DIY: Ideas for Decorating a Home Bar

Cover your bar counter in cleaned pennies for a glitzy touch.

Whether you have a small wet bar in your living room or an expansive breakfast bar that takes up the bulk of your kitchen, adding a bit of decor can greatly enhance its visual appeal and even functionality. You can make it a primary or secondary focal point in the room with plants, color or daring accent pieces. Don't leave out the countertop, overhead space and face of the bar -- the backsplash and front -- when determining how to decorate.

Make It a Focal Point

Instead of cluttering your kitchen or wet bar with appliances and spirits, turn it into a decorative focal point. Paint the front of it a bold hue, or apply decals or wallpaper in a bold pattern. Choose bar stools in a stylish design, and complement the area with a hanging pendant lamp or small chandelier for a bit of glamor. Store your necessities in cabinets or a rolling cart placed to the side. You can also install hanging shelves for decorative mugs, spices or canisters. Add a small vase of flowers or a bowl of fruit for a simple and refreshing accent piece.

Decorate With Plants

You can always add life to a room or nook with some greenery. Hang small plants overhead across the length of the bar, or feature a small cluster of succulents in one corner. If your bar has an overhead shelf, you can place potted plants, a cactus collection or vining plants on it. Be careful with faux greenery unless it's especially realistic looking. It may look too formal or like the decor in some model homes. Tall, slender plants give a touch of elegance, like a simple orchid or small bamboo plant.

Treat the Countertop

If you're up for a more intensive decorating project, you can always treat your countertop for an eye-catching at-home bar. You can save up pennies over time, washing them in vinegar to get them back to their original shine. Lay the pennies flat over the counter's surface area, and seal the new countertop with a resin and polyethylene mixture. The result is a glossy, metallic countertop that adds a bit of glamour to any kitchen or wet bar. Mexican talavera and glass mosaic tiles also add large bursts of color and texture.

Add a Backsplash

If resurfacing your counter is too time intensive and you don't have the patience to keep up with watering plants, opt for a backsplash decoration. Paint it a vibrant color, like a teal or peacock blue, or apply decals to it. You can choose small decals applied in a pattern for a textured wallpaper look or use a larger decal. Choose an image that is proportional to your backsplash for an effective mural look. For other temporary solutions, hang a piece of twine on the wall and clothespin Polaroids or vintage postcards across it.

References

• Apartment Therapy: Small Space Solution: Kitchen Counter Bars
• Apartment Therapy: Ideas for Decorating with Plants
• Sunset: Kitchen Design Ideas
• Country Living; Kitchen Countertop Ideas; Dominique DeVito
• Apartment Therapy: How to DIY A Penny Covered Kitchen Countertop