How to create a separate space for sipping away in style
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a place in your home where your favorite beverages were always waiting for you and you could sit back and admire its craftsmanship and design? If this concept whets your appetite, consider the latest interior design trend: beverage centers.
What are home beverage centers?
“Beverage centers have become increasingly popular for many reasons,” says Mary Gordon, vice president and director of marketing at InSite Builders & Remodeling. “One is that a beverage center draws guests away from the middle of a busy and congested kitchen into a second area that’s perfect for conversation and gathering. They have become extremely popular, too, as coffee centers.”
Pro Tips to Create Your Own Home Beverage Center
We picked the best we’ve seen and asked the designers to share their tips and techniques on how to recreate each look.
1. Designer: Kori Keyser of Keyser Interiors. Interview with Mary Gordon, vice president and director of marketing at InSite Builders & Remodeling.
“The homeowners wanted their beverage center to be enjoyed when entertaining, as well as for themselves,” says Mary Gordon of InSite Builders & Remodeling. “The color choices were determined by the adjoining kitchen. The glass doors allow for storage and functionality and break up the cabinetry to achieve harmony and balance. The open shelving adds a decorative quality, allowing for displays while also providing more counter space for a work area.”
The beverage center was part of a kitchen renovation that updated the look and function of the space.
“The location of the beverage center fits seamlessly into the corner of the room and enhances the transitional look and organized feel of the new kitchen layout,” Mary points out. “White cabinetry was selected to keep the area light, bright and clean. The counter top is Carrara marble, and the backsplash is glass. The combination of materials—wood, glass and marble—was selected to create texture and depth, and the mosaic backsplash adds light and sheen to the space.”
- Pro tip #1: “When designing a beverage center, homeowners are choosing either glass cabinetry or open shelves with mirrors behind the shelving, as well as dramatic lighting, to display and showcase barware, unique bottles and liquor collections,” Mary says.
- Pro tip #2: “Popular lighting choices are circular-shaped LED lights, tape lighting and lighting strips that create a bright and attractive entertaining area.”
- Pro tip #3: “Muted color palettes of white, blue and gray are popular for beverage centers,” Mary says. “Quartz remains the most popular material for the counter tops, and homeowners are increasingly opting for a beverage center with a refrigerator versus one with a sink.”
2. Designer: Scott North, director of project development at Case Architects & Remodelers.
“These homeowners are true wine connoisseurs,” Scott says. “They requested storage for 200 bottles of wine stored at different, specific temperatures for their everyday use and for the gatherings they frequently host.”
This beverage center was designed in transitional style with a classic touch. The homeowners wanted it to be bright, bold and functional.
“Knowing we needed storage we could build into the cabinetry for 200 bottles of carefully selected wine, we quickly settled on Sub-Zero’s designer series,” Scott says. “Fully integrated wine refrigerators that seamlessly fit into cabinet panels offer all the wine storage customization you could want. With the tall, glass-front wine refrigerators and rows of wine as the accent, we decided on a clean, white palette for the rest of the materials.”
- Pro tip #1: “If you’re including paneled appliances in your design and want a seamless, fully integrated look, the Sub-Zero Designer Series is the way to go,” Scott says. “The Designer Series appliances are manufactured to accept cabinetry panels with flush installations.”
- Pro tip #2: “Don’t be afraid to customize cabinets or parts from your manufacturer,” Scott says. “This cabinet manufacturer didn’t offer the metal mesh insert we were looking for, so we found the right product online, ordered a sample and customized the cabinet to achieve our desired look. The details are what matter, so pay attention to the details.”
- Pro tip #3: “If you have the space and need for a dedicated beverage center in your home, don’t overlook the luxury of a built-in ice maker,” Scott says. “The center base cabinet of this beverage center is a Scotsman Gourmet under-counter ice maker with an integrated cabinet panel to blend in with the cabinetry. While a built-in ice maker might initially seem unnecessary, having a steady stream of fresh, gourmet ice at your disposal for your next gathering is something you would appreciate having available.”
3. Designer: Danielle Steele, lead designer, Marks-Woods Construction Services.
“The goal for this beverage center was to create a sophisticated and functional wet bar that didn’t look like a kitchenette,” says Marks-Woods Construction Services’ lead designer Danielle Steele. “The color was inspired by peacock feathers to create a chic space. The butcher block counter top was stained in black walnut to add a masculine balance to the more-feminine custom cabinet color. The space was also warmed with accents of wood throughout the bar and the bar sink. The finishes are brushed gold.”
- Pro tip #1: Danielle says it’s important to consider the following factors in determining the design: how you will use the space (for additional storage, dual purpose for a coffee station, bar, etc.); whether you want a wet or dry bar; the location of the space (that is, should the design blend with the kitchen or nearby cabinetry, or can it be its own design element and really “pop”?); and frequency of use (choosing more-durable counter tops and cabinets when there are kids involved or the bar is in a high-traffic area versus picking higher-end finishes for a bar used only for entertaining or by adults).
- Pro tip #2: Make sure you really think through how you will use the beverage center and how it fits into the rest of the room, your home and your style.
4. Designer: Annie Elliott, interior designer at Annie Elliott Design
“This beverage center straddles classic and modern,” says Annie Elliott, interior designer at Annie Elliott Design. “The inset cabinets and drawers are classic, as is the recessed panel-door style. The light-gray paint and black counter top are cool, clean and modern.
“We wanted to maximize storage space, so the under-counter drinks fridge and modest bar sink allow for a surprising number of cabinets and drawers for snacks, glasses and dishes. It has a generous amount of counter space too.”
- Pro tip #1: “Consider who the beverage center is for—small children, teenagers or grownups. The functionality of the beverage center will likely change over time, but the first users will dictate whether you need low drawers accessible to little ones, cabinets for teenagers’ snacks or glass shelves to show off wine glasses.”.
- Pro tip #2: “A wide counter top such as this one has can accommodate a blender, coffee maker or microwave,” Annie says.
5. Designer: Jim Rill, Rill Architects
Jim Rill of Rill Architects calls this beverage center’s style “modern eclectic with elegance.” It features simple detailing with a tile backsplash that gives it some individuality but doesn’t overwhelm the overall design of the adjacent spaces.
“Fit the design into the composition of the house without it screaming, ‘Bar!’ We matched the cabinets to the wall color, so they blend together,” Jim says. “The glass provides elegance, and the tile provides individuality.”
- Pro tip #1: “Don’t make the design too loud or overwhelming,” Jim says. “Blend into the overall design. Make sure the space flows so it doesn’t get congested during parties; everyone wants to linger at the bar. It’s an entertainment support feature, so have some fun with the design.”
- Pro tip #2: “Use glass to give it elegance and playful tile to give it some spice,” Jim suggests.
6. Designer: Scott North, director of project development at Case Architects & Remodelers.
For this beverage center, Scott North of Case Architects & Remodelers stayed true to the homeowners’ warm, modern aesthetic found in the rest of the home.
“We chose classic, modern styles: frameless cabinetry with square-edged slab doors and drawer fronts,” Scott says. “We included slim-line, tab-pull hardware and stacked, vertical tile patterns. To add warmth, we selected a medium-stained cherry wood with lots of character and a pastel-finished tile with just a hint of color.”
- Pro tip #1: “Decide on a style and commit to it,” Scott advises. “Find a way to show your personality through your product selections. Keep ordering samples until you find the perfect fit. We ordered 12 to 15 different tile options before landing on this specific tile, but it was well worth the wait.”
- Pro tip #2: “Take time to think through what you need, what you want and what you don’t need,” Scott says. “There are so many options to customize your space to your needs. Take the time to think through how you’ll use the space, and customize accordingly.”
If your tastes lean retro, find some appliances that may just work in your home beverage center here. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!
