A house just wouldn’t feel like a home for me without a wet bar. I know, I know. They don’t even call them that anymore. Typically, the newer homes put them in a hallway, out of sight and call them a “wine closet” or some other shi-shi name. Back in my favorite design era, mid-century, they put them in plain sight.
Though my house is later than MCM, I was thrilled to discover this wasn’t just an ugly closet, but a fully functional wet bar. I debated for several weeks what to do with it. Leave it as is? Paint it? Tile it? New sink it? A remodel was definitely not in the budget, though, so whatever I did with it, it had to be on the cheap. I had to get creative. Thought I’m not crazy about the brown sink, I’m happy the bar faucet is chrome. And glass shelves? Perfect as is.
Electric, sink & shelves, as is.
I decided to see what it would look like once my vintage and colored barware was in place before doing anything drastic.
Sure enough, by adding some of my favorite photos and art and the cocktail glasses, the wood paneling didn’t bother me. Thanks to my Mad Men illustration in the back, it tied in the countertop color. So far, zero dollars spent.
The organized bar.
Vintage '60s cocktail glasses and shot glasses.
Glasses organized by type and color.
Mad Men sets the tone.
Borrowed "crystal" knobs for the glam look.
For consistency, I painted the outside the same black paint I’d used on the doors throughout the house. Then I took these cool crystal knobs from the master bathroom to add a glam element.
I decided to remove the top doors, fill in the holes, paint over them and have the bar “open.” I’ve turned on the light so you can see the inside. It’s a great anchor for the space and very convenient for parties. I kept our “beer-ritas” there for my husband’s 40th b-day party and it was nice to have a separate space for the drinks and food. You can see I’ve paired down what’s on the counter. You definitely don’t want it cluttered if you don’t have doors, so I’ve simplified it.
While the dining room isn’t done, you can see how the space is slowly being transformed. Hopefully I’ll have a finished dining room post for you by summer’s end. Needs: dining room chairs, mid-century or open bookcase and sitting area behind the sectional.
Next week, in honor of my e-novella, Life’s a Beach, I’ll be talking vision boards and how my design book ended up manifesting in this house in more ways than I thought!
Total cost of wet bar remodel: $0.
