Our bar used to consist of a narrow, bottom kitchen cabinet. That meant if you wanted a drink, you would have to sit on the floor and pull everything out until you reached what you wanted. Not very convenient. I have a beautiful antique armoire in the dining room that I wasn't really using. It had a few odds and ends stored in it, but that was about it. So I decide it was time to repurpose it to make it the bar. Let me show you what I did.
First, I took everything out of the armoire.
I went to my local restaurant supply store and bought some wine glass holders to mount at the top. They were brass, which is not my favorite, so I spray painted them black. I used paint that was made for metal and I made sure I sprayed the mounting screws as well. I just poked each one into a box so that they would stand up and then I sprayed them. When everything was dry, I hung them in the top of the armoire. Each rack hold 4 glasses and the armoire holds 5 racks on each side. Plenty of storage!
I knew I was going to want some light inside. After looking at my options, I decided a pendant for each side was the way to go. I needed something small, so I ended up getting fixtures that were supposed to hook onto track lighting. I cut off the end that hooked to the track, and wired both fixtures together to one plug. Now they will turn on at the same time. This was easier than I thought it would be.
The left side is where I'm going to store the liquor, but I wanted to be able to see what was in the back. I bought one of those inexpensive plastic pieces meant for the pantry. It has three graduated steps and expands to fit the width of my cabinet. It was white, so I sprayed it black with paint made for plastic.
The right side is going to be the serving side, so it needed a counter. It stands 36" from the floor to make it countertop height. That left a space under it for storage. The drawers are perfect for koozies, napkins, extra glasses and other assorted bar goodies. I also added a mirror to the back to bring in a little more light and reflection from the room.
I'm really pleased with the way this project turned out. When the armoire is closed which is 90% of the time, it just looks like a pretty piece of furniture, but open it up, and it becomes a really nice functional bar. You may not have a big armoire to repurpose, but many different things can be used as a bar. Just look at what you have with an eye for a different function. You too may have the perfect piece for a bar.
I'll keep you posted,
Lynn
I'll keep you posted...
Lynn
