We all know that people gravitate to where food and drinks are being served, and adding a bar in your home is fairly easy—kitchen and/or cabinet designers across New Jersey make it happen for their clients all the time. You can be next.
By definition, a wet bar features a sink with running water, whereas a dry bar is a space where you can prepare drinks without the luxury of plumbing. But both are great options for your home, whether you want to set one up in a living room, a dining room or as part of an entertaining space in the basement.
To get some inspo for your own space, scroll down to see a handful of wet bars and dry bars that have been featured in NJ HOME magazine. Like every other spot in your home, a bar can be a great way to inject some personal style (and fun)! Just an FYI: These designs set the bar high…
Jaclyn Isaac of Doni Douglas Designs turned this Edgewater home into a Miami-inspired bachelor pad. The fourth floor patio is an indoor/outdoor haven featuring a wet bar/workstation that’s complete with a mini fridge and bold brass shelving by CB2.
Who says the bar needs to be hidden and tucked into a corner? Not designer Barbara Hendrzak of her eponymous firm, who made the bar the focal point in this Springfield living room. Its chevron tiles and bold black cabinets complement the art seen elsewhere in this family’s “forever home.”
If you have the space to turn your bar into a full-on room, we say go for it. That’s what this Ridgewood couple did. Designer Anthony Passanante of Anthony Albert Studios created a whiskey room located just off the dining room, where the man of the house can show off his bottle collection with illuminated shelving. It’s essentially a bar-within-a-bar, with a round hammered brass sink and leather-finished granite countertops.
This Franklin Lakes living room was largely unused—the homeowners even called it the “No Go Room”—until designer Danielle Palmadessa of DRP Interiors got to work on it. She gave the space multiple functional “zones,” including a sitting area, a music area for the homeowners’ guitars and piano and a custom bar, complete with illuminated shelving and a trio of grommeted bar stools.
The bar doesn’t have to be designated for only alcoholic beverages. For her doctor client in Passaic County, designer Pam Cooper of Cooper Interiors turned the dry bar into an extension of the kitchen, featuring a microwave, a wine fridge and extra counter space. A stem rack and bottle storage make it clear, though, that imbibing is encouraged.
The inset bar, nestled behind a staircase in the great room of this three-story home on Long Beach Island, was originally designed to be a closet. But when the clients asked if there was space for a bar on the main floor, designers Donna and Victoria Grimes of Serenity Design obliged and transformed the nook into a bar with wooden shelves and ample counter space.
This home in Brielle didn’t have a designated family room, but that wasn’t an issue for designer Yelena Gerts of House of Style & Design Interiors. She transformed the sitting area off the kitchen into a hangout space for the family and their guests; she chose a large-format tile for behind the dry bar, which contains a fridge, a sink and on-the-wall wine bottle storage to create visual interest. Additionally, there’s a wet bar in the basement across from a large, kid-friendly sectional.