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Renovating your basement is an exciting project, especially because so many use this space as one for entertainment. One of the most common amenities people add to a basement used for entertainment purposes is a wet or dry bar. Dry bars, in particular, are gaining popularity amongst families and those who don’t like to drink excessively.
There are so many ways to customize a basement dry bar as your own, especially with all of the different style preferences out there. Regardless of whether you’re more modern or rustic, you’re sure to find a design and layout that speaks to your aesthetic.
Basement Dry Bar Necessities
Before you go hog wild with all of the great amenities available for dry bars, it’s important to have the layout and other necessities in place first. All home bars need storage for any barware, trash bins, and other things is a must in order to maintain a tidy space. On top of that, making sure you have the right flooring is integral in the cleanup process.
1. Drawer Storage
Drawer storage is incredibly important for holding silverware or other things needed to operate the various aspects of your dry bar. Enough drawer storage, paired with an ample amount of shelving/cabinets, gives you plenty of space to keep things tucked away when you aren’t using them.
You may also consider installing a drawer-style cabinet for your trash and recycling. This way, you don’t have to take up space with each bin and both can be hidden away in what looks like a cabinet. Add the best soft close drawer slides to upgrade the feel of them instantly.
This is essential if you’re looking to combine your dry bar with a basement laundry area as well, for example.
Check out drawer storage projects here: bhg.com
2. Utilize Awkward Space
In many cases, your basement may have one awkward space that looks like you can’t do anything with. Similar to adding a bar to your garage, basement bars need to make use of the awkward spaces. You need to put your dry bar in this spot allows you to utilize as much space in your home as possible.
Depending on the layout of the specific space, you may need to do some creative thinking in order to design the bones correctly.
More about this DIY project here: westandmainhomes.com
3. Quartz Countertops
Quartz countertops, along with a few other countertop types, are one of the easiest countertops to clean. In an area that is essentially serving as a miniature kitchen, making the space easily cleanable is important for both your home’s hygiene and your sanity.
Cutting a more standard laminate countertop is a lot easier, but quartz countertops are going to be a lot more attractive and longer lasting. With the right tools, quartz can be drilled into and cut.
The great thing about quartz is that it comes in a variety of colors and designs. This way, you can adapt the countertop to your desired decorating style. Quartz is also less expensive than other countertop types and is more easily accessible too.
Learn more about this DIY: wikihow.com
4. Modern Shelves
If you’re more into a modern look, consider installing some flat white, grey, or black shelves above your countertops to store things within reach. Open shelves are a great idea when it comes to adding more personality to a space as it will not only hold necessities like cups and drink mixtures, but you can also add decoration too.
You could also do wire shelving, which is a modern look as well.
Make this at home: ahousewebuilt.com
5. Modern Cabinets
Shelves are great, but cabinets are better for hiding away things you wouldn’t necessarily want just sitting out. Individually wrapped snack bags and other refreshments will look much more streamlined and clean if they’re stored neatly inside your cabinets rather than sprawled out on the counter and shelves.
You can also build the cabinets and doors yourself. Use a cabinet hardware jig to assemble everything. Spray the cabinets with paint using an HVLP sprayer. Or, you could opt to stain the cabinets instead.
Cabinets are also great for hiding any necessary cleaning products or trash/recycling away from young children or anyone who doesn’t want to look at an eyesore while in the basement. For a modern look, consider choosing a neutral color and installing monochrome handles.
Details at: homedepot.com
6. Rustic Farmhouse Shelves
For a more rustic or farmhouse look, you could opt for a raw wood shelf to give your dry bar a cozy cabin feeling. Any shelving that has a woody look is perfect for putting the finishing touches on your rustic-themed basement.
These work really well when you need ideas for a low basement ceiling.
Details and instructions found here: youtube.com
7. Rustic Farmhouse Cabinets
Rustic farmhouse cabinets and shelving are both relatively simple to make on your own. You could make full-sized cabinets for your dry bar, or you could try your hand at creating a cabinet made entirely out of pallets. The best thing about a pallet cabinet is that it’s incredibly easy to get that rustic look.
To achieve this, take measure out the pieces needed and cut them from the pallet accordingly. Each part will fit together to make a small cabinet that would be perfect for storing things like coffee additives or other drink mixers.
You can sand the rough wood down, and then paint the pallets.
For a full step-by-step instructional guide, check out: youtube.com
8. Wicker Storage Baskets
Wicker baskets are a great way to combine storage with personality. With the different color combinations and weaving styles, paired with the varying sizes, you could essentially use these baskets with just about any decor theme and color scheme. These storage baskets are also a bit more pleasant to look at than a simple clear storage bin.
Full details of the plans on: amazon.com
9. Clear Storage Bins
If you’re more for practicality, it may make more sense to stick with simple clear storage bins to store snacks and other dry goods. With that said, there are several different styles to choose from, even with something as simple as a clear bin. With the plethora of options available to you, you’re sure to spruce up your modern space with great see-through storage.
Make this one at home: amazon.com
10. Tile Flooring
Just like wanting to keep countertops clean, keeping the floors clean is equally as important. For this reason, it’s smart to install tile flooring to make clean-up as easy and stress-free as possible.
There are plenty of tile flooring options out there too, so you shouldn’t run into any issues finding a floor design that fits your desired aesthetic. Whether you want a plain flat color like white, black, or grey, or you want tiles with more designs on them, there are options available to you.
If you’re the DIY type, you can cut the tile yourself with a high quality tile saw. There are plenty of great tile saws for not too much money.
While you upgrade your flooring, consider replacing the basement doors with these ideas.
Learn more about this DIY: lowes.com
11. Slanted Shelving
Maybe you’re looking for something a little more unique. Something that shows people that you’re fun and maybe sometimes unpredictable. Or, maybe you want something that looks hip but elegant at the same time. If any of those sentences apply to you, you may want to give slanted shelving a try.
Instead of installing shelves in parallel horizontal lines, consider installing diagonal shelves to store things. While this may seem impractical at first glance, There are a lot of good ideas you can incorporate to make these shelves usable.
One last option to consider – adding honeycomb hexagonal shelving. Read up on my outdoor pallet bar ideas as well!
Find more tips at: instructables.com
Dry Bar Amenities
Now that you’ve got all of the necessities squared away, you need to figure out what you want to stock your dry bar with. Alcohol is out of the question but that doesn’t mean you can’t have plenty of mocktail recipes at the ready. Maybe you want to install a coffee bar or a shaved ice machine. Regardless of your plans, you’re going to want to stock this area with everything you, your family, and your guests will enjoy.
1. Dry Bar Beverage Fridge
The most important part of any dry bar is the beverage fridge. After all, what’s a bar at all if it doesn’t offer anything to drink? This refrigerator is going to hold your bottled and canned beverages and typically comes with a transparent front so a person can pick what they want before opening up the unit.
These refrigeration units are typically much smaller than a standard refrigerator and many people choose to install their dry bar beverage fridge under the counter, right alongside the cabinets. If you don’t like things taking up too much space, this option is great for you.
Check it out here: amazon.com
2. Nugget Ice Maker
An ice maker, in general, is an incredibly beneficial addition to any dry bar. Nugget ice, in particular, is a hit as it doesn’t water drinks down and it’s easier to snack on for those who enjoy snacking on ice. Your beverage fridge will keep the drink cold, but it’s always nice to have extra ice on hand to make sure the drink stays that way.
For a detailed view of the product, visit: amazon.com
3. Coffee Station
Coffee stations are a great addition to your dry bar, especially if you have people over in the mornings. In general, coffee, tea, and water are the three essentials in offering anyone a refreshment, so having a designated coffee maker helps bring that request to reality much simpler.
Instead of trekking all the way back up to the kitchen, make some coffee, and then trek all the way back to the basement, you have a cup of joe waiting for you just a few steps away.
Visit this website for project plans: hgtv.com
4. Microwave Oven
If you want to provide snacks in the dry bar, you may want to look into installing a microwave. Snacks like ramen and other “warm-uppables” need heat to be eaten properly and just like with making coffee, you aren’t going to want to go upstairs just to make your food and come right back down after.
Stainless steel microwaves are among the easiest to clean and it’s also easy for this type to blend into just about any home decor style.
Check this microwave oven here: amazon.com
5. Modern Stools and Circular Tables
It may also be nice to have a few tall DIY stools and small circular tables, sort of like what you might see at a small cafe. If you don’t want food to trek all throughout the basement, you can allocate this specific area to food and nowhere else.
While I mentioned modern stools and circular tables, that doesn’t mean the same type of table and chairs in a different style won’t work better for you. In fact, I encourage you to match all your home decor to your personality. After all, a cohesive space is a happy space.
You can check these modern stools and circular tables here: amazon.com
6. Stainless Steel Sink
While this amenity could also be considered a necessity, not all dry bars require one. With that said, a sink can make the cleanup process much faster, especially if you have a coffee or tea bar as part of your basement dry bar setup. Depending on the amount of space you have, and the way your basement is set up, you may also be able to install a dishwasher too.
However, this amenity should definitely ride on how much work you actually want to do and what is and isn’t worth changing in your home. For example, if your water system can’t effectively bring water to that specific part of your home, it may cost more time, energy, and money than what you feel is worth it.
Drilling stainless steel to install the actual sink is the easy part.
Learn how to make it yourself: lowes.com
7. Recessed Lighting
This one has been considered an amenity because you don’t necessarily need lighting to have a functional dry bar. With that said, recessed lighting or other mood lighting types can help illuminate your space and show off one of your favorite areas in the home.
Beyond that, recessed lighting that is specific to the dry bar area is helpful on movie nights when you want to get a refreshment during a movie but you don’t want to turn all the basement lights on just to do so.
Details at: homedepot.com
8. Television and Electronic Entertainment
Depending on the size of your dry bar area, you may want to consider adding a TV and entertainment system too. Even if you’re not big on space, you could also mount the TV on the wall to save room for other things. You could even get creative and mount it on a basement pole.
A TV and electronic entertainment system in the dry bar is nice because you don’t have to worry about walking far to get any refreshments, especially if you’re in the middle of a big raid in your RPG game.
Check out full details here: amazon.com
9. Board Game Storage
For those of you who enjoy board games, the dry bar is the perfect area to store your family board game collection. Having board games that are close to your refreshment area gives you, your family, and your guests everything they need to have a successful game night without having to leave the area for too long.
Pair board game storage with some tables in the dry bar area for optimal gameplay. That way, when someone gets thirsty or needs a quick snack, they can grab it and be back before the start of their next turn.
Full tutorial over at: homemadebycarmona.com
Conclusion
Adding a dry bar to a basement can turn a neglected area of your home into a place of enjoyment and entertainment. These ideas will give you more than enough to make the most out of your underground space.
