Creating an outdoor bar for your yard is more than just a design choice-it’s a social statement. It’s about becoming the go-to spot for entertaining guests, hosting parties, or providing the family with the perfect chill-out and hangout zone. It’s about elevating your standing and introducing your home as the ultimate party house.
Whether you envision an open-air bar standing proudly next to your seating area or a closed-in bar complete with a pool table, jukebox, mood lighting, and bar stools, the design is entirely up to you. With some simple pointers, you can create the perfect home bar that reflects your unique style and meets your specific needs.
Location
Location matters, and you need to determine where your outdoor bar is going to go if you don’t have a pre-existing structure you’re using. The bar needs to be accessible from the home yet be its own separate entity, too. If you need to be lugging a drink or resources, i.e., clean glasses from the house, you don’t want to be located at the furthest end of the garden. But you don’t want it too close to interfere with the flow from the house to the yard.
Size
How big do you want your bar? Is it going to be a little tiki hut-style bar that can sit alongside a fence and be a more discreet addition? Or do you want a bigger purpose-built bar that forms part of an outdoor kitchen that elevates an outdoor dining area? The size of your bar needs to be relevant to the size of the garden and the area you are commandeering for seating in the space.
Focal Point
You need to know if you want the bar to be the focal point of your yard or if you want it to blend into the design and be more understated. There is no right or wrong answer, but if you already have a focal point, then it might be a good idea to choose a discreet bar that compliments it and not overshadows it. But again, there is no harm in creating your landscaping and outdoor decor around a bar area to help you make it the main feature everyone visits for.
Features
What features do you want to include in your garden bar? You can have a bar cart you can easily roll out, or maybe you prefer to add in a fridge to store drinks, optics for spirit measures, or even install a kegerator to be able to pull the perfect pint.
Of course, the size and style of your bar will dictate the complexity of the features you install, but at a minimum, you need somewhere to store drink glassware and accessories and have a space to make the drinks, whether using tools or by hand.
Personalization
Once you’ve found the perfect space and size for your bar and have determined the features you want, it’s time to make it your own. Personalization is key to creating a space that truly reflects your personality and style. From choosing a personalized bar and grill sign to selecting lighting, mirrors, seating arrangements, drink accessories, and glassware, every detail helps you create a theme and pull everything together. It’s not just a space where you pour drinks-it’s a space to enjoy and show off your unique style.
