How to Build a Bar

A bar in the living room not only perks up the interiors, but also adds an element of elegance, style, sophistication and class to your home. It is an excellent way to utilize an unfilled space as well as to make a place available for entertaining kith and kin. A bar can easily be built at home, but before kick-starting the process some preparations are needed. Let’s take a look at what all needs to be done to build a bar.

The first thing that you need to do is to select a space for the bar. The location of the bar should be practical, and at the same time, it should enhance the surrounding area. For instance, a bar in the garage won’t be feasible because you wouldn’t like to entertain your guests in the garage. The best location for the bar is a corner in the living room. Basement, cove and space underneath the stair are also some good locations for building a bar.

Instructions to Build a Bar

Once, you have chosen the location for the bar, the next step is to take accurate measurements. This will help you to determine the kind of bar that can be built and the material that will be required. For example, if the area is a small, then a mini-bar would be more appropriate. On the contrary, if the area is large, then a big bar can be built with all the functionalities and embellishments. A standard bar is 42-inches deep and 43-inches high.

The third step is to prepare a construction plan. Typically, a bar consists of a number of subdivisions like:

• An area for keeping glasses
• Space for shelving the spirits
• An area for electrical appliances like mini-refrigerator and blender
• Space for beer keg and kegerator
• An area for standing and mixing drinks
• A place for serving the drinks
• Some seating area would also be needed

You can either have all the above areas in your bar or opt for only a few of them.

Wood is considered to be the best material to build a bar. Most people select pine wood for their bars because it is soft, durable and can be easily transformed into a variety of styles and patterns. Besides pine wood board, you would require a lot of nails, screws, wood glue, saw, file, hammer and screwdriver. While erecting the frame give support in the middle so as to increase the strength of the entire frame.

When the frame is in place, you would have to think about the cabinets and shelves. Oak veneer plywood is considered to be the best for these components of the bar. If your budget allows, you can go for readymade cabinet fittings else you can create them on your own. The highlight of your bar would be the bar top. Build the bar top in layers; for the first and second layer use ¾ inch birch and oak plywood, and for the top layer use ¾ inch birch plywood or oak veneer plywood.

Now, that your bar is in place, its time to give it the finishing touches. With the help of sandpaper gently smoothen out the coarse wood. Thereafter, apply stain; 2 to 3 coats of stain will make your bar look world-class. Finishing not only makes the bar look great, but also makes it impermeable to water and other liquids.