Host happy hour at home! While many enjoy heading out for a few libations, there’s something incredibly intimate about creating your favorite cocktail in a space that’s tailored to your own personal style and your own company. Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about the drink you’re having, but the experience you’re creating. As designer Corey Damen Jenkins told FLOWER, “I think of a home bar as one of the most personal elements in a house: it’s where entertaining, ritual, and a bit of theater all come together.” 

Nowadays, it’s quite common for homeowners and designers to add a home bar to their renovations. Designer Nina Long notes that whether you’re indulging in a bar cart or a custom cabinet, it’s all about balancing beauty with functionality. “Thoughtful storage, unique lighting and a mix of antique and new art and accessories creates a space that feels inviting long after the cocktails are poured. We always encourage clients to display meaningful collections, beautiful glassware and heirloom pieces rather than hiding everything behind closed doors,” she told FLOWER. 

And by all means, you don’t need an entire speakeasy under your house or the biggest kitchen on the block to create a functioning and fashionable home bar. You just need a little bit of space and to tap into that creativity.  

Pick a few pieces of inspiration from the pages of FLOWER to get your ideas going. 

Wet Bars

In this secret speakeasy designed by Corey Damen Jenkins, mirrors, reflective finishes, and organic motifs such as the Gracie wallpaper visually defy the feeling of a closed-in, windowless room. “Going light and ethereal achieves a ‘Jedi mind trick’ that makes the spaces feel taller and airy and invites people in.”

See more of this thoughtfully designed space from the Atlanta Showhouse. 

This 1918-Palm Beach house went through a hodgepodge of renovations, but designer Ellen Kavanaugh says this cabana bar is one of the coolest rooms in the house.  She used hammered brass and layers of color to welcome guests with some old Florida charm. 

See more from the Palm Beach makeover.

The best thing about your own bar? You get to make your own rules. A simple yet chic countertop with a few decor pieces and bottles of your favorite bubbly will do just the trick. Designer Julie Dodson used a Fromental wallpaper to really bring in a glamorous and sophisticated feeling to the area.   

See the full dressing room and east gallery from the Atlanta Showhouse.

On her farm in Texas, designer Denise McGaha created a wet bar utilizing the barn’s original sink. The window features a Roman shade made with Denise’s Berrymore pattern, an homage to her late grandmother and the blackberry vines she grew.

See more from “Home on the Ranch.”

Antiques are layered alongside new pieces in this Charlottesville, Virginia house, adding to the home’s character and charm. Designers Lisa Sokol and Sarah Johnson worked a little outside of the box, using a Walker Zanger countertop crafted from old Heineken bottles. And brass accents reflect the glassware against an antiqued mirror backdrop for a fun and fanciful space. 

See more details from the Virginia home. 

“I was inspired by a recent trip to Tangier. I wanted this room to feel like you are in an emerald,” designer Mark D. Sikes told FLOWER. This bar is a a high-impact space lacquered with Benjamin Moore’s “Nile Green.” Sikes commissioned decorative painter Joseph Steiert to reference its graceful arches with embellishment on the walls and ceiling. The cabinetry is accented with brass hardware and brass shelves which hang from the ceiling, adding great open storage.

See the full salon and bar from the Nashville Showhouse.

Don’t be afraid to show off your space with a bit of a grand entrance. This morning bar features an elegant and fashion-forward aesthetic with rich hues, fabulous florals, and even sculpture-like fixtures.  

See more of Corey Damen Jenkins designs for the morning bar and speakeasy in the Atlanta Showhouse. 

For a homeowner that loves classic color, wallpaper from Meg Braff Designs and cabinetry painted “Hudson Bay” by Benjamin Moore bring distinction to this bar.  

See more of Mallory Mathison’s designs from this Georgia home. 

At this home in Rye, New York, the bar room is a strong contrast to the rest of the house. It’s where the homeowner loves to sit with a glass of wine and do the crossword puzzle after a long day of work. The paint color, Heritage Red by Benjamin Moore, was a nonnegotiable for him. There’s always fresh firewood on hand and everything needed to mix a cocktail. Tucked beside the fireplace and surrounded by antiques, the bar strikes a balance between sophisticated style and a comfortable, lived-in feel.

See more of this home makeover in “Libby Smith Coming Home.”

Don Easterling and Nina Long of Mathews Design Group went bold with glossy blue cabinets and soapstone countertops in the bar area. “We were channeling a little Miles Redd by infusing this striking color in an unexpected, small space,” says Nina. “It draws people in, which you want when entertaining.” Inside, Schumacher grass cloth wallpaper offers a textural contrast to the sleek cabinets painted Benjamin Moore’s Newburyport Blue. The small space opens up to the large living room, which provides a fun contrast with its softer, more subdued palette.

See the full makeover in this Atlanta home “Stylish Sophisticate.”

Everyone loves a poolside bar or cabana. In this case, interior designer Kara Adam used the same wallpaper from the pool house bath in the bar for a sense of continuity. A complementary Moroccan tile forms the backsplash with shelves holding dishware at the ready. 

See more of this artfully designed Dallas home here. 

Bar Cabinets, & Carts

“The bar cabinetry is sleek with a flat front,” designer Ashley Gilbreath told FLOWER. “We added a panel-like trim with paint and fun hardware by Modern Matter. The bar’s doors can be closed for every day and opened when entertaining.”

Checkout the rest of the living room from the Baton Rouge Showhouse. 

For Chrissy Ritter, the former senior designer for Charlotte Moss, decorating is about storytelling. She finds herself drawn to pieces that hold previous life and objects with history. Benjamin Moore’s “Lambskin” provides a warm backdrop for the vintage bamboo cabinet from Chairish that doubles as a bar. Gloriosa lilies fill a bamboo bud vase from Mecox Gardens, while a woven wicker tray from Gilt corrals plenty of bar accoutrements.

See more of Chrissy’s creative space.

Actor Bryan Batt knows all about hosting a party that’s laid-back yet luxe. “I love using old things in new ways,” says Batt of his 18th-century French armoire repurposed as a wet bar. The interior of the “bar-moire” is equipped with an ice maker and a sink made from a 17th-century Asian vessel and is adorned with vintage art, an antique giltwood mirror, and metal palm fronds by artist Mario Villa.

See more of the New Orleans home in “Bryan Batt’s Gilded Touch.”

This Palm Beach penthouse is the perfect backdrop for a tropical cocktail. The living room houses a full-service bar hidden behind a set of pocket doors disguised as an antique painting frames in zebra wood. Inside, a mirror-backed bar is tucked away fully-serviced with the homeowner’s favorite spirits and decorated with brass shelves adorned with the best barware. 

See the tropical transformation in “A Palm Beach Apartment Makeover.”

Don’t overlook antiques needing a new life. This old armoire is now the perfect cocktail cabinet for a lodge in the Alabama mountains. It’s styled with all the makings needed for a cocktail, colorful glasses, and collected pieces such as old trunks and mirrors make it a great conversation piece. 

See more from this inviting fall gathering in “Thanksgiving at Andiamo.”

Designers Annie Goldberg and Ginny Maguire tracked down a hand-painted de Gournay scenic landscape wall covering that provides an ideal backdrop for the living room in this Birmingham, Alabama home. In the corner of the living room is a built-in mirrored bar which opens to reveal bright blue doors that pop against the wall. And when it comes to hosting a gathering, why not wheel out the bar cart for some extra fun?

See all the details inside this antique-filled home here. 

Dressing things up for the holidays? Interior designer Stephanie Lynton uses an antique pine hutch that doubles as a bar for holiday cocktails at her home. The open wood shelves feel inviting and provide provide plenty of room for an assortment of spirits, glassware, and essentials for a drink or two. Mini lamps, framed artwork and touches of greenery make the bar feel more like a thoughtfully styled piece of furniture. 

See how Stephanie puts a twist on holiday tradition in her Birmingham, Alabama home. 

This historic New Jersey farmhouse is filled with thoughtfully collected antiques, including the bar area. In the dining room, a 1920s English chest is used to house the bar essentials, while a silver tray adorned with all the necessities for a cocktail sits on top. It’s cozy and practical yet still polished.

 Tour more of the historic home here. 

On a leisurely afternoon, who could pass up Mallory Mathison’s rosé bar cart? This brass and glass bar cart has pops of color and plenty of collected charm. The two-tiered cart is styled with crystal decanters, fun cocktail glasses, bottles of rosé, of course, and a beautiful arrangement of blooms to keep things unapologetically feminine. 

See more of Mallory’s design’s in the Atlanta showhouse here.

Charleston wedding and event designer Calder Clark always ensures the bar cart is at the ready for a guest or two. Her tips? Select a starting point: A flower, a color, a cocktail—anything can be inspiration. In this case, her two-tiered cart is filled with her favorite bottles of bubbly, everything needed for a signature cocktail, plus a stylish stack of books, cocktail napkins that add a pop of color, and a simple yet chic bid vase of flowers. And if you’re worried about crowding the bar at a gathering, Calder suggests placing champagne and accoutrements such as sugared berries, juices, lemon twists and other garnishes right on the dinner table so guests can refresh their drinks as needed. 

Learn more party tips from Calder Clark in “Champagne & Oysters.”

Take some inspiration from this Hampton’s home where a Victorian mahogany server doubles as a dining room bar. Outfitted with essential spirits, glasses, and even a few cocktail napkins and plates, this bar cart is primed and poised without being flashy.

Get more ideas from author Jennifer Ash Rudick’s book Out East.

In this home, designer Courtney McLeod took cues from the wallpaper to outfit a blue bar with star-faced ceramic pieces on the top and red roses below in her client’s dining room. A crystal decanter and glasses are at the ready for a nightcap after dinner along with a wine rack to store homeowners preferred bottles. 

Find more tips for accessorizing in “Finishing Touches.”

Bar Cart Versatility

When it comes to bar carts, FLOWER Style Editor Amanda Smith Fowler suggests we consider them beyond the bottles and glassware. “Bar carts are the ultimate workhorse of occasional pieces. They win Miss Congeniality for playing well within any space.”

• Bar carts function well for their obvious prescribed purpose, but they are even more fun as a fashionable end table, bedside table, you name it.
• If a mirrored top is involved, use it near a vanity for even more light reflection while primping.
• A metal fabrication? These are great for handling anything with weight—use it in a library and add those recently purchased reads waiting their turn.
• A traditional glass top services any location. It’s great welcome piece holding flowers and a candle.

More Celebration Inspiration

• Party Planning Tips from the Pros
• Celebration-Worthy Appetizers
• Table Settings for All Seasons
• Refreshing Drink Recipes