A well designed and properly equipped kitchen becomes the center of life in any home. From coffee as you start your day to dinner with the family and schoolwork at the island, everything happens in the kitchen. When designing your layout consider who will be using the space and how you use it. Then work with your kitchen designer to determine the best workflow and functional zones to enhance the way you live and work in your kitchen.
If entertaining family, friends, or kids is part of your home life then a beverage bar is a must have! Even if you don’t entertain, a busy household will benefit from a designated area to fix coffee or grab a cold beverage without interfering with cooking and clean up. Beverage bars can be any size and include an array of features to meet your individual needs. Find out how to get the perfect beverage center for your kitchen design!
Do I Have Space for a Beverage Bar?
If your kitchen is not spacious, you might ask whether it is worth reserving space for a beverage bar. The short answer is yes! Any size kitchen design can accommodate a beverage center.
A larger kitchen design can include a full, standalone beverage bar customized with everything you need for daily use and entertaining. Complete your bar with a refrigerator, storage accessories, coffee station, wine rack, and more.
In a smaller kitchen, consider using an otherwise wasted space like an out of the way corner for your beverage bar. Or designate a small section of kitchen cabinets and countertop as your beverage area. Make this the place where you keep all your glassware, coffee maker, corkscrews, martini shakers, and everything else you need to create your favorite drinks. Ideally position it away from your cooking zone but with easy access to a refrigerator so guests can retrieve cold beverages.
What Do I Need?
When it comes to beverage bars, your requirements may vary widely from one kitchen to the next. This largely depends on the size of your kitchen, who uses it, and how often you entertain, as well as personal preferences.
If you love to entertain and have the space, include a large, standalone beverage bar. It could be a smooth continuation of your main kitchen design with matching cabinetry or stand out with a contrasting cabinet finish. Pack it with your favorite beverage related items from a custom, built-in coffee machine to shelves to display your bourbon collection. Include a beverage refrigerator for cold drinks, and if space and budget allow add a separate dishwasher. Glass front cabinets are ideal for storing glassware and decorative bottles. Include practical storage solutions like drawers with customized inserts to keep your tea, coffee, and mixed drink supplies organized.
If space is limited or you don’t feel you need a large beverage bar, your kitchen design will still benefit from a designated space and customized storage. Like your large beverage bar, consider what you need and include storage and display areas for all your beverage requirements. Don’t forget a place to plug in your coffee pot, smoothie maker, and blender.
Where Should It Go?
The beverage area can go anywhere in your kitchen design, but ideally it should be positioned somewhere that will not interfere with the flow of traffic through the kitchen, and particularly the main cooking area. In an open plan kitchen design, you could place a standalone beverage center at the edge of the kitchen near the living room. If you have a large island or two islands, install an undercounter refrigerator and include designated storage in island cabinetry. In a smaller kitchen design, any convenient section of your kitchen cabinets and countertop can become a beverage center with customized storage accessories. If you have an underutilized space near the kitchen, like a forgotten closet or a corner of your adjacent mudroom, you could transform this space into a beverage bar.
Can I Personalize It?
There are so many ways to make your beverage bar your own, both in terms of style and functionality. Change up your cabinet finish, give your beverage bar a different countertop, or add glass front cabinets and open shelves for display. If you want to create a specialty bar for your favorite beverage, go crazy! Include storage and a display area for your glassware, vintage tea pots, espresso cups, favorite whiskies, collection of corkscrews, or whatever your specialty bar requires. Make it your own and create a space that will make entertaining friends even more fun!
Are you ready to design your custom beverage bar? A kitchen remodel is the perfect time to incorporate a beverage station into your home. Get inspired in our kitchen design gallery and then contact our team to get started on your design.
