Some say any hour in a bar is a happy hour, and new home bars provide the ambiance for many happy spirited hours.
Photography by Scot Zimmerman
If the goals when planning and designing a home are camaraderie, celebrating life’s big and small moments, social connections, and experiencing the lighter side of life, then for many a key element is an inviting home bar. Today, I’m sharing some of the unique approaches talented design pros have taken to create bars that work for their clients’ entertainment styles. [Opening shot: Salt Lake Valley foothill home built by Upland Development–Ryan & Jesica Taylor].
If I could generalize there is a mountain home style, the social space on the lower level is often dedicated to casual interactions with a focus on recreation and watching sports. Here, the bar at the base of the stairs anchors the social space while providing a place to converse. The sleek contemporary styling with a slight breezy informality continues throughout the furnishings on the lower level. [K Rocke Design]
To further this point, on the main level of this Salt Lake home, the shiny Art Deco bar seems more incidental to the design of the living area than a focal point as in the case of some of the bars I will show you. [K Rocke Design]
The basics of the bar design are similar, but the execution spans materials and styles. Here, the reclaimed wood and metal stools introduce a rustic tone. Card tables, puzzle and game tables, pool and billiards, shuffleboard, and game machines are all common inclusions in bars. [Upwall Design, architect; Midway Construction]
In contrast, the polished stone bar and backsplash, suspended ceiling, walnut woodwork, and velvet-upholstered chairs set a sophisticated tone, only amplified by the artwork. [Marian Rockwood, Interior Design; Upwall Design, architect; and Midway Construction]
This wood enclosed bar with stone and leather stools is adjacent to the golf simulator. [Built by Upland Development]
Stylized framed cartoons featuring people who have shared moments in the home and the lives of the homeowners line two walls of this Promontory home, providing conversation cues for breaking the ice. [Built by Upland Development]
As homes move to feature both indoor and outdoor entertainment areas, one of the challenges for hosting parties is uniting the spaces so people mingle and interact more. The design of this new Old Town Park City home seeks to address this issue. The first view is from the outdoors bar, looking inside the home, and the second view is from the inside looking out. The glass window folds and is set to the side. [PJ Builders]
More and more, dramatic lighting is used to create a sense of space. It’s especially useful in open plans to signal how an area is used, and the recent developments in sculptural LED fixtures offer some artful touches. Here the bar is framed by windows on three sides for watching the sun set and later catching the stars come out. [Built by Upland Development]
In this Promontory home, the lighting more than defines the space, but it also creates an event. The backbar lighting can be set to various colors and even change and alternate. The original homeowners are involved in the hospitality industry and know how to bring a flair of excitement to their own home. [Marian Rockwood, interior design; Upwall Design, architect; Midway Construction]
I’ll close with two shots of a home in upper Deer Valley that sum up many of the emerging bar features that I’ve been sharing with you. Walnut frames the bar to differentiate and define it in the open plan. LED lights add excitement, and the colors can be changed for different effects and moods. Located on the main floor, the clean lines of the design and material selections lack the informality generally promoted in bars on the lower floor. Mountain homes are about views and place, and this bar enjoys views in all directions from its Bald Eagle perch. Here, people can celebrate and savor those special moments of being together and sharing a glass of spirits. [Marian Rockwood, interior design; Upwall Design, architecture; Midway Construction]
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