Custom Home Bar with Character – Burr Ridge, IL

The Setup

Situated between the front kitchen and the home’s primary living spaces, this bar was originally conceived as a modest bistro-style nook – a place to sit, watch TV, and enjoy a drink. As the design process evolved, both the homeowners and the design team recognized an opportunity to let the bar become something more: a visually compelling focal point that anchors circulation through the home while offering a distinct moment of hospitality.

Set within an arched recess and framed by a partial glass wall, the bar is visible from much of the public area of the home. Its location places it directly along the natural path between the kitchen, dining room, and family room, making it both highly accessible and impossible to ignore. From the outset, the goal was to ensure the bar felt intentional and complete – not an afterthought – while still complementing the adjacent kitchens rather than competing with them.

Design objectives:

• Create a fully functional wet bar with refrigeration, ice, sink, waste storage, and liquor storage
• Allow the bar to feel visually distinct while remaining cohesive with the surrounding spaces
• Introduce color and character in a controlled, intentional way
• Design the bar as a focal point within a highly visible circulation zone
• Balance everyday usability with refined, layered design details

Design challenges to be solved:

• Fitting a complete wet bar – including refrigeration, ice, sink, storage, and waste — into a base cabinetry run measuring under eight feet wide
• Determining which appliances and storage functions were essential once upper cabinetry was eliminated
• Providing adequate task lighting while also highlighting bottles and glassware on open shelving
• Introducing texture and visual interest within the arched recess without overdesigning a compact space
• Giving the bar a distinct identity that complements – but does not compete with – the adjacent kitchens

Design solutions:

• Designing fully custom base cabinetry that prioritized core bar functions and used every inch efficiently, including split cabinetry and compact waste storage
• Selecting a drawer-style refrigeration unit that combines refrigeration and freezer capabilities, allowing ice storage without sacrificing valuable width
• Layering lighting with integrated LED strip lighting above and below the shelves, paired with decorative articulating fixtures to support both display and task lighting
• Using a chevron-patterned natural stone tile backsplash to introduce movement, texture, and subtle color variation while keeping surrounding surfaces intentionally restrained
• Specifying metal cabinetry in a soft blue tone with integrated brass framing to establish a distinctive visual identity that harmonizes with the home’s broader palette

A Space That Works on Its Own — and Within the Whole

Though compact in size, the bar carries significant visual and functional weight within the home. It stands confidently on its own as a richly detailed, fully functional destination, while also flowing naturally into the adjacent kitchens and living spaces. The result is a bar that feels purposeful rather than ornamental – a space designed to be used daily, noticed often, and appreciated over time.

Explore the home’s dual kitchens

View the home’s dining room