The Basement Bar – Home Entertainment Reinvented

If the image of a 1970s man-cave is coming to mind, let us stop you right there.  There are a wide range of entertaining area options today and just as many reasons to consider adding a contemporary basement bar to your home, full of uses for the whole family.  No matter what stage of life you’re in, a basement bar or entertaining space can add a sense of comfort and convenience to your home and make your guests feel welcome and at ease.

The traditional bar with beautiful wood cabinets and luxury countertops will always make a beautiful addition to your home, though options include more modern, colorful spaces as well.  A basement bar can even be family-friendly, offering your kids a wonderful place to host game nights with friends or make family movie night a more memorable adventure.

How do you decide what type of basement bar is a good fit for you home?

-Evaluate what you want to use it for.  Who will be using the space the most?  What types of events do you envision using the space for?

• Adult entertaining areas can be used to stay in with friends, host parties or holidays, save money by entertaining at home instead of splurging on expensive nights out, or simply enjoy convenient snacks and drinks during the big game.
• Kid and family-friendly uses can include a fun addition to home family movie nights, a great space for kid’s parties, and easy access to a drink of water during a big video game fest.  You may even want your family basement bar to feature a popcorn maker, pizza oven, ice maker, and more!

-Determine how much space you have to work with and what amenities are most needed within that space.  Is a simple countertop area and mini-fridge all you need?  Or perhaps you want to add a sink, dishwasher, wine cellar, and more.  How many cabinets will you need for storage in this space?  What type of cabinetry will match your existing décor?  Do you want a basic wall bar, or a more extensive wet bar with a serving counter?

-Decide what décor style is the best fit for your home.  Do you want a bar-style feel with dark wood cabinets and traditional bar stools?  Or do you prefer a light and airy look with accents of color and fun food offerings?  Maybe you want to start with a theme, such as a British Pub, Wine Bar, or Family Movie theme?

A good place to start is:

• Identifying the space or spaces in your basement where you are considering adding the entertainment/bar area
• Creating a drawing with the specific measurements of those spaces in mind
• Bringing this sketch and measurements in to your local cabinetry store

Here at The Cabinet Store + Culina Design we’ll happily use our customized computer programs to create a visual plan for your potential project and walk you through your many storage and amenity options.

Need some more visual inspiration for customizing your basement bar space?  Want it to be colorful and fun?  Or sophisticated and traditional?  Click here to see some user submitted ideas from the always inspiring source HGTV.  Let the ideas abound!