40 Stylish Home Bars Squeezed Into Small Spaces

You don’t need a lot of square footage to fit a home bar into your plans. Discover our stylish and space-savvy ideas for incorporating a cocktail station into your home, be it palatial or petite.

Keep in mind: Price and stock could change after publish date, and we may make money from these affiliate links.

By: Maria Conti and Amanda Lecky

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Kacey Gilpin

Photo By: Stacy Zarin Goldberg, Contractor & Construction: Fine Point Construction Co.

Photo By: Rebecca McAlpin

Photo By: Jared Kuzia Photography

Photo By: Laura Lochrin

Photo By: Rikki Snyder

Photo By: Jeff Herr

Photo By: Paul S Bartholomew Photography

Photo By: Vivian Johnson

Photo By: Jeff Herr

Photo By: Pinewood Forest

Photo By: John McClain

Photo By: Amy Bartlam

Photo By: Vivian Johnson

Photo By: Jose Manuel Alorda

Photo By: Mike Van Tassell

Photo By: Emily Followill

Photo By: Kris Tamburello; Design By: Amy Lau, Amy Lau Design

Photo By: Christina Shields Photography; Design By: Leanne Ford, Leanne Ford Interiors

Photo By: Brian Podnos

Photo By: Sean Litchfield

Photo By: Ashley Avila; Design By: Amy Darooge, Villa Decor

Photo By: @properties, a member of Luxury Portfolio International

Photo By: heredwelling; Design By: Leanne Ford Interiors

Photo By: Katie Fiedler

Photo By: Margaret Wright

Photo By: Vivian Johnson

Photo By: Reid Rolls; Design By: Leanne Ford, Leanne Ford Interiors

Photo By: Justin Alexander; Design By: Alex Heyko-Porebski and Victoria D’Alisa, Porebski Architects

Photo By: John Merkl

Photo By: Michael Moran

Photo By: Sandro de Carvalho, Sandro de Carvalho Photography; Design By: Anthony DeRosa, DeRosa Builders

Photo By: Alan Tansey; Design By: Michael K. Chen, MKCA Architecture

Photo By: Robin Baron

Photo By: Greg Hadley; Design By: Gretchen Brown, Harry Braswell, Inc.

Small Home Bar Ideas

Working with small parameters but desperate to add a bar to your home? It's not the size of your libation station that matters; it's how you use it (and style it!) that counts. All you need to create the home bar of your dreams is a little imagination, a few bottles of booze and, potentially, a hall closet to spare. We're serving up 40 small-space bar designs to inspire your very own happy hour escape in your home.

See More Photos: 80+ Bar Design Ideas for Your Home

From: Mel Bean Interiors

Convert a Closet

They say birds of a feather flock together, and we're flocking to this Moorish-style closet bar ASAP. The elusive and artful dry bar is the masterpiece of New York-based designer Harry Heissmann in collaboration with muralist Staszek Kotowski. Together, Heissmann and Kotowski combine scallops, tassels and whimsical ostrich elements throughout to yield a playful spot to kick-start happy hour.

Glamour Shot(s)

Interior designer Zoe Feldman shows how to pack big style into small spaces with this glamorous wet bar. Geometric mauve, marigold and teal wall tiles serve as a show-stopping backdrop to the equally spectacular ceiling-mounted brass shelving unit overhead. White oak flat-panel cabinets and movement-rich marble counters extend the length of the wall below, offering ample (and chic) space to prep, serve and sip on cocktails.

From: Zoe Feldman Design

Add a Splash of Citrus

Who doesn't love a splash of citrus in their cocktail, right? This lively teal butler's pantry delivers in spades with a showy lemon wallpaper, glossy Shaker cabinets and brass latch hardware. In the corner, a traditional copper faucet provides a spot for hand-washing glassware and garnishes alike; luxurious liquor bottles and bowls of fresh limes are stored on the counter to ensure a stiff drink is within arm's reach always.

From: Michelle Gage

Coastal Watering Hole

Interior designer Kristina Crestin wields honey-stained wood cabinetry, pearly subway tile and polished nickel hardware to create a wet bar brimming with coastal flair in this sunny family home. The space-saving L-shaped bar design lends ample open shelving for glassware storage and generous counter space to mix a spritz (or two) at the end of the day.

From: Kristina Crestin

Diamonds Are a Bar's Best Friend

Mirrored-gem mosaic tiles shine bright between a pair of slate ceiling-height wall cabinets in this dreamy wet bar designed by Laura Lonchrin Interiors. Floating white oak shelves bridge the gap between the cabinets, providing an understated space to showcase glassware or keep celebratory prosecco within reach.

From: Laura Lochrin Interiors

Brimming With Style

"This area, which is part of a large entertaining room, used to be empty, so we had the idea to continue the bar cabinets from around the corner," says designer Timothy Godbold. He maxed out wall space by varying the lengths of the reclaimed oak shelves, where bottles and glasses look fabulous shown off.

See More Photos: 5 Creative Ways to Use the Spare Space Under Your Staircase

From: HGTV Magazine

Mediterranean Magic

Updated stainless steel appliances join forces with timeworn Mediterranean finishes in this alcove home bar. Painted terra cotta tiles, muted olive cabinetry and antique brass hardware wrap the corner with warmth, while snowy marble counters strike through the space to balance and brighten the design.

From: James Farmer

Happiest Hour

Interior designer Swati Goorha proves more is, indeed, more in this midcentury marvel. A floral-papered ceiling and wall give way to brass and glass shelving, gray wood bar cabinets and black and white marble floors underfoot. A peacock blue accent wall grounds the whimsical space, while a mahogany demilune bar and matching stool ground the design.

From: Swati Goorha

Day-to-Night Drink Stop

Pared-back and pretty, this contemporary wet bar offers an idyllic space to both sip your morning coffee and mix your evening cocktail. Designer Caitlin Jones Ghajar combines warm, flat-panel wood cabinetry with streamlined brass hardware and snowy quartz counters to achieve a clean look. Two wall-mounted marble shelves provide storage for dishes, bar accessories are housed within a round marble tray and a built-in wine fridge keeps vino chilled below.

From: Caitlin Jones Ghajar

Toast-Worthy Traditional

Why let the space under your stairs sit vacant when you can fill it with a custom bar like this beauty? Interior designer James Farmer maximizes the cozy nook with a wet bar featuring bamboo-inspired cypress cabinetry, heirloom silver serveware, a petite table lamp and a polished nickel faucet. Farmer rounds out the pint-sized watering hole with a lush, larger-than-life magnolia arrangement and a bowl of fresh oranges.

From: James Farmer

Open Invitation

The only thing better than a curated console table in your entryway is a well-appointed wet bar. We're taking notes from this modern-bohemian abode featuring an inviting bar just beyond the threshold. The sleek sandstone countertops, glossy cabinets and curated art collection pack panache into the design while creating a natural gathering space for friends and family alike.

See More Photos: Entryway Envy: 30 Vibrant Foyers We Love

Buzz-Worthy Addition

Interior designer John McClain maximizes the space beneath the stairs with a built-in wine fridge, a stone-painted storage cabinet and a fully-equipped champagne serving tray. Crisp white countertops create chic contrast against the moody onyx walls and complement the white trim featured throughout the rest of the room.

From: John McClain Design

Mixing With a View

This pint-sized wet bar is nestled beneath an iron-framed window and packed to the brim with glamour. Noteworthy features include satin Aegean cabinets, crystal knobs, gilt wallpaper, Calacatta gold counters and an unlacquered brass faucet.

From: Jenn Feldman Designs

Classic in the Making

Clean lines combine with timeworn materials to create a classic, cozy kitchen bar nook. The polished cabinet features a marble counter and a pewter serving tray piled high with spirits, mixers and bar accessories aplenty. Above, a pair of golden pine shelves store recipe books and fluffy white blooms; an inky, textural urn completes the bar with a touch of Old World charm.

From: White Arrow

Arched + Elegant

This arched kitchen bar cabinet serves as a head-turning focal point in the otherwise understated kitchen design. Its elegant, curved silhouette, warm oak finish and sleek glass doors bring refinement to the space. Cerulean tiles line the cabinet interior, serving as a saturated backdrop for the homeowner's stemware collection.

From: Lisa Furtado

Hide-and-Seek Sips

Interior designer Ann Lowengart spares no detail or expense in this luxurious modern living room. The secret wet bar is built into the fireplace wall, lined with a slab of gold-veined black marble and tempered glass shelving to showcase serveware and spirits alike.

From: Ann Lowengart

Elevated Alcove

This little, formerly unused alcove is located in a pass-through space in the home. The once overlooked area is now a cheers-worthy home bar complete with lacquered peacock cabinets, a honeycomb wine rack and a fiery embossed wall covering backsplash that extends to the ceiling overhead. Our favorite part? The built-in wine fridge and divine designer gemstone cabinet hardware.

From: Swati Goorha

Wrapped in Shiplap

Happy hour drinks are always within reach in this fresh farmhouse kitchen. The bar nook is wrapped in shiplap, then finished out with contemporary lower cabinets, creamy marble countertops and a pair of floating shelves for wine and spirit storage.

From: Carter Kay

Perfect Balance

In a New York City apartment with a spectacular view of the city skyline, designer Amy Lau brought in gorgeous, sweeping curves and natural materials to the design of the built-in wet bar to offset the linear visuals. "Organic shapes and materials strike the perfect balance with the cityscape," she says.

Midas Touch

Imagine popping a bottle of bubbly at this high-glamour hideaway bar. The modern home wet bar embodies luxury with polished black marble counters, contrasting white cabinets and glass shelving secured with unlacquered brass brackets. The pièce de résistance? The hand-painted metallic gold ceiling glowing overhead.

From: Maestri Studio

Bar on Wheels

For flexibility in a small space, consider creating a bar from a cart or cabinet on wheels, as designer Leanne Ford did here. When styling your bar, "mix your bottles and glassware with special odds and ends that have meaning to you," says Ford. "That will give the space some character and turn your bar into something special for you and your guests to enjoy."

Hidden Agenda

This grasscloth-adorned speakeasy-style closet bar is an unassuming libation station that includes multiple pull-out drawers filled to the brim with serveware, floating shelves for tidy glassware display and a pull-out workstation made for mixing drinks and swapping stories as you go.

Dramatic + Dreamy

Understated is so overrated. At least, that's the case in this maximalist art deco bar. Rich peacock walls create an ambient backdrop to an unlacquered brass wall shelving unit and movement-rich marble bar counter. A matching brass faucet and minimalist brass hardware create cohesion in this space, while a flashy fan-style sconce creates mood lighting from the wall overhead.

See More Photos: 25 Designer Tips for Bringing Trendy Maximalism Into Your Home

From: Casagrande Studio

Rustic Revival

Beyond offering a place to mix drinks, a wet bar can play an important design role in a home with an open layout, linking the kitchen workspace with the entertaining areas of the house. Here, designer Amy Darooge used rustic materials to create a coherent style throughout. She chose distressed wood cabinetry, a copper sink and faucet and a live-edge walnut counter.

Wine + Dine Duo

A refrigerator to your left and a built-in bar to your right — what more could anyone ask for? This space-saving layout makes quick work of party prep and creates a designated space to serve charcuterie and sangria for a fun night in.

From: Breegan Jane

Attic Escape

We definitely wouldn't mind spending an extended amount of time in this attic. And, yes, our reasoning has everything to do with the fact that this attic comes equipped with an enviable custom wet bar. Two skylights drench the modern space with sunlight, enhancing the bar cabinet's hand-painted gold finish and inky marble counters.

From: @properties and Luxury Portfolio International®

Green With Envy

This perfectly situated home bar, located between the kitchen, family room and dining room, serves as a hub for entertaining family and friends. Equipped with a hidden ice maker, copper sink and plenty of storage, this beauty houses everything needed for hosting an unforgettable event right at your fingertips. Our favorite part, though? The electric green lacquered walls and wallpaper ceiling that come together to yield a small space with major style.

From: Sara Hillery Interior Design

Cabinet Decision

If you really want a bar but don't have space to spare, consider using existing architecture elements to corral your spirits and glassware. "A lot of older houses have corner cabinets in the dining rooms," says designer Leanne Ford. "If you have one, take advantage of it. This is a great place to stash your prettiest glassware and liquor bottles. Paint the cabinet high-gloss black to modernize the space and give it an extra shine."

Next-Level Staircase Bar

Caramel-stained cabinets, mirrored backsplash and sleek brass hardware? Now, this is what you call a stare-worthy staircase. Built-in shelves of varying lengths neatly fill up the narrow top area; below them, a sink, cabinets and an integrated mini-fridge are ready to get the next cocktail party started.

From: Cortney Bishop Design

The Art of the Mix

Italian marble, shiplap walls and white oak shelving — oh my! This contemporary watering hole checks all our design wish lists, and then some. The cool color story and curated mix of materials embolden the otherwise petite nook, creating a gathering space to serve and sip drinks on any occasion.

From: JLV Creative

Hideaway Bar

This hidden bar boasts a character-rich exposed brick wall on one side and a wall of luxurious dove gray cabinetry on the other. Creamy white marble counters expand the length of one wall, creating plenty of prep space for mixing big batch cocktails and special nightcaps alike. A marble farmhouse sink with unlacquered brass faucets offers the perfect place to wash hands and rinse off drinkware when the party comes to an end.

From: Caitlin Jones Ghajar

Shelf Life

Just because space is tight doesn't mean you have to forgo the convenience of a bar area. This compact example, tucked into spare shelves beneath a staircase, is a perfect example. Save a little bit of room on a bookshelf and let the bottles mix in with other treasures and books.

Family Friendly

Nestled in the corner of a large kitchen designed for a family of five, this small wet bar was planned to serve the needs of the entire clan. It's prepped and ready to hold all of the fixings for adult beverages, but instead of wine storage, a chilled fridge space was incorporated for water bottles, children's drinks and beverages.

From: Terracotta Design Build

Hide and Sleek

The clever location of this wet bar, in an entry foyer easily accessible from formal living areas, makes great use of an often-wasted space. When not in use, the bar can be closed off behind bi-folding joinery panels that match the staircase to remain unnoticed. Timber veneered cabinets and shelves and mirrored panels on the walls add glamour to the bar's interior.

Contemporary Built-In

Tucked between two closet doors, this contemporary built-in mini-bar wows with metallic bronze and navy blue wallpaper inserts. Two floating shelves offer plenty of storage for bottles and barware. A bold blue cabinet with shiny chrome pulls offers hidden storage, topped with a matching countertop.

From: studioHEIMAT

Small but Mighty

Concealed behind pocket doors that help it blend into the wall when not in use, this bar boasts remarkably rich storage despite its small size. It not only includes storage for 32 bottles of wine, a full supply of spirits and plenty of glassware, but the small bar also features integrated lighting.

From: James Wagman Architect

Closet Case

During the renovation of a home in Greenwich, Conn., Anthony DeRosa of DeRosa Builders was able to incorporate a wet bar into the design of the family room without adding on or stealing space from the seating area. "We fit the bar into a little-used closet," says DeRosa.

Total Transformation

To make the most of the limited square footage of a New York City apartment, architect Michael K. Chen created a now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t "party wall." By day, all that is visible in the entry of the home is a wall of sleekly lacquered cabinets and drawers. But after dark, the panels open to reveal a full bar with refrigeration and tap as well as storage with integral LED lighting.

Design Matters

Because it's often an entertaining focal point, the styling of a wet bar is particularly important. Textured walls along a sculptural and lit art installation create an eye-catching backdrop. Throw in a few key accessories, like decorative glasses and decanters, and you set the stage for fabulous entertaining.

Perfect Placement

Even the tiniest wet bar will be a boon for entertaining if you choose the right spot for it. "It makes sense to fit the bar near the traffic pattern of the party," says Gretchen Brown, who created this diminutive 3 1/2-foot-wide by 2-foot-deep drink station using custom cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore's Snowfall White.

40 Stylish Home Bars Squeezed Into Small Spaces

Related To:

Shop This Look

Small Home Bar Ideas

Convert a Closet

Glamour Shot(s)

Add a Splash of Citrus

Coastal Watering Hole

Diamonds Are a Bar's Best Friend

Brimming With Style

Mediterranean Magic

Happiest Hour

Day-to-Night Drink Stop

Toast-Worthy Traditional

Open Invitation

Buzz-Worthy Addition

Mixing With a View

Classic in the Making

Arched + Elegant

Hide-and-Seek Sips

Elevated Alcove

Wrapped in Shiplap

Perfect Balance

Midas Touch

Bar on Wheels

Hidden Agenda

Dramatic + Dreamy

Rustic Revival

Wine + Dine Duo

Attic Escape

Green With Envy

Cabinet Decision

Next-Level Staircase Bar

The Art of the Mix

Hideaway Bar

Shelf Life

Family Friendly

Hide and Sleek

Contemporary Built-In

Small but Mighty

Closet Case

Total Transformation

Design Matters

Perfect Placement

More from:

Small Spaces Design Guide

50 Small Bathroom Design Ideas & Solutions 51 Photos

The Best Space-Saving Gym Equipment for Breaking a Sweat at Home

How to Make a Space-Saving Folding Outdoor Bar

Small-Space Home Offices 9 Photos

Extreme Small Spaces 10 Videos

Smart Organizing Ideas for Small Spaces 11 Photos