RECIPE: Portland Martini, home bar design

Select an extraordinary vessel

Towering ceilings with ornate pillars mean the eyes can only be brought back down by a seriously distracting kitchen design!  A bar area is incorporated subtly into the open-plan kitchen, meaning guests can mingle where both the drinks are being served, or the meal is being prepared.  A drinks fridge set into the kitchen cupboards, open shelves of glasses above the worktop and… most of all that stunning circular bar table!  The idea of having a central drinks cooler in a bar table is one of pure genius – crack that champagne, someone!

Choose a strong spirit

Intense meets luxurious with a jigger of dramatic art-deco.  Any small or impractical room, with enough imagination, can be turned into a similar gem – a perfect retreat off a main living or dining area.  Heavy gold cabinets house glassware and spirits, and are echoed by the sculptural columns giving the feel of a grand entryway to the bar room.

Infuse with under-counter wine storage

If you have a central island in your kitchen, why not make the most of it by incorporating an under-cabinet fridge or wine store into the design?  Whether you choose to serve drinks from the worktop or simply use for storage and pour the drinks elsewhere, it makes for a beautiful variation to the endless cupboard fronts, and saves on valuable storage elsewhere!

Select your greenery

This meticulous home bar is a beautiful mix of neutral tradition and crisp contemporary.  Bottles and glasses in blues and greys tie creating a sense of flow throughout the bar shelves, while the mirrored backdrop only doubles the style! We love the idea of including a splash of greenery to your dedicated bar area, whether it be herbs that you can use to garnish your cocktails, or simple an elegant plant like this one.

Muddle to release the flavour

Sometimes, all it takes it a few strategically designed kitchen cupboards to cater for all your bar accessories.  Drawn attention to through spotlighting, a shelved recess is re-purposed as a mini bar, with bottles lining the top shelf and garnishes and chopping boards on the second.  We’re pretty sure we see a built-in wine rack underneath that as well…

Add a dash of practicality

This modern Portland bar is as aesthetically pleasing as it is practical!  Behind those uniform gloss cupboard fronts lie a fridge, a dishwasher, and more space than any drinks or glasses could fill!  Ambient lighting casts a warm glow over the bar, whilst the spotlights are placed so as to create a pattern of overlapping light along the top of the cabinets.  An elegant array of garnishes and a decanter complete the scene…

Shaker well, until blended

A warm shaker kitchen wraps around a peninsula to become a spacious bar area, with the same worktop, splashback and cupboard finishes used throughout.  Running alongside the dining table, the overall effect is compelling and tasteful.  Corner cupboards ensure no space is wasted and a feature wine rack is built into the upper cupboards…  add a dash of LED strip lighting, and the whole bar comes to life!

Style it high

Running along side a luxury dining area, this designated home bar is a delicious concoction of black-painted wood, brass handles, and glass in abundance.  A built in sink is a an incredibly practical addition for bar areas, but the brass tap is optional.  Add some towering shelves and a colourful piece of art and the taste is bound to tantalise.

Garnish with gold

Perhaps there just isn’t the space or flexibility to design or incorporate a home bar?  The next best alternative has to be a bar cart!  Easily transportable, a bar cart can be wheeled to wherever guests gather, and makes a stunning display wherever it lands!

Enjoy the afternotes

While we’re at it, why not splash out on full bar room, complete with leather club chairs, a cowhide rug, and walls lined with bottle racks?  Woody notes of cognac and leather mix with an dash of western, resulting in a mellow aftertaste that lingers pleasantly on the mind and palate.