Entertaining in Style

If you have a spare corner in your home, why not consider turning it into a coffee, wine or cocktail bar? Once upon a time, having a bar area meant converting an entire room. Over the past years, we've all been spending more time at home, allowing us to reevaluate how we're using existing spaces. Converting a small area into a home bar or coffee station is the perfect way to utilize an empty spot.

A home bar can be integrated into a range of rooms — kitchen, hallway, dining room, finished basement or living room. Closets, alcoves under stairways or other niches can easily be adapted as a bar, coffee or wine area.

These bars are the perfect places to express your personality on a small scale. Dark colors, bold wallpaper, unique backsplashes, statement lighting: the sky is the limit. Add a small beverage refrigerator, a countertop on which to mix cocktails or pour your favorite glass of wine, and your home bar is ready to go! You don't even need a sink.

Creating this new space is an intimate, fun way to entertain guests at home. It's also an excellent way to display a wine, bourbon, or liquor collection, along with fancy glassware. In addition, the trend towards craft cocktails has led many homeowners to experiment with recreating them at home, making a mixology area a practical necessity. Another bonus? Many home bars do double-duty as coffee bars during the day.

Instagram influencer Christina of @GlamFarmhouse created a beverage station in the corner of a kitchen. Previously the space was used as a drop area with a small bench. As Christina expanded her kitchen, she decided to put this spot to good use as a coffee bar and beverage station. The Hinton wall sconce with its articulating arm is a popular choice for beverage stations. The fixture's arm is adjustable to various angles, allowing for the perfect multi-directional task lighting. Both the Hinton wall sconce and the generously sized Chastain pendant over the dining table are finished in a trendy matte black, lending definition and substance to the space.

In this coffee bar designed by Fridley Custom Homes, the Hinton swing arm sconce features a seeded glass shade, giving it a lighter feel that's appropriate against the white tiled backsplash. Yet the wall light's matte black finish offers a grounding touch, as do the smooth wood shelves and rustic wooden decor pieces.

Image Credit: Eric Lucero

Possibilities for Design, an interior design firm in Denver, CO created this bar for home builder Toll Brothers. The dramatic feature wall of rustic wood and heavy reclaimed wood open shelving make a statement focal point for the bar space. The wood paneling is repeated on the island, giving a cohesive look to the design. The Surfrider pendants from the Point Dume™ collection by Jeffrey Alan Marks are coated in a galvanized metal finish with a light, bright white interior. The stunning finish adds to the rustic feel of the bar while adding a sophisticated, artistic style.

Inspired? Shop lighting for your home bar here.