As the days get longer and the weather improves, it's easy to suddenly find yourself yearning for a sunny beer garden. But what if you could have exactly that without having to leave the comfort of your own home? Enter: the home bar!
Building a home bar can be a simple woodworking project and can normally be done on a small budget. Although it involves a lot of planning, building a bar is a great investment that will not only mean hours of endless entertainment for friends and family, but it might even increase your house price in an increasingly competitive market.
How to build a bar
Decide on your bar location
Firstly, you'll need to decide where you're going to put your bar. A good place to start is by thinking about where you do most of your entertaining. Adjacent to this is often a great place for you to build a bar.
You will also want to think about where and when the sun hits your garden if you're putting a bar outside. For example, if you want your bar to be a place to sit and enjoy the sunshine, ensure you aren't choosing a shady corner!
Invest in the necessary tools
Next, ensure you have all the tools for the job. After all, this project is big enough by itself, never mind if you don't have the right tools to hand. As a minimum, you should look to purchase a tape measure, impact driver, hammer, mitre saw, screwdriver and a selection of nails. If you don't have one already, invest in a drill and drill bits to ensure you can make all the required holes for your bar too.
Just make sure that you don't overspend on your equipment as this could be detrimental to your financial health, especially with inflation rates rising!
Choose your layout and design
Next, it's time for the fun part! Before you start building, consider your layout and design. Do you want a garden bar, or one in your dining room? Is your bar going to be straight or L-shaped?
Once you've figured this out, you can start thinking about how to put your bar together.
Build, build, build!
Now it's time to dig out your DIY clothes as it's time to get building!
- To start, measure out the pieces of timber and the space, using your tape measure to determine the dimensions of your bar.
- Then, begin to construct the bar frame. Make sure to measure and cut frames for the front and sides of your bar. Once all your frames are complete, attach them together in your desired shape.
- Next, build the front of your bar by using pre-drilled holes to attach plywood to the bar frame.
- Once the front is done, add some shelves and a bar top by cutting timber with a circular saw and attaching them to your bar with wood glue.
- Now it's time to add your finishing touches. Whether you simply paint it or add hooks for tongs, glasses or aprons is up to you.
And there you have it! Rather than spending money on overpriced drinks at crowded bars, you can now have fun within the comfort of your own home. Will you take the plunge?
