This Is How You Do Happy Hour at Home
What if happy hour could happen in your own home? These ingenious sipping spots give the term “neighborhood watering hole” a whole new meaning.
1. A Striped Wine Bar
Sarah’s Brooklyn apartment measures in at just 635 square feet, but she found the space to set up this sleek wine bar area in her living room. A good friend of hers built the custom bar using wood planks and wine bottle racks as the base. The black and white stripes add a bit of drama, which is further accentuated by Sarah’s styling. Notice how she matches her dark dishes with the dark stripe, while lighter glassware goes on the lighter shelves. Pretty clever!
Tour the rest of the home: Sarah’s Small & Stylish Brooklyn Apartment at Apartment Therapy
2. A Blue Butler’s “Pantry”
The team at Alice Lane Home pulled out all the stops on this stunning bar setup for blogger Emily Jackson of Ivory Lane. Crisp marble counters and a tile backsplash keeps it feeling kitchen-y, while a coat of rich navy paint helps it stand apart from the rest of the all-white space. We’re also loving the combination of metallic and wood accents.
See the kitchen: Kitchen Reveal at Ivory Lane
3. A Hanging Liquor Cabinet
Prefer not to have your booze on display at all times? Totally fine — just take inspiration from the team at A Beautiful Mess and hang a liquor cabinet! You’ll be able to hide any embarrassing bottles you’d rather guests not see (like that cotton candy vodka you’re still obsessed with from college) and you’ll take advantage of oft-forgotten wall space.
See more pics: Beyond the Bar Cart: A Fresh (and Dust-Free) DIY Bar Idea at Apartment Therapy
4. A Refurbished Vintage Console
Thrifters, rejoice — we’ve got the perfect solution for that killer mid-century console you just found. This petite-but-powerful bar zone in Heidi’s Washington, D.C. home has everything even the most dedicated mixologists could need. House your spirits on bracketed open shelves; use the top of the console to mix, mash, and shake (cover it with a pre-cut piece of glass if you want to avoid damage to the wood); and then pile extra glassware, linens, and more into the cabinets.
For more pics: Heidi’s Stylish Reinvention at Apartment Therapy
5. A Secret Stairwell Stash
Capitalize on under-the-stairs space by installing a custom bar setup. Hidden behind double doors, this personal wine bar (created by the crew at ecostruct LLC for an Upper West Side home) is the perfect way to put your favorite vintages front and center — on demand. When closed, guests are never the wiser, but open it up and it’s a literal stairway to heaven.
See the renovation: Closet to Wine Bar at ecostruct LLC
6. A Liquor Library
Repurpose a bookshelf to hold your encyclopedic booze collection. In her Chicago apartment, designer Jen Serafini stocked a slim bookshelf with everything from an ice bucket filled with bar tools to coasters to a hefty collection of glassware. Feel free to throw in some cocktail recipe books for good measure!
Check out the whole space: Jen Serafini’s Chicago Apartment Tour at The Everygirl
7. A Luxe Liquor Nook
We love the way this compact bar from Lisa Gutow Design dissolves invisibly into a wall of custom cabinetry when closed. With the doors opened, the mirrored tile backsplash and glass shelving bounce light and make the nook feel 10 times bigger — and more luxe.
For more pics: Chicago Kitchen at Lisa Gutow Design
Which one is your favorite?