Decorate Your Kitchen Bar
Decorate Your Kitchen Bar
A bar is one of the best pieces you can add in your kitchen. It's a nice place to hang out, chat, or have a snack during the day, as well as receive friends during gatherings. It can also double as an office when you need an additional space. Properly placed and designed, a kitchen bar can make an attractive focal point for any home.
Jazzing up your kitchen bar can be delightful, but as with any home project, there's still some work involved. Actually, a poorly designed bar can do your kitchen more harm than good. How do you ensure your bar is up to the job? Here are several things to keep in mind.
Bar types
You can purchase ready-made bars at most home supply depots, but this only works if your kitchen is built to standard sizes. If you want full control over the design of your bar, it's best to have it custom-made. There are four main designs to choose from:
Straight back bars are commonly placed at the far end of the room, extending most, or all, of the back wall. Beverages, glasses, bottles, and other items are contained in a cabinet built under the counter. There's ordinarily adequate seating for three people in a straight row.
Back bars consist of three parts: a straight bar with under-counter storage, an open middle portion, and an over-the-counter shelf which can either be open or closed. Back bars make wonderful display pieces, so they're a nice choice if you intend to show off your wine or goblet collection.
L-type bars are positioned against a corner, making them a nice work area and also as a resting area. They work best for little kitchens, which may not have adequate room for an island-type fixture. The shorter side normally holds a sink and spigot.
Corner bars are the smallest and most space-efficient option. Several of them are just built-in cabinets made for storing drinks. It makes use of the top and bottom compartments, so you can store more with little floor space.
Countertops
The countertop is usually the most attractive feature of your kitchen bar. There are many countertop materials to choose from, but the most common are wood, laminate, and granite.
Wood countertops have a warm, rustic look that goes well with most kitchen themes. They hold up well as long as you don't use them for regular kitchen work. Maintenance can be a problem, though, especially for light woods such as pine and birch. If you choose a wood countertop, expect to clean it every week and wipe the tops after every use.
Granite is the preferred material for nearly all high-end kitchen bars. It is more costly as compared to wood, but it'll last for several years-some say a granite counter will last longer than the house itself. It is available in a variety of hues, from jet black to pale white to vibrant reds, greens, and blues. There are even other stone types like marble, engineered stone, and soapstone.
If you're on a tight budget, a laminate countertop may be your best choice. Laminate is built from layers of craft paper pressed together to form a single dense material, and wrapped in a rigid, synthetic sheet. The top layer can be printed in any color and design, so you can easily match your kitchen dicor. Faux wood prints are the most popular.
Bar Furniture
Naturally, no kitchen bar is complete without a nice set of bar stools. You can have them built with the bar itself to ensure that you get the right match. Comfort should be on top of your list when selecting bar stools. Adjustable stands are practically a staple, as each person prefers his own sitting position. Spacious seats with a bit of lower backrest are usually the most comfortable.
Another essential question is how many bar stools you need. You don't have to allot seating for everyone; a crowded kitchen bar can look cluttered and unattractive. As a general rule, leave at least twelve inches in between stools to provide each person substantial arm and leg movement. Three to four seats should be enough for an average-sized kitchen bar.
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