiskey. You can take inspiration from this neat and clean design of a basement bar; the hardwood counter with swivel bar stools and glass shelves with mounted lights seems like a real pub in the basement. For entertainment, there is also a chess table by the wall and a couch for relaxation. Anyone walking down those stairs will have a hard time leaving this basement bar.
Classic Home Bar
This classic wet basement bar idea can be used for homes with large basement areas. One can use any texture to design their home bar, like in this picture, the wooden texture is used for cabinets, counters, leather bar stools and so on. The renaissance tin ceiling with wooden flooring and elevated counter with marble countertop has altogether forged this home bar like a complete city club.
Extra space always amounts to creativity, you can analyze from this picture how efficiently the area has been divided into two halves, with a bar on one side and a well-defined entertainment zone on the other side with a pool table, a TV, and a corner tables to rest your glass of wine.
Farmhouse Style Basement Bar
The sophisticated and compact design of this basement bar resembles the idea of a farmhouse-style bar. There is an array of wooden work we can use to design our basement bar. In the above picture, the polished wooden countertop and the custom wooden shelves have been designed perfectly to mix up with a neutral color background.
The most striking thing about this wet bar design is the mirror incorporated into the wooden shelf with glass hangers and under mount lighting. The perfectly placed mirror can create a vast look and give the place an extra window that looks exotic in itself.
Eccentric Basement Bar
This unconventional design is one of the coolest dry basement bar ideas. You can use this design to create a bar in the recessed area of the basement. One can use the above idea to lighten up their basement bar; the wall sconces have been ideally placed to highlight the customized rustic wooden background. The dark brown cabinets for storing glassware, a wine cooler for maintaining the appropriate temperature and elementary stools to give the bar the industrial touch are a few minor details that showcase the creativity and excellent choice of its owner.
One can also attach a coffee maker and other non-alcoholic beverages to your home bar in case there is a person in your group who does not partake.
Corner Basement Bar
If you are planning to set up a bar in your basement but the basement has a curved edge, and you are confused about how to utilize that space, then take a look at the above basement bar idea. The basic design of this curved corner basement bar is simple but very functional. You can find all the basic amenities of a home bar in this design, like a wine cooler, a dishwasher, and cabinets for storing extra glassware.
The curved and elevated counter with heightened dining stools has helped utilize the space properly and enhanced the look of this basement bar.
Ritzy Bar Design
In case you are fond of simplistic designs and you find comfort in them, then this neat and clean iconic bar setup is definitely for you. The dark brown counter with white laminate countertop gives a contrasting look to the bar and the eccentric floor plan is mixing right in with the background. The dark wooden cabinets have been perfectly mounted for storing glassware and glass shelves for placing your liquor storage in between; have a look at these great industrial bar stools and above-hanging Edison bulbs.
One can also acquire the idea of building a small toilet with their basement bar if there is a requisite amount of space left after setting up the bar and also if you are not tight on budget, because people will be definitely using it either for a washroom break or to vomit on every drunk night.
Recess Wooden Basement Bar
The scale of this sweet little luxurious basement bar design is entirely majestic. There is a range of wooden panels you can use to design your basement bars, like in this picture you can see how effectively the beadboard panels are used to create the counter and background wall. The curved counter with base marble and elevated glass countertop is an adorable combination.
Although this bar design looks small in size, there is enough space available for setting up all the amenities of a bar, wooden cabinet, and open glass shelves for showcasing your collection of liquor. You can also use these recessed lighting for a similar beam structure to give your basement bar an aesthetically pleasing look.
The reason behind showing all these different styles of basement bar ideas is that every house has its own structure and so the basements in every home can vary in size, space, and structure. Going through this article, you might be able to figure out which of these designs fits right for your basement to be converted into a mini bar.
Portable Basement Bar Ideas
In case your basement is already occupied or there is very little space left for setting up a bar in your basement, then you can use a portable bar as an option. One big advantage of using a portable bar is that one can shift it wherever needed, like when you are hosting an outdoor party in the garden area or in the backyard of your home.
Cabinetry Bar
This fully functional cabinetry bar is a great example to consider if you are looking for a portable bar as an option for your basement. Just a glimpse of the above picture is enough to comprehend the amount of expertise put into building this ideal concise portable bar.
Side cabinets for storing glassware and other bar equipment, mounted wine glass hangers and geometric shelves for liquor storage also the stainless steel surface to prepare your drinks in a professional manner; keeping consistent with all these tiny details makes this concise portable bar design an extraordinary piece of craft.
Professional Portable Bar
This cool professional portable bar is another option for those looking for a concise bar to fit in their basement. Keeping in Mind the professional aspect of this mobile bar, special consideration has been given to durability and structure, the heavy-duty steel rods have been used to frame this detailed structure.
There is enough space for holding all the bar amenities also the sections are divided elegantly, a tray for holding liquors, ice box in between, paper cup holder, a towel hanger, a base tray for storing extra drinks or other non-alcoholic beverages, and a nice finished countertop. Also there are wheels attached for easy moving this professional bar; you can use LED strip lights to give this bar a neon theme.
Treasury Box
This is one of the most stylish designs in portable bar options, the trunk-shaped design of this bar is sure to make your guests envious. This is an ingenious design for a mobile bar as nothing is sort of missing for it to be called a modern contemporary bar. Beautifully designed bottle holders, drawers for keeping extra bar equipment, wine glass hanger and there is also a wooden slab provided for preparing your drinks. All these facilities come within this treasury box, ready to pack and move anywhere you want.
The Infamous Bar
This trolley-style portable bar globe is another efficient option for those looking for a really concise option for their cellar. The hand-furnished wooden design of this globe bar is efficient for people who love to enjoy their time in close company or with a small group of friends.
Impress your guests with this vintage-style 16th-century globe bar provided alongside a serving tray and a base shelf for extra storage and a metal plate used in the interior of the globe for maintaining the temperature of the drinks. Also, there is enough space for holding a couple of glasses and your bottle of liquor for the evening.
Final Thoughts
These are a few examples of optimum bar designs you can use to create a basement bar for yourself. Keeping in Mind the various size, spaces, and structures of the basements, we have come up with a range of basement bar ideas to choose from.
If you want a full-fledged bar for your basement and also your basement has the requisite amount of space available to be converted into one, then you can choose any one of the above-mentioned designs. But in case your basement is already occupied or else after converting your basement into a man cave, a workshop, a personal library, or anything else you want to add a mini bar to it, then you can use one of the portable bar designs and add a mini fridge or ice maker with it and your cellar bar will be ready to enjoy.
Please leave your comments if you find this article of any use in designing your own basement bar. Thank you, and drink responsibly.
