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venice_2008_gw

Where do you have your bar?

venice_2008
16 years ago

On version 156 of the layout for the kitchen, and what with the prep zone, the clean-up zone, the cooking zone, baking zone, and all other landing pads for crazy-making, I'm wondering where everyone has their ever-so-important, and the more so during this kitchen remodel "journey," bar/wine area.

Comments (23)

  • pbrisjar
    16 years ago

    Ours is going to be in a corner of our great room. It'll actually face the sink area of the kitchen but will be a step or two down height-wise. That way people can get drinks, etc without having to trek to the kitchen / disturb the chef and we can pass things back and forth (there will only be a half wall between them.

  • luvnola
    16 years ago

    Mine will be in the island on the side facing away from my work zone. Therefore, guest and DH can help themselves to beverages and still be in the kitchen to keep me company BUT out of my way:)

  • whitneymac
    16 years ago

    Ours is actually in the front hallway, across from the dining room, where normal people would have a coat closet. Here in the Houston area, we drink more than we wear coats :)

  • igloochic
    16 years ago

    We're going to put one in the library (our main entertainment area aside from the kitchen) and I also have a 36" counter area that is dedicated to coffee and liquid refreshments (which means wine in our house...though a martini or two might be made there). The prep sink is right behind it and out of the way of the cook, and the ice is also within reach (for martini's not wine) without getting in the cook's way.

    And if you drink too much (this does tend to happen in our home on occasion) there is a baywindow seat built right next to the wine area so you can sit if you get dizzy so you don't fall in the way of the other guests :oP

    Now while I was in hospital with DS I will say that the wine bar was located in an unusual place...two mom's kept theirs in the bathroom lockers and mine was in my suitcase under the crib...but we're not telling anyone about that stuff right? (What goes on in the parents lounge stays in the parents lounge) :oP

  • mrs_tlc
    16 years ago

    We thought about putting one in our family room, adjacent to the kitchen, but aren't planning to be here for enough time to warrant the extra cost so we just put a dual zone wine cooler under the breakfast bar that faces to the family room side so you don't have to be in the kitchen to get drinks. We never used that area as a breakfast bar anyway and the cabinet that was under there only housed phone books and junk. This is a much better use!

  • lynninnewmexico
    16 years ago

    Our is in the corner of the kitchen, accessible to both our family and living rooms. I love it! Upper cab holds good crystal barware and wine bucket. Smaller of the two lower cabs has two heavy duty pull out shelves to hold bottles and everyday glasses. Drawer holds corkscrew, cocktail napkins and mixing utensils. Other cab has three shelves for serving pieces.
    {{!gwi}}

    But, we keep our wines in the living room in racks in an antique bookshelf. We considered adding a wine fridge during our recent kitchen reno, but opted for more storage instead.
    {{gwi:1583765}}

  • fran1523
    16 years ago

    If you keep your booze and your wine glasses there, does it qualify as a bar? In a kitchen too small to have zones, mine is a counter and cabinet area on the wall opposite from the sink and dishwasher. That means about 48". The all important source of ice is in the refrigerator an arm's reach to the left. The corkscrew is in the silver ware drawer in the same cabinet while the all important shot glass has a place of honor right on the counter top. It's all mighty convenient if I must say so myself.

  • fran1523
    16 years ago

    We must not allow this all important subject to fall off the front page.

  • igloochic
    16 years ago

    I'm personally wondering if Lynne drank all of her wine during the remodel...that's not enough to last us for long :oP

  • gizmonike
    16 years ago

    In our new house (1 year now!), we opted not to have a traditional wet bar. The one in our old house never was used.

    Instead, we have a beverage bar, with icemaker, Keurig single-serve machine (coffee, tea, hot cocoa, & hot water), sink with filtered water, & at the corner between it and our kitchen, a glass-front refrigerator for beverages, snacks, & party food. The beverage bar faces our family room, part of a great room with our kitchen & breakfast area.

    We keep our good crystal in the kitchen at the very end of the clean-up zone, and open wine there.

    The wine is downstairs, in our dream wine cellar, which is also a fabulous bar. We have been collecting wine for many years, & make an annual trip to California wine country with friends.

  • Cloud Swift
    16 years ago

    Similar to Whitneymac, e have a closet style wet bar in the front entry area, but we do also have a coat closet. The bar closet is about 5 feet wide and about 5 feet deep with an accordian door. It is an open entry hall, dining room, living room area so the bar is across from the dining room and next to the living room.

    It and the tiled hall area came in very handy as our temporary kitchen during our kitchen remodel. The front door is to the left of the pictured area. The coat closet is on the left side of the hall from the entry area and the powder room is on the right side of the hall (i.e. it shares a wall with the back of the bar closet).


  • lkremodel
    16 years ago

    Fran: I think we're similar in our approach here. Our booze is in cabinet on top of refrigerator. Walk 3 steps and openers are with silverware. When company comes, we clear off a 3 foot counter next to refrigerator and place ice bucket, beverages, and glasses.

    With 2 teens, I'm also conscious about not making alcohol seem too prominent in our home. We aren't teetotalers. Hubby has a couple of glasses of wine daily.

  • alku05
    16 years ago

    Our beverage center/bar area is across the aisle from our island seating. That way people sitting at the island have easy access.

    Bar area (sorry for the bad picture; I can't seem to get a good one):

    Here's an overview of the kitchen. The bar area is the little bit of cabinet you can see in the forground.

  • soonermagic
    16 years ago

    We keep ours in the hutch. Originally was going to put a beverage fridge here but opted against it. All of our drink glasses are here and the booze is in one of the pullouts behind the lefthand door.

  • pbrisjar
    16 years ago

    alku - every time I see your kitchen I drool.

  • mysterymachine
    16 years ago

    Hidden in the dining room... see the cupboard on the right in the dining cabs, next to the stack of 4 drawers... thats a fridge.

    {{!gwi}}

  • amyks
    16 years ago

    We have a wine cooler in the kitchen built into the island, with wine glasses and openers etc. nearby. We have a full bar, replete with two taps and all, in the basement.

    Amy

  • ljsandler
    16 years ago

    My bar is at the end of my kitchen beside my table. It has a built in mini refrigerator on the bottom right. It also has small copper sink. I love it and it looks like a piece of furniture. You can't tell by looking at it but a small part of storage is usable as it hides pipes and a return.

    {{gwi:1391980}}

  • lynninnewmexico
    16 years ago

    Too funny, Igloochic . . . but you're right! That pic was taken right before we headed back to Costco and there wasn't much wine there. Oh, we do keep bottles of our "house" Chardonnay out in the garage fridge, too.

  • cat_mom
    16 years ago

    Wherever I happen to be standing at the time, glass of wine in hand can be called the bar, no? :-)

  • paddytc
    16 years ago

    Our bar is in diningroom.



  • mrs_tlc
    16 years ago

    I'm standing next to cat_mom ;-)

  • venice_2008
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    As we don't have an island, I like the solutions that placed it close to the entrance of the kitchen, or in-between the kitchen and DR, for easy guest access (plus it would keep them out of my way while I'm cooking). Lynnew, how wide across is your space there? And paddytc, same Q -- ?

    I think I can get away with a modestly sized space: room for ~ 12 bottles of spirits, plus space for glasses, cocktail napkins, a couple of serving trays, and a few bottles of red and white to have to the ready. Like gizmonlike, we store wine downstairs in what, unlike for gizmonlike, is far from our dream wine cellar, but it works for now. And vodka and gin go in the freezer.