Home Bars & Back Bars

A well-placed bar can change how a room feels. It might be a quiet cabinet that opens up for a nightcap, a generous back bar in an entertaining space, or a discrete drinks station that supports everyday rituals. At Make Bespoke Studio we design and deliver bespoke home bars and back bars for high-end homes, apartments, hotels and amenity spaces – working closely with interior designers and architects.

Why home bars and back bars matter

Bars sit at the intersection of hosting, everyday life and occasional ritual. Done well, they feel effortless – always ready when needed, quietly blending back into the room when not in use.

·        creating a natural focal point for entertaining without dominating the space

·        keeping glasses, spirits and barware organised so that hosting feels calm rather than improvised

·        allowing coffee, tea and soft drinks to share space with cocktails and wine when appropriate

·        supporting small daily rituals – a morning coffee, an evening drink – in a way that feels considered

Home bars in private residences

In private homes and apartments, bars range from compact drinks cabinets to full-height back bars and bar islands. We design joinery that suits how each household entertains – from quiet evenings to larger gatherings.

·        Kitchen-adjacent bars – Bars integrated with or close to the main kitchen, often using shared materials and profiles so that they feel part of one composition.

·        Living room and snug bars – Back bars or concealed cabinets in living rooms and snugs, often sitting alongside media walls and storage.

·        Dining room credenzas and sideboards – Sideboards that serve as both storage and bar, with internal layouts for bottles, glassware and linens.

·        Garden rooms and outdoor-adjacent bars – Bars positioned to serve terraces and gardens, with materials and details tuned for light and views.

These schemes typically sit within wider Residential Joinery packages and are often developed alongside Bespoke Kitchens & Pantries, Fitted Storage & Alcove Units and Media Walls & TV Joinery so that entertaining spaces read as one coherent whole.

Bars and back bars in hospitality and amenity projects

In hospitality, bar joinery needs to support intense, repeated use while maintaining a strong visual identity. Back bars carry a large part of the guest experience – from first impressions at a lobby bar to the character of a members’ lounge.

·        Lobby and lounge bars – Front-of-house bars where the back bar forms a key visual anchor, often visible from multiple vantage points.

·        Members’ club and amenity bars – Bars within members’ clubs and amenity floors, where joinery must balance day-time coffee service with evening cocktails.

·        In-room and suite bars – Smaller integrated bars or honour bars within suites and guest rooms, often sharing language with wardrobes and media units.

Larger bar schemes typically sit under Hospitality Bars & Back Counters within our broader Hospitality Joinery offering, often in close dialogue with Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery and Reception Desks & Lobby Joinery. In-room bars are usually coordinated with Hotel Guestroom Joinery, Wardrobes & Dressing Rooms and Media Walls & TV Joinery.

Storage, display and workflow

Bar joinery has to reconcile display and concealment. Some clients want a strong, theatrical back bar; others prefer everything hidden until needed. We plan storage around real collections and routines.

·        tiered bottle display with integrated lighting where a more expressive back bar is appropriate

·        closed storage for everyday bottles, bar tools and less decorative items

·        glassware storage that keeps glasses close to hand but protected from dust and damage

·        space for refrigeration, ice, mixers and garnishes without cluttering work surfaces

Internal layouts often draw on principles from Fitted Storage & Alcove Units and Bespoke Kitchens & Pantries, ensuring that everything has a clear place and that day-to-day use feels intuitive.

Lighting, mirrors and atmosphere

Lighting is critical to how a bar feels. It can make the difference between something that looks flat during the day and magical at night.

·        integrated lighting to shelves and niches that highlights bottles and objects without creating glare

·        soft backlighting to mirrors or panels that gives depth and a subtle glow

·        task lighting to work surfaces that avoids dazzle for guests sitting nearby

·        considered switching and dimming so that bars can move from day to evening modes smoothly

We coordinate lighting with design teams, aligning details with the broader palettes set out on Joinery Styles and Materials.

Materials, finishes and durability

Bars are high-contact, high-risk areas – subject to spills, glassware, bottles and frequent cleaning. Materials have to be robust enough for the task whilst still delivering the atmosphere the scheme calls for.

We build palettes from our Materials library – timbers, veneers, lacquers, laminates, stones, metals and specialist finishes – and align them with stylistic directions on Joinery Styles.

·        durable worktop surfaces sized and detailed for real bar service – from natural stones to composites and metals

·        fronts and pilasters that can handle knocks from bar stools and foot traffic

·        back panels and shelving materials that cope with repeated contact and cleaning products

·        hardware and hinges specified for frequent use, including soft-close mechanisms where appropriate

In hospitality projects we pay particular attention to edge protection, plinth details and access panels so that maintenance can happen without compromising the appearance of the bar.

Integration with services and AV

Bars bring together water, drainage, power, refrigeration, ventilation and sometimes AV. We coordinate these elements in detail so that the front-of-house experience remains clean and uncluttered.

·        planning for undercounter fridges, ice makers, wine fridges and glasswashers with appropriate ventilation and access

·        coordinating waste, drainage and water supplies with mechanical and plumbing teams from an early stage

·        allowing for POS, sound systems and screens where required, particularly in hospitality and amenity settings

·        designing access panels and removable elements so that services remain maintainable over time

These considerations are handled as part of our wider Bespoke Joinery process and reflected clearly in our technical drawings and schedules.

Working with architecture and context

Bars often occupy residual or transitional spaces – corners of living rooms, ends of kitchens, niches in corridors or lobbies. We use the architecture as a framework rather than fighting it.

·        sitting bars within niches and alcoves so that, when closed, they read as calm storage or panelling

·        using full-height backdrops, mirrors and panelling to make smaller bars feel more generous

·        tying bar elevations into wider Wall Panelling & Architectural Joinery and Internal Doors & Screens strategies so that they feel part of the overall language of the project.

In heritage or period-style projects we are careful to respect existing mouldings and proportions, drawing on approaches captured within

Heritage & Period-Style Joinery where appropriate, while still delivering the functionality expected of a contemporary bar.

Our process for home bars and back bars

Our approach to bar joinery follows the same clear stages as our wider

Bespoke Joinery work, with an emphasis on storage planning, atmosphere and integration with services.

1. Brief & collection review We begin by understanding how the bar will be used – everyday versus entertaining, favourite drinks, glassware and equipment, and how visible the bar should be when not in use.

2. Room and context study We review plans, sections and site photos – or visit in person – to understand light, views, adjacencies and how the bar relates to nearby kitchens, seating and circulation.

3. Layout options and elevations We develop options for bar layouts and back-bar elevations, testing levels of openness, display and integration with adjacent joinery.

4. Technical design & coordination We produce detailed drawings showing construction, internal layouts, lighting, services integration and junctions with other elements.

5. Materials and samples We prepare focused sample sets for fronts, worktops, shelving, mirrors, metals and lighting, aligning them with adjacent scopes on Types of Joinery and ensuring consistency with wider Residential Joinery or Hospitality Joinery packages.

6. Production & installation Bars are manufactured through our network of workshops and installed in coordination with contractors and services specialists, with careful setting out and on-site adjustment so that doors, appliances and lighting align exactly as intended.

Connecting bars into the wider scheme

Bars are rarely standalone pieces. They usually sit within a wider network of kitchens, pantries, tea points and amenity spaces.

We make sure decisions taken here align with adjacent scopes such as Bespoke Kitchens & Pantries, Tea Points & Breakout Kitchenettes, Wine Rooms & Cellars, Fitted Storage & Alcove Units, Media Walls & TV Joinery and, in hospitality and amenity projects, Hospitality Bars & Back Counters and Amenity & Members’ Club Joinery. All of this sits within the structures defined on Types of Joinery and the stylistic direction captured on Joinery Styles.

Next steps

If you are planning a home bar, back bar or amenity bar as part of a project, share your drawings, photographs and any mood or concept imagery with us.

We can respond with layout ideas, elevation concepts and indicative joinery scopes, and show how bar joinery could connect with nearby Bespoke Kitchens & Pantries, Tea Points & Breakout Kitchenettes, Wine Rooms & Cellars, Fitted Storage & Alcove Units and wider Residential Joinery or Hospitality Joinery packages. From there we move into detailed design, sampling and delivery in line with your programme.