Bar Rescue: Our Home Bar Makeover

If you guys have been following me for a while, you know that we had an insanely destructive (and disgusting) flood in our home in January 2018. Not to get too graphic, but when you have a septic flood, everything that the water touches has to be ripped out/thrown away. The flood water covered my entire office (including most of my shoes & clothes), our bathroom & hallway/game room.

After MONTHS of construction & redecorating, our house is finally put back together. I thought it would be fun to share some of the progress we’ve made with you guys, starting with our new home bar area! Initially, the area was used as kind of a small game room. We had shuffle board, some bar tables, a tv with video games, etc. But when we redid the room, we opted to turn it into more of a bar/lounge. We wanted to create a space that people want to hang out it. We love hosting parties and having our friends over, so we decided to make a cozy space with a bar area where people can hang out, snack on appetizers & make drinks!

Home Bar Makeover

One of the first things we decided to do is create a reclaimed wood wall. I searched Pinterest quite a bit for ideas on how to make the room feel cozy & pulled together. I found that adding a reclaimed wood wall was a really easy way to add warmth and texture. It’s got kind of a rawness that helps balance out fairly neutral spaces.

How to Add a Reclaimed Wood Wall

Originally, I thought we would find reclaimed wood or age some planks ourselves. But then I stumbled upon “peel & stick” reclaimed wood panels. It’s kind of like wallpaper, but instead of a sheet of paper, you’re using individual pieces of wood. they have the rustic look and texture of actual reclaimed wood, but are pre cut and have adhesive on them so you just peel & stick!

It’s pretty cool, you get the appearance of boards & planks without the hassle! Meaning you’re not working with a bunch of random pieces, nails, variations of color and texture, etc. Technically, you can always go the long route, but it’s not only easier and less time consuming to opt for the “peel & stick” version, but a lot less expensive.

Where to Find Reclaimed Wood Wall Panels

We used a company called Plank & Mill for our wood wall panels. I liked that they send you a sample pack of wood before you order, so you can figure out what color you want to use. It’s helpful to see the wood in the space you plan on using, that way you can see how the different colors look next to different paint colors, lighting and fabrics. It can be hard to tell just by looking at a picture online.

A few other stores I recommend checking for reclaimed wood wall panels:

+ Pottery Barn

+ West Elm

+ The Home Depot

+ Amazon

+ Hayneedle

+  Wayfair

Installing Reclaimed Wood Wall Panels

The first thing you need to do is grab a tape measure and write down the height (vertical) in incase and the width (horizontal) in inches. The secret formula for figuring out how much you need: Height (inches) x Width (inches) ÷ 144 = Your Square Footage.

Then, order your planks!

Once they arrive, I recommend applying a small board to a less visible place as a test piece. The wood should come with detailed instructions to follow after that!

We decided to install LED lights behind our bar shelves, so we installed the wires before putting the planks up.

We also put a Marquee Arrow sign up on the wall. Since it’s battery operated, we bought a AA battery converter that converts battery power to electric power. That way you don’t have to worry about batteries dying and having to take the sign down to swap them out.

After the walls went up and dried, we added shelves. The shelves are a perfect spot to store bottles or bar supplies. You can find a ton of awesome industrial shelving options on Amazon. We used salvaged metal brackets and stained some plywood from the hardware store to get a dark finish. If you’re not super crafty, you can find a ton of awesome shelving options on Amazon or at Ikea.

Choosing a Bar Cart or Cabinet

One of the most exciting parts of putting our bar together was finding bar furniture. We decided to get a wine cabinet because we liked the option of additional bottle storage. We bought a really cool, rustic cabinet from Living Spaces. I really like the dark finish, metal bolt details and hammered pewter pulls.

Depending on your space, it may be better to opt for a bar cart. There are a ton of bar cart options out there. I really like shopping with Wayfair because they have great sales and shipping deals. I’ve found that they carry a lot of the same products as more expensive retailers, but at a fraction of the price. They also have some really cool wine cabinets & seated bars available.

How to Stock a Home Bar

Another really fun part of putting together a home bar is shopping for supplies!

Start small. You don’t need to spend a ton of money on random alcohol & mixers. Start with what you like! Sometimes it can be hard not to buy things that you think will impress your guests. Instead of spending a small fortune on alcohol you won’t use, buy the things you actually like! You are your own customer at home!

Only stock mixers based on what you plan on making. But here are a few standards:

• Club soda
• Tonic water
• Coca Cola
• Sprite or 7-up
• Ginger ale
• Orange juice
• Cranberry juice
• Tomato juice
• Pineapple juice
• Angostura bitters