Drinks Cabinet Ideas for Building a Home Bar on a Budget

Many folks who like hosting parties, social gatherings, or simply relaxing at home with their favorite beverage in hand have a home bar on their wish list. You can make your personal bar a reality by creating an intriguing location to keep your glasses and bottles with these drinks cabinet ideas. The best thing is that it does not have to take up a lot of room or be pricey!

Consider an exquisite Champagne bar with flutes and an ice bucket or a cocktail area complete with umbrellas when deciding where to place your new home drinks cabinet. You could even put a bar sign or a drinks menu on a peg or chalkboard. 

While you are thinking about that, read on below to see our best new drinks cabinet ideas. You might find something that sparks your imagination and helps you to design the bar of your dreams as part of your home renovations!

Set Up a Full Bar in your Open Plan Kitchen

With our bespoke home bar designs, you can recreate the real ‘going out’ experience inside your own four walls. A separate home bar is an excellent choice for an open-plan area, as it divides the space into distinct portions.

Make a statement with a custom shelf display, and serve friends over the counter in style with a sleek peninsular island. Complete the cozy bar design by stocking your shelves with gleaming liquor bottles, and use a mirrored panel to highlight the luxury effect while providing a sense of the room.

Refurbish an Old Piece of Furniture

If you want to add a new cabinet to your home exclusively for your beverages, you do not have to buy something intended for this purpose. An old sideboard or storage cabinet may simply be repurposed to form the ideal drinks cabinet; it is also far more environmentally friendly to utilize preloved rather than new. 

Why not go to your nearest charity store or boot sale and see what you can find? Old units may be readily restored to their former grandeur with a little sanding, a few coatings of paint or varnish, and some new handles or hinges. If you do not have anything suitable lying around, go thrifting and see what you can find on a budget!

Wall Mounted Cabinets to Save Space

A small wall-mounted liquor cabinet is frequently the best solution when space is restricted, but you still want the elegance and convenience of a liquor cabinet. Even better if you can keep your glasses and cocktail components in the same cabinet as your booze.

Keep in mind that your shelves may serve as décor in and of themselves. If your house has a modern vibe, look for attractive wall-mounted storage with fascinating cuts and geometric designs. If your home is classic, go for a floating shelf. If you like a more dramatic look, look for storage solutions to suit it.

Choose shelves or a cabinet that will meet your family’s needs. Someone who likes a glass of wine after work will need different storage from someone who likes whiskey with ice.

Think About the Bottles

While you will undoubtedly use your drinks cart to prepare a drink, it is first and foremost about form above function. It is a showstopper, a statement, a flutter-your-eyelashes design that demands attention, so pair it with bottles that play the role rather than whatever gin was on sale. 

St. Germain is usually a good choice, as is Campari. If you choose a drinks cabinet rather than a trolley, it is likely to have plenty of bottle cubbyholes, and nothing beats opening those doors and finding every one full. 

It does not matter so much whether they look interesting if they are in a cabinet because they will not be on display, so keep your essentials here or convert it into a temporary wine cellar.

Install Shelves with Care

If you buy a purpose-built drinks cabinet, the shelves inside should already be at appropriate heights for storing different bottles and glasses. 

However, whether you are utilizing a kitchen cabinet or upcycling an old piece of furniture, you must check if the shelves within are at the proper height to position your bottles and keep your glasses. Try it out with a few glasses and bottles first, then make any necessary changes before stocking your cabinet.

Wine Drawers that Make a Statement

Are you a self-proclaimed wine expert? If this is the case, a statement wine drawer might be the ideal drinks station for you. 

Few individuals have the luxury of a wine cellar, but with attractive wine drawers, you may maximize your available space while adding a personal touch. Not to mention the extra convenience of always having a bottle of your favorite red on hand!

Consider a Rustic Design

Liquor cabinets are often associated with penthouse living, but this could not be further from the truth. It is really simple to include effective booze storage in your rustic home or cabin. 

The rustic furniture aesthetic revolves almost entirely around finishing. Choose a distressed or knotty wood grain liquor cabinet. One of our favorite rustic-inspired liquor cabinet ideas is to rework an old hutch or buffet. 

While these pieces of furniture may be used as is, it is simple to add things like a personalized wine rack.

Cast iron hardware adds a rustic touch to any piece of furniture. Hinges, handles, and decorations can all be made from cast iron easily. 

Alternatively, if you are looking for something a bit quirkier and more unusual, you could replace the glass panes in your liquor cabinet doors with chicken wire.

DIY Home Wine Bar

Whether you enjoy white or red wine (or a combination of the two), a home wine cabinet is a fantastic purchase for any wine enthusiast. Wine bottles are particularly easy to store in bulk due to their regular shape and size.

You can install wall-mounted shelves, custom cabinets, or basic wire racks. Consider whether you want to display your bottles – this may also help you discover a certain wine easier. Choose a storage option that perfectly suits your needs.

Use an old wine barrel as a cocktail table or stand-in bar top if you want a little bit of accent furniture for your handmade wine bar. Consider including a cooler drawer in your home bar design for serving purposes.