A Toast To Home

Dial up your entertaining experience with a fully loaded built-in bar.

- Rachel Gallaher

STAYING IN IS the new going out, so why not up the ante with an in-home bar to rival your favourite neighbourhood watering hole? Having your own lounge or speakeasy means you get to choose the music and mood (no more overplayed songs or overserved strangers to kill the vibe), and if the party’s going strong, there’s no racing against the clock to make the most of your night. For many, a standard rolling cart is a good entry point, but if you’re a die-hard home mixologist, fancy yourself an entertaining aficionado or just want the option to enjoy a cocktail in private luxury, levelling up with a dedicated, built-in space is the next logical step. And according to designers across the US, there has been an uptick in this type of request.

“We’re now putting bars in about 80 per cent of our projects,” says Caitlin Jones Ghajar of Seattle-and-SanFrancisco-based Caitlin Jones Design, who recently completed a moody custom wine room with floor-to-ceiling wooden built-ins in Sonoma County. “Right now, people want to entertain their friends at home and have a sophisticated place to do it,” she adds.