Posts Tagged ‘bar’

Getting The Most From Your Home Bar

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Building a home bar is a fun and exciting task. Your home bar will be the center of good times at your household, leaving your friends and family with good memories and thankful of the excellent host that your are.

If you’re planning your bar from scratch, it may help you to gather some photos of your favorite bars or search online for bar photos to inspire you, then use these to decorate your bar along the same lines.

Below you’ll find 8 tips for building your home bar:

Define the ethos of your home bar. Choose a color scheme that accents your personality. For starters, dark colors of blue, green or brown are ideal as they have a soothing effect.

Make sure your seating is cozy, but not too cozy. You want your guests to be comfortable, but you don’t want them so comfortable that they’re falling asleep at your bar. This is partly why bar stools typically don’t have a back rest. Not having a back rest also encourages people to lean over the bar and get more engaged in the conversation.

Install a sound system. This is an essential. A bar without music is like a beach with no sand. Background music will set the mood for a good time, and usually ends up at full-blast by the end of the night.

TV for Sports, Music Videos, or Games. Weather its for watching Sunday football, background visuals and music videos, or playing Rock Bank with your friends, a good TV will help to entertain your guests and make them feel at home.

Keg Cooler. This is one of the features that will have all your buddies over at your house every weekend. As sure as beer is cold and flowing out of your home bar tap, people will be there to drink it with you. If it gets too out of control, throw a keg fund jar out.

Get the essential barware. Ensure that you have everything you need for making drinks when you need them. This includes a drink shaker, a pitcher, barware glasses (martini, beer, highball, lowball, etc…), swizzle sticks, napkins, rim salter, drink pourers, etc…

A bar sink to clean up. When it is wind-up time, it’s much easier to do the cleaning and cleansing there in your bar instead of transporting your job to the kitchen.

Dont skimp on the lighting. Lighting is one of the things that can make the biggest impact to your home bar. With a small investment in some recessed lighting or dimmers, you can transform your bar from dull to delightful.

If you take the time to plan out your home bar and don’t overlook the details, you’ll end up with a fun place to hang out and celebrate with your friends and family, providing great memories for years to come.

Looking for ideas to deck out your home bar? Try a theme like tiki home bar or nautical barware.

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Classy Bar Sinks

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

There is no better way to complete your wet bar or entertaining area than with a new bar sink. You can find all kinds of designs and styles to complete your bar and your room. Whether it is located in a formal dining area, family room or recreational area, you will need a sink to complete the bar.

Bar sinks will add that touch of elegance to your beverage area. There are many styles to choice from to meet your needs. You can select a drop in sink, an under mount bar sink, the farmhouse sink and the vessel bar sink. You can have a bar that is custom made for your gathering space or a sideboard counter or one that is built into the wall. Wherever your bar is, you need to make sure that you have access to plumbing to connect the sink. Many bar areas will have a small refrigerator for sodas and beer. Some may have a wine cooler as well. A small icemaker may complete the space. A great looking bar sink will enhance the look of the bar. There are so many great ideas that you can find in-home decorating magazines and on the internet, especially those design show websites. Bar sinks are often small to fit compact spaces.

The drop in bar sink is very simple to install into a pre cut hole in the counter top. It will need to be sealed to prevent water from getting under the rim. These can be found in a variety of designs and shapes. You can purchase round, oval, square and corner style. These can be made from porcelain, fiberglass, stainless steel, and copper. You can find many bar sink faucets that will be a perfect fit for these sinks. Often the faucets are smaller to accommodate the small bar sink.

An under mount sink is set under the counter which makes the counter look as if it has no seams. This clean style of sink looks great under granite, stone, or ceramic counters. The edges near the sink often will have smooth rounded edges. This type of sink gives elegance and style to any room. A modern style of a bar sink faucet will look terrific.

A farmhouse bar sink is inset under the counter with the front of the sink exposed. This type has a rustic look to it, but with the right counter can be very modern. A copper bar sink or granite resin sink would make a beautiful sink material for this use. With this sink, many faucets would make a great accompaniment.

The vessel or basin sink is a bowl or custom shaped basin or bowl that can be made of glass, inlaid tiles, copper or ceramic that is mounted on top of the counter with a wall mount or elongated faucet mounted behind the vessel for the water source. These are very modern looking and usually require a larger counter top.

Bar sinks can be made of many different kinds of materials including, china, porcelain, cast iron glazed, glass, and copper granite resin. China, porcelain and cast iron glazed bar sinks can come in different colors with inlaid glass or designs. There are copper bar sinks with a high gloss shine for a smooth finish. There are also copper bar sinks with an artisan hammered textured finish that add a rich beauty to any room.

A bar sink will complete your overall bar design. It can be purchased in a variety of shapes and styles based on your tastes. You can find these sinks at many home improvement stores or look on the internet for great choices for a good price.

When researching bar sinks, be sure to check out the author’s bar sink guide for all the information you need.

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Shopping for Bar Sinks

Friday, December 25th, 2009

Installing a bar sinks in your home kitchen or commercial bar is a step embracing style and quality in the same product. Some people may not expect that a bar sink would be a useful addition to their home, a decidedly non-commercial space. The durability and utility of a bar sink will appeal to any serious cook, and its sleek appearance will do wonders for the overall image of the room. Because bar sinks come in a variety of sizes and styles, they are not limited to cooks who handle large meals on a regular basis.

Bar sinks often come in stainless steel models as well as copper versions. Both are strong and resilient, and the warmth exuded by burnished copper is unmatched by any other material.

One example of the perfect use of the copper bar sink is a kitchen equipped with marble countertops and stone details in neutral colors. As the name suggests, a copper bar sink may also be used for a casual or formal at-home bar.

The cost of a copper or steel bar sink depends on the size, and even though the materials are high quality, affordable versions can be found quite easily. FSA Imports offers a copper bar sink for as low as $299, while other models may range from $400 to $800. Budget shoppers will appreciate sources such as overstock.com and Wal-Mart, which usually have the lowest prices on items such as bar sinks and bar sink faucets.

Bar sink, faucets are in general taller and more arched than other faucets, which make them handy for spaces, which get a lot of traffic in terms of cleaning large items. While kitchen styles may change every few years, bar sink faucets tend to transcend trends due to their high-quality materials and classic design. Delta, Kohler, and American Standard are three companies known for their reliable products, which have a luxurious appearance for a bargain price.

An under mount bar sink is yet another option for the design-conscious decorator. Under mount bar sinks tend to cost less than their full counterparts cost, and can be customized to fit unusual designs. One interesting model is an under mount sink shaped like a martini glass, a kitschy touch for a home bar. Stainless steel under mount bar sinks can cost as low as $65, which makes them a great alternative for people shopping on a restricted budget.

The installation of a bar sink will give your kitchen or bar a modern sensibility, whether you opt for an undermount or full, in stainless steel or copper. Durable and easy to clean, in terms of function the bar sink is an instant upgrade from its competitors.

Whatever style of bar sink you prefer, comparison-shopping online will ensure that you find the lowest price available. The preponderance of home retail stores online makes it easier than ever for consumers to read reviews of particular products and make informed decisions, so take advantage of your full resources and find the right bar sink for your needs!

When researching bar sinks, be sure to check out the author’s bar sinks guide for all the information you need.

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Leather Bar Stools Make A Classy Kitchen

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Historically leather chairs were in the sole purview of the rich and famous or perhaps hidden away in private men’s clubs, the types of clubs frequented politicians, doctors and powerful business men. Thankfully those days are gone. Nothing quite adds a splash of class quite like leather bar stools, and now these chairs are affordable to all.

These days leather bar stools are becoming more and more commonly available. They can be found in middle class homes and an assortment of business ventures. Although slightly more expensive than other bar stools, in many ways leather furniture can make a lot of sense. Accidental spills can very often be taken care of with a quick wipe with a damp cloth. Leather is also very durable which can add years to the lifespan of your bar stool. Not to mention that leather bar stools are darn comfortable. Bar stools made with Grade A or first quality leather can look good for years.

On today’s market he stools are available in either the standard 30″ or the shorter 24″ styles. It goes without saying that the height of the stool must match the height of the bar or perhaps table that is to be serviced by the stools. The smaller 24″ stools are often the best choice if they are to be used by children however, the height will depend entirely on the height of the table of bar.

Leather bar stools are available in any color you can imagine. I have personally seen dark tan, light tan, black, green, white, brown and red stools. Specially commissioned made bar stools can be manufactured in any color your heart desires. The legs of the bar stool can be stained a natural wood colour or painted or covered in leather.

These stools also come in a natural colored leather sling version which has a bit of a tex-mex aura. You can find stools with backs and arms, stools with only backs and stools without backs at all. Stools with a cushioned seat are generally more comfortable than those without but you might find that they don’t wear as well as the foam loses some of it’s form. The stool you chose is all a matter of personal choice.

Did we mention that leather bar stools are easy to clean? With a moderate bit of care, these stools can serve your family for decades. If you see some wearing on the arms of the stool you might want to rub in some protective oil. Make sure you wipe off excess oil before anyone sits on the stool. To further protect your leather furniture you can spray on a leather protector when you first purchase the chairs and every six months thereafter. Leather furniture seems to look richer as it ages. Good quality leather bar stools are well worth the cost.

Find more articles on leather bar stools by visiting Bar Stools Blogspot.

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24″ Bar Stools

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

If you think about bar stools for a minute, you typically get a certain image in your head of ba patrons bellied up to the bar, beer stein or cocktail in hand, chatting with the bartender and the local “Norm” at the end of the bar. Bar stools were always designed so you could sit comfortably with your elbows on the bar, which was also standard bar height, equally good for resting your elbows on when standing. Well, bar stools have evolved.

For literally centuries, bar stools were 30 inches in height. Of course, the height was specifically engineered so that a person could comfortably belly up to the bar and consume much ale. The bar stools were generally constructed from oak or another hardwood. The stools were firmly balanced upon 4 legs that were each attached to the underside of the stool seat a few inches towards the centre from each corner. As you can imagine, having a sturdy base of support was an important element in early bar stools.

In the swinging 60s, a few people were incorporating bars into their homes and accordingly bar stools began to make a small appear in residential settings. The old wooden stools from pubs were popular but at this point we were seeing the emergence of metal and chrome bar stools. The wooden bar stools were found in basement or recreation room bars while the chrome and padded bar stool were most often found in living rooms and poolside.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, most bar stool, be they commercial or residential, were 30 inches high. During the late 1980s we began to see the advent of the 24 inch bar stool. This smaller bar stool is now the most popular type of residential bar stool.

The short bar stool size is a good choice for family homes, where children will be using the bar for things like breakfast, snacks and doing projects or finishing their homework as mom makes lunch for the next day. It is also a very convenient height for adults who have trouble with the higher standard 30″ models.

The old oak bar stools found in pubs now almost seem antiquated. These days 24 inch bar stool are as common as 30 inch bar stool. Most major department stores will stock a variety of both types. Specialty furniture stores will either stock or be able to order many different types and models. Bar stool are wooden, metal, resin and/or upholstered. There are 30 ” or 24 ” bar stools to suit every taste.

To find out more information, click here or visit the website Bar Stool Man.

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