Basements can serve several purposes for you and your home, depending on the size. A small basement is only useful for housing your heating and water utilities. Basements that have just a little more square footage can provide a practical solution for miscellaneous storage. But large basements have all the opportunity for expanding your family living and entertaining space.
It might seem easiest to give it up to the kids for an out of the way playroom that they can destroy, but there is a simple way to make your basement adult friendly too. Behold the basement bar. Adult friends and family will love hanging out in your basement, drinking cocktails and playing ping pong or watching the big game. Take a look at these 25 essential elements for your basement bar and your basement will be a constant source of entertainment all year long.
Awesome Design Elements For Your Basement Bar
1. Space Is The Magic Word
There are two must have elements to make a basement bar work for you: storage space and surface space. Installing a few kitchen cabinets in the basement is the perfect way to create a bar that is efficient in size and available space. Plus you get another spot to decorate and who can say no to that?
2. Install A Bookcase
Looking for simple and affordable storage for your basement bar? Go for a bookcase. All those shelves will be perfect for holding all your glasses and bottles and little signs with quotes about wine.
3. Store Items in Doorless Cabinets
Depending on your beverage consumption, you want to be sure you have the right kind of space for storing your bottles. Having a doorless cabinet for all of the hard liquors and another space for wine storage can make your basement bar look really professional.
4. Include A Counter With Seating
Seating is important no matter what room you’re designing, but in a basement, you want it to be especially inviting. Add a counter to your bar with stools to create the bar-like experience right in your own home.
5. Use Rustic Materials
Is your home a haven of rusticity? Keep those vibes going in your basement too. Build your bar out of rustic barn wood and avoid staining or sealing to keep that wonderful grainy texture. Bonus points if you get your wood for free.
6. Create A Bar Cubby
If you want to make your bar stand out, you want to have it set in. Build a little cubby or use one you already have to really highlight your basement bar as its own special area. Line with barstools and you have a space that’s a safe grownup hang out while the kids play beside you.
7. Embrace Open Shelving
Maybe you have the bar counter ready to go and you just have to figure out storage. Head to the hardware store and install some simple open shelves yourself. You can be filling them and styling them by the end of the night with just a screwdriver and an extra pair of hands.
8. A Drink Fridge is a Necessity
If you really want your basement bar to be efficient, you’ll want to splurge on some extra luxuries. A small fridge will help you keep drinks at their desired temperature and a sink will make cleanup simple and fast. Even just those two amenities will make your life easier before and after the party.
9. Mount a Backsplash
If you’re wanting your basement bar to have a more formal look, you must install backsplash. Backsplash immediately means business. You can have a wild party and easily wipe away splashes and spills after the guests leave. {found on woodinc}.
10. Incorporate Items That Are Already There
Many basements have cool exposed features like old wood beams and brick walls. Use those things to your advantage to give your basement bar some personality. Even the most modern bar will feel like it belongs to the house when it’s up against an old original brick wall.
11. Upgrade to a Kitchenette
Have you thought about making your basement bar more than only a bar? If you have guest quarters in your basement, consider adding an oven and large fridge to create a kitchenette alongside your bar accessories. It will also make hosting a breeze since you can do all of your prep where the party will be instead of running up and downstairs.
12. Make The Basement Bar Mini
Are you lamenting over your lack of floor space in your basement? A basement bar doesn’t have to take up even a whole wall. One set of cabinets and a wine cooler will provide you the perfect little basement bar that serves its purpose without taking up too much space.
13. Put Mirrors As The Back Wall
When it comes to creating a basement bar, it can be expensive to both construct and to stock with booze. But if mirrors are used as the back wall, this can help your bar to look like it has more bottles of liquor without breaking your budget. It can also help the basement to appear larger than it actually is, especially now that you have a new bar taking up space. In this bar built by Rescon Solutions, mirrors were mixed with a beautiful wood styling to give the basement bar a purposeful old-fashioned look.
14. Lighting Is Everything
Just like any other room in your house, the lighting you choose for your basement bar can change the entire look and feel of it. You can just use the recessed lighting found in your basement, but why not give the bar top its own special lighting like this bar in Metro Building and Remodeling that has three hanging lights over the bar top? This way you will have sufficient lighting to make and serve drinks, as well as play a card game or other light requiring activities.
15. Add a TV to your Basement Bar
What could possibly be better than watching sports with your friends from the comfort of your basement bar? Or you can plan a cheese and wine night with the ladies while enjoying your favorite rom com movie. Either way, if you install a TV in your basement bar you won’t regret it! It is also an easy way to decorate when you aren’t sure what to hang on the back wall. Just look at this basement bar by My Matrix Basement. It’s done so well you almost can’t even tell that this is a bar in someone’s basement!
16. Build In a Wine Rack
Speaking of wine and cheese night with the ladies, why not have a beautiful built in wine rack on your bar? This will allow you to store way more bottles than setting them on the counter, in the fridge, or on a shelf. Thus you will be able to keep something on hand for every one of your friends! Check out this basement bar on Basement Remodeling, in which the entire bar is presented as a wine bar, making it ideal for hosting the next ladies’ night.
17. Hang Your Glasses
When it comes to those especially small basement bars, space for bottles and glassware comes at an absolute premium. This is why you should consider installing a glass rack that will let you hang your stemmed glasses upside down. This will keep them off your precious counter space as well as make sure you can’t accidentally bump them with your elbow! This basement bar by Grothouse Wood Innovation has the right idea, as the wooden glass rack is built directly into the wooden bar keeping everything sleek and matching.
18. Add Signage
Basement bars need signage. A metal, wooden, or light up sign is necessary when it comes to tying your entire design together and giving your bar the atmosphere you want it to have. In this basement bar by Rescon Solutions, a light up sign was used to create a fun laid back atmosphere similar to that found in a sports bar. But don’t be afraid to get a more serious sign, or maybe even bring home an old sign from your local bar! You can even get a personalized sign with your name on it for an, especially cute touch.
19. Have a Themed Bar
Now if TVs and signage aren’t your things for decorating, you may think that you are limited to a simple wooden bar for your basement. This is never the case! Instead of dwelling on what you don’t want, feel free to ask for what you do want, even if that is a bar with a crazy theme. Take a peek at this sweet fire engine bar on Living Impressive. They decorated the cabinets like a fire engine, and removed a portion for the tire. What is cooler than that?
20. Get A Popcorn Machine
Usually when you think of a bar, you think of alcohol and other adult beverages. But for those with kids or teens in the home, it might be fun to make a basement bar following this idea from Message Note. Sure, it still has alcoholic beverages, but it also has a popcorn machine, as well as other kid friendly snacks for when they have friends over for a movie night. And popcorn machines come in lots of shapes and sizes so you will be able to find one to fit any size bar.
21. Decorate With Art
For the smaller bars like this one pictured on Mark Taylor Design, it’s especially ideal to decorate using modern artwork. This is because artwork can come in any size and can be used as a great way to set the mood of your basement bar. You can also experiment with different pieces of artwork to find a piece that works best with your specific décor theme. Artwork is great for decorating a larger bar as well, but just be aware that you may need more than one item!
22. Build an Under The Stairs Bar
Reminiscent of the prohibition era, this under the staircase bar by Decoist is a one of a kind. Not only does it use space you otherwise wouldn’t be using, but it also just looks cool! There doesn’t appear to be any seating at this particular bar, but this is something that would be easy to add if you wanted. Be careful as you pour drinks though, as you wouldn’t want to accidentally bump your head on the low ceiling.
23. Consider Your Counter Top Material
The coolest part about designing a bar in your basement is that you can design it to your exact specifications. Don’t forget that this includes the material you use for the bar top! Because your bar is in your basement, away from your kitchen, you don’t need to make it match, thus this is the perfect time to venture out and try something new. Look at this two-tone bar by Grothouse Wood Innovation featuring a beautiful maple wood bar. But if wood isn’t your style, marble, tile, and granite can all work great for a basement bar top.
24. Under The Bar Storage
In a restaurant or a real bar, a lot of the materials needed to make drinks are kept beneath the counter top to allow for a more cohesive look. You can do the same in your basement like this one in Outback Builders, and move all of your glass racks, even those hanging upsides down, beneath the counter. You can also store your larger bottle of liquor here that may not fit as well on the shelves. Add a basket of napkins and coasters to keep everything you need right within your reach!
25. Keep It Minimalistic
If having a bar in your basement is already enough for you, don’t overstress it, after all, bars can look great all on their own! This basement bar by Digs Digs only has a few low-key compartments to store glasses on the wall, but it pairs nicely with the white wood used to build the bar top. The stools are a minimalistic style, giving the room a lightweight feel. And the one flower at the end of the bar top is all that is needed to give off the message that this is one classy basement bar!
Whether you have room for a large bar, or just a small under the stairs bar, you will absolutely love all the fun you will have at your very own basement bar! And if you use one of the awesome decor ideas on this list, your basement bar is sure to be the favorite of the neighborhood. Just ensure that you decorate your bar to match your style and keep in mind what you plan to use it for, and you can’t go wrong!
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