If you want to jazz up your home, learning to build a bar is one sure way to do it. It can easily serve as the focal point whenever there are gatherings, parties or celebrations.
Required Tools and Materials
Hammers
Blueprint / design plans
Building material (i.e., oak)
Screws
Cabinets
Stain or paint
Framing nails
Space and Location
These two elements need to be considered together. You want to put the bar in an accessible and prominent place. At the same time, consider how much space the bar will take up.
How long is the bar going to be? How many stools will be included? Are you going to include a fridge? How many wine bottles are you going to put in? When you build a bar, all these things need to be considered.
Decide on the Type of Bar to Make
A simple bar will consist of a few stools and a cabinet where drinks are kept. Larger bars will include a beer keg, a liquor rack, a sink, mixers and blenders. Most of these accessories you can buy. However they need to fit in the dimensions of the bar you’re making. That’s why you need to make a sketch of the basic layout.
How to Make the Bar Top
Determining the height of the bar is simple enough. Put a chair near the table and sit down. You can use this as the height of the bar, or you can add a few inches more if the stools will be high. For the bar top, add ¾ in thick plywood. You can add as many as four layers when you build a bar. You can use adhesive to join the wood boards.
Adding Cabinets to Your Bar
The most popular wood material is oak. However there are other wood types you can use. If you want to make cabinets, begin with a sketch design. Get the measurements so it can fit in the bar. Create beams to support the cabinet. To avoid problems, utilize only drywall nails. If necessary, sand the cabinet edges.
Adding the Stools and Other Components
When the bar is finished, you can add the stools, if you’re making everything, make sure you use the same material. To build a bar well, the design has to be consistent. Using the same material (i.e., birch or oak) will produce this effect.
Tips
Staining is a much better option than painting. Depending on the staining you use, one or two layers will be sufficient. Don‘t just stock your cabinet with any and every type of beverage. Think of what your guests want. It’s nice to have a fancy wine collection but you should also have some drinks people actually know.
When designing a bar, it helps to look at other designs. It will give you an idea of what the trendy styles are today. To make things more interesting, learn a bit of mixing too. Try experiments with various drinks.
A bit of planning and creativity are all that’s needed to build a bar. When it’s finished, call your friends over and start the revelry.
