Want to bring the party home? Here’s everything you need to know to design an impressive basement bar on a budget. Having a bar in your home’s basement is a great idea if you have the space, and you love to entertain. A basement bar also gives you extra space to celebrate the holidays and host any larger crew. Whether you are starting from scratch or renovating, here are five things to consider when you design a basement bar on a budget.
STYLE
The first and most important decision you will want to make is what theme or style you want your basement bar to have. There are endless basement bar ideas that can give you the perfect space to entertain. A few classic themes that are popular are Sports (favorite team), Speakeasy (Prohibition Era), Music (Hard Rock), Winery, Game Night, Brewery, and Craft Cocktails. You can also have a look that is subtle or eclectic. The goal is to create a bar atmosphere that is comfortable and inviting for you and your guests. When designing a basement bar on a budget, take inventory of what you already have in your home and storage and what you could reinvent for this new space.
CABINETRY AND STORAGE
If you want your bar design to have a more classic storage look, consider a combination of built-in cabinetry to display glasses and floating shelves to display bottles of spirits. Other ideas would be all open shelving or a focal wall that’s mirrored. My blog post The Secret To Shelf Styling can give you top tips on how to style your new bar shelves. Prior to designing, your bar, think about how and exact times you will use it. If it’s to watch the big games, consider having a large screen TV as a focal point on the wall.
The actual bar is the main character when designing a basement bar. Typically, the base of a bar can be built out using 2×4’s and then cabinetry can be used to give a rectangular bar appearance. You can use cabinetry skins to cover the unfinished areas, and add trim and fillers to give an overall completed bar base. Consider checking out the cabinet clearance section at your local home improvement store to help with budgeting. Another idea is to keep an eye out for someone selling cabinetry on a resale website, like FB marketplace.
Next, all you need is a stunning countertop to finish it off. You can get very creative with your counter top. I’ve seen everything from hand carved wood, to coasters from favorite bars, and even golf T’s encapsulated in a thick varnish. A more typical idea is to use a quartz or granite. I particularly like the look and durability of the honed granite used on the bar I designed for my client. Honed means buffed, so it’s not high glossy but matte. When designing a basement bar on a budget, choosing a concrete countertop is trendy, an easy DIY project, and is economical.
LIGHTING
Lighting can not be underestimated when designing your basement bar. It sets the mood, adds ambience, and can be used to focalize attention. Consider lighting to focalize what you are displaying on your floating shelves and in your cabinets. Lighting over the bar area really separates it, but also helps it to stand out as the focal point. Having all your lighting on a dimmer is a nice idea when designing a basement bar because it gives you control of the overall brightness in a room and mood. Keep the overall aesthetic of the lighting style in mind when designing your basement bar. The lights you choose should compliment the overall look. A great place to find lights when designing a basement bar on a budget would be Home Depot, Amazon, and Lowes.
SEATING
When designing your basement bar, imagine a room of your family and friends and then visualize if they would stand or sit, and what areas would be comfortable for them. For the bar seating, finding sturdy bar height stools that are comfortable are key. Wayfair has many great options and are reasonably priced. I also like to include a lounge spot for my client’s guests to kickback and get comfy. Using four swivel chairs and a drum coffee table like in my blog post A Modern Hearth Room’s 5 Must Have’s! is a practical furniture plan to consider when you design your basement on a budget.
MOOD
The overall mood of your basement bar should be directly tied to the feelings you have when you are hanging out in this cool space you created. So, what vibe do you want to create when designing your basement bar? High energy, loud, and visually stimulating? Chill, quiet and relaxing? Or something in between? Think about your five senses when creating your new basement bars mood. Lighting, music, fabrics, textures, and patterns, decor, and aromas can give an overall mood. I love a Moody basement bar that really makes me forget I’m at home and that I actually could be at some swanky underground speakeasy.
Are you ready to bring the party home and design your very own amazing basement bar?
XO EVE