Karl Champley’s Tips for Creating the Perfect Home Bar

Customize your space:

Create a home bar that is completely custom to you and reflects your personality. This will be a new hub of your home, so it should include the things you care about. Install speakers or a jukebox if you’re into music, mount a plasma screen if you like sports or movie nights and use the project as an opportunity to showcase personal trinkets.

Try a different angle:

Rethink the spaces in your home spaces. For example, a garage is a great place for a home bar project as the structure is already there and it is a huge footprint of your home that is often underutilized. Similarly, an attic is a great escape, although it needs to have adequate ventilation or be part of your home’s AC system, as attics can experience extreme temperatures. You can even build a home bar outdoors – a readymade shed works well when converted! Be careful though, you may never go back indoors again!

Reuse, Recycle and Repurpose:

Use the project as an opportunity to clear out or repurpose your old junk. You can hold a yard sale to help fund your project, donate unwanted items to charity, and recycle many items. You can even turn old pieces of furniture into a striking bar: Just add a deep countertop to an old chest of drawers to accommodate some bar stools and you’re done. Old, sturdy kitchen cupboards also work well. Add a countertop, some under-bench rope lighting and you’re ready!

Think about the details:

Whether it’s a removable ice bucket, a storage area for bottles and glasses, a fridge, a pullout cutting board for appetizers and garnishes or a sink, you’ll need to make sure you have all your details sorted out, otherwise you’ll be left with a bar that looks great but serves no function!

Use Your Space Efficiently:

Not everyone has the luxury of space. If you are tight for space, you can conceal a home bar in a wall niche or build out a cabinet so all is concealed. A bar on wheels is always a great way to give you mobility no matter what the space is.

Stock Your Bar Carefully:

You can’t celebrate a completed job without drinks! Once your bar is complete, the final task is to make sure it is well-stocked with a range of drinks. Whether it’s your favorite beer, wine, or a great Scotch whisky like Grant’s, your friends and guests will appreciate quality!

The contest runs through May of 2010. For more information and the chance to win a $10,000 home bar makeover, please visit www.grantswhisky.com