Blue Bar!

Some may say that it’s a sign of alcoholism, I say it’s a necessity! A bar is a great addition to an entertainment room. I’ve been mixing drinks as kind of a hobby for a while and it’s always been awkward having to work off the top microwaves and card tables. I figured it was high time to get more professional and build my very own bar.

Some may say that it’s a sign of alcoholism, I say it’s a necessity! A bar is a great addition to an entertainment room. I’ve been mixing drinks as kind of a hobby for a while and it’s always been awkward having to work off the top of microwaves and card tables. I figured it was high time to get more professional and build my very own bar.

As with all projects of this caliber, you need to plan. I first sat down with pencil and paper to figure out exactly what I wanted. Once I had the dimensions, I used some masking tape and made an outline on the floor where I wanted to build. This allowed me to see exactly how big it was going to be. I did decide to make it a little smaller after seeing how big it would have been with the original specs.

Framed out with 2x4s.

Here’s the bar framed out in 2×4s. I planned for it to be roughly 8 feet long by 3 feet from the wall when complete. As you can see it fits the area just right!

Back side of the bar framed out with 2x4s.

Framing out the bar didn’t take very long and really gives you an idea of what the end product will look like. After framing the bar out the next steps were to add the sides, shelves, plyboard on the top, trim, and start laying out the tiles. I got a little busy doing all that and forgot to take pictures.

Bar almost done. Laying out the tiles!

I decided to paint the bar sharkfin grey with white trim to match the rest of the room. The siding is made from wainscot which is a pain to paint by the way. Also, painting the shelves was very awkward. I practically had to lay down to paint them.

Back side of bar with tile layout.

The final touch ups include the under-bar lights and grouting the tile. I purchased a xeon light kit from Lowes that was cheap and easy to install. The lights only worked one time, so I wouldn’t recommend them. Originally I had LED lights planed, but they’re on the expensive side.

Back view of the completed bar, showing off the lights.

The tile work wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. Basically you get your tiles laid out just like you want them, glue them down, then grout. I wound up having to get about 15 tiles cut to make the top even. That’s not a big deal, I took them back to Lowes and they cut them for free.

Here's a better view of the booze shelf and lights.

Grouting the tiles is messy, but doesn’t take too long. The longest part is the number of times you have to sponge the tiles clean after you get finished. Using a vinegar water mixture, you have to keep wiping the tiles down until they’re spotless.

Here's the completed bar!

In the end, I have a really nice bar stocked and ready to entertain. Now where can I find some good bar stools?