Ready to make your home bar THE place to be? For this post, we’ve come up with a whole bunch of home bar design theme ideas that can transform your watering hole from ho-hum to amazing. Before you know it, friends and family will be knocking down the doors to raise a glass at your bar.
Home Bar Design Theme Ideas
Designing a home bar starts with a whole lot of questions. Where will the bar go? Will it be a wet bar or a dry bar? (It’s not an easily answered question – there are a lot of factors to take into account when choosing a wet bar vs. dry bar.)
Will the bar be a simple “walk-up” layout or something larger with a back bar? How much space are you willing to allocate to a bar? What’s the budget?
Once you have all that sorted out, you need a home bar design theme. Otherwise it’s just plain vanilla ice cream. While vanilla ice cream is good, why not have a veritable banana split?
To get your creative juices flowing, here’s our list of twenty-five home bar design themes.
Home Bar Design Theme: Sports
Designing a sports themed home bar can take your game-day gathering, or any day for that matter, to the next level. Celebrate your sporting passion with these ideas:
- Super Fan – This one’s easy. Pick your team, college or pro, and fit out the bar with ALL the merchandise and memorabilia, including your favorite MVP.
- Sport Fanatic – Pick a sport – football, baseball, rugby, or even curling. This home bar design theme is great for those that just love the sport, or have more than one favorite team.
- Golf – Create your very own 19th Hole at home. Set up a putting green or a home golf simulator. Get that luxe clubhouse feel with lots of warm wood – flooring, wainscot, ceiling, and bar. Soften things up with leather seating, and golf decor – vintage golf clubs, iconic course photos, and memorabilia from your favorite pro or tournament.
- Equestrian – Horse racing is often called “The Sport of Kings”, so enjoy your Kentucky Bourbon in this personal hot spot. Swap out the decor in the golf theme’s luxe clubhouse for racing memorabilia, horse lanterns, recycled barn wood, and vintage photos of jockeys, race horses, and race tracks.
Home Bar Design Themes: Locations
No need for plane tickets and dealing with the TSA when your home bar is inspired by destinations from around the world. Try one of these home bar design themes, or use the list as inspiration to create your very own Xanadu.
- Polynesian Tiki Bar – Step into your own Trader Vic’s and enjoy a Mai Tai cocktail without leaving home. Mix natural materials (bamboo, rattan, palm thatch, wood) with bright tropical colors and plenty of plants.
- Surf Shack – Soothing tropical winds, an icy cocktail, and the laid-back beach-life vibe. Combine weathered or reclaimed lumber, corrugated metal siding, and an old surfboard for an amazing surfer bar. Add in beachy colors of blue and beige, lanterns and string lights, and a hammock.
- Old West Saloon – Set the scene with dark, weathered wood and exposed beams. Add a pair of swinging saloon doors for some real kitsch. (We still have the original doors from our 1970’s bathroom!) For lighting, add lantern style sconces and a wrought iron pendant over the bar. Of course, the bar needs to have a brass foot rail to complete this home bar design theme. Line ’em up, partner.
- Moroccan Lounge – Marrakech. Casablanca. Tangier. Capture the exotic and vibrant style of these world famous cities with warm earth tones, deep blues and reds, and gold. Textured walls, arched doorways, and carved wood panels make the perfect backdrop. Top it all off with ornate Moroccan lighting and a gorgeous Zellige tile backsplash. Mmm – chef’s kiss.
- Mediterranean Terrace – Mimic the breezy feel of Santorini with whitewashed walls, arched openings, and bright blue accents. Add in plants and lighting with natural materials (rattan, wicker, or bamboo) to provide warmth and texture. This would make a great outdoor bar theme!
- Pirate’s Deserted Island – Ready to create the pirate’s lair of childhood fantasies? Start with weathered wood, and add in nautical elements like rope, nets, a ship’s wheel and anchor. Use lantern style lighting to create a dim and mysterious atmosphere. Be sure to keep plenty of grog on hand.
Home Bar Design Themes: Era
A specific era-themed home bar is a great way to add some personality to your watering hole. While these themes are from the 20th century, you could certainly use this as a springboard for something older. How about a Henry VIII inspired bar??
- 1920’s Speakeasy – Make sure you know the password to get into this bar, and avoid the bathtub gin. Start with a hidden entrance – a door that blends into the wall or a moving bookcase. Dark and rich shades – green, navy, or burgundy – paired with gold accents will make the perfect backdrop for your home bar. Add in low lighting, plush upholstery, and Art Deco accents for a place Jay Gatsby would enjoy.
- 1940’s Hollywood Regency – Old Hollywood with a bit of Art Deco, and an extra splash of glamor. Bold and dramatic color schemes are perfect for this theme. Think black & white, with accents of emerald green or royal blue. High gloss finishes, metallic accents, and mirrored surfaces are a must-have. Pick a gorgeous white marble countertop for the bar, and add lots of open storage on glass shelves. Now you have a place where Joan Crawford and Betty Davis could duke it out.
- 1950’s Retro – This home bar design theme really doesn’t need much of an explanation. Just a jukebox, black & white checkered floor, and a vintage style fridge for a bar that would make Fonzi happy.
- 1960’s Las Vegas MCM Lounge – Sinatra, the Rat Pack, and the bright lights of Sin City. Geometric patterns are the rule here – boomerangs, abstract shapes, and starbursts. Mix in teak or walnut Mid-Century Modern furniture and chrome finishes. Top with a sputnik chandelier and a vintage slot machine, and you are ready. Fly me to the moon…
- 1970’s Hippy – Peace signs, macrame wall hangings, and lots of color. A psychedelic color palette is the key to this theme – orange, yellow, pink, and purple. Toss in some browns and avocado. (Who thought those two color schemes went together?? Ick.) Throw in some lava lamps, bead “curtains” and a couple of peace signs and you’re ready to boogie.
Home Bar Design Themes: Interests
Celebrate your hobby or passion with one these themes:
- Video Gaming – A sleek, modern aesthetic and dark color palette serve as the perfect backdrop to this bar theme. Use wall mounted shelves with LED strip lights mounted underneath to create a visually striking display as the back bar. A honed soapstone or black granite bar top would look great with minimalist barstools. A vintage arcade cabinet like Space Invaders or Galaga would take your bar to the next level.
- Card Shark – Poker, Black Jack, or Gin Rummy? Invite the squad over for a night of fun. If your weekly game is serious, add a professional-quality poker table as the centerpiece of the room. Dark woods and a dark color palette will set the stage for the big game. Install adjustable lighting to to create different “zones” – a bright area over the poker table, and the rest of the room is softly lit for ambiance.
- Superhero – Focus in on your favorite superhero (or villain!) or a whole universe, like Marvel, for this home bar design theme. Choose a color palette based on the original comics or your favorite movie. Easy decor ideas would be memorabilia, framed original comic books, or large scale art pieces based on the superhero.
- Film Buff – With this theme, you could go in a couple different directions. One option would be movies in general, and feature your favorite flicks. Another idea, could be the cinema in general – either the making of films (director’s chairs for bar stools) or the glory days of movie theaters. A third option would be very specific films – posters in your favorite genre or era. 1950’s monster flicks like Frankenstein & Dracula would be pretty cool.
- Sci-Fi – This is another home bar design theme that could be done a lot of different ways. Depending on your interests, sci-fi can be anything from a post-apocalyptic dystopian future to human/alien interactions. LED strip lights are an easy way to give that sci-fi “glow”. Line the underside of the bar top and open shelving with blue lights for an interstellar atmosphere. Paint the ceiling black and create a star ceiling for a cool look.
- Music Lover – Pick a favorite genre, era, or band. Since the decor will be the star of this bar, use a neutral color palette for the rest of the space. Lighting should be subtle and adjustable. Wall decor could be instruments, concert t-shirts, tour posters, or vinyl records. How about 80’s hair bands?
Home Bar Design Themes: Style
Lastly, we have some bar theme ideas simply based on a few different decorating styles.
- Posh – Channel your inner Thurston Howell III in this uber-luxurious home bar design theme. This bar theme’s color palette centers on neutrals with accents of deep shades of greens, blues or purple. Materials should be high-end: a gorgeous marble for the bar top (a slab backsplash on the back bar would look amazing!), comfy leather seating, wide-plank hardwood floors, and a crystal chandelier over the bar.
- Cougar’s Lair – A splash of bling, a dash of glam, and a spritz of animal prints. A color palette of deep reds or rich earth tones really sets the scene for this home bar design theme. Accents of gold or silver will add a touch of opulence. Furnishings and window treatments should be luxurious fabrics like silk and velvet. Meow.
- Boho – Boho is all about vibrant colors, natural materials and eclectic accessories. Use bar stools with rattan or wicker, lots of plants, and macrame. The overall look should be of a personalized collection that has been gathered over time.
- Steampunk – A little Victorian luxury mixed in with some industrial elements. Dark woods, exposed iron, copper, gears, pipes, and gauges will give the industrial vibe. A color palette of dark brown and black paired with bright jewel tones provides the Victorian oomph.
And that wraps up our list. Choosing the right home bar design theme can take your space to a whole ‘nother level. Cheers to that!
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