8 tips to improve the bar in your home

Whether you’re building a new launch bar from scratch, or have an existing bar you want to improve, there are many things you can do to improve the look, feel, and effectiveness of your launch bar. A good place to start is by collecting some photos or taking photos of your favorite bars. Find out what strikes you about them and use that as a starting point for your home bar.

Here are some tips to improve your launch bar:

Choose a color theme.
Depending on the mood you are trying to set with your bar and your personality, you may want to choose a color theme. For example, if you are going for a relaxed and calm feeling, go for darker colors like blues, greens, purples, etc., while if you are going for an uplifting and energizing fall, go for more bright solid colors.

Make sure your seats are cozy, but not too cozy.
You want your guests to feel comfortable, but you don’t want them to be so comfortable that they fall asleep at your bar. This is partly the reason why bar stools typically do not have a back. Not having a backrest also encourages people to lean over the bar and become more involved in the conversation.

Get a great sound system.
Music has always been at the heart of any bar, so don’t neglect this with yours. Your bar should have a large collection of your favorite music, commercial free internet radio, or an easy place for you or your friends to doc your ipods and iphones. Have a few pre-selected music collections that you can play randomly so you always have something playing in the background. Easy volume access is a must so you can turn up the volume in the queue.

Flat screen television.
If you’re a sports fan, this is a no-brainer, but you can use your TV to enhance your bar in other ways, too. One of my favorites is the Wii video games and the infamous Rock Band are always a hit and never fail to draw their guests. Another good use is to display ambient images. They make DVDs that show interesting graphics for this kind of thing. Another good bet is music videos.

Keg cooler.
This is one of the features that will bring all your friends over to your house every weekend. As sure as the beer is cold and flowing from the tap in your home bar, people will be there to drink it with you. If it gets too out of hand, throw in a barrel bottom canister.

Get the essential tableware.
Make sure you have everything you need to make drinks when you need them. This includes a cocktail shaker, pitcher, bar glasses (martini, beer, highball, lowball, etc…), swizzle sticks, napkins, rim shaker, drink pourers, etc…

Wash.
It’s a good idea to install a bar sink. This little convenience will go a long way towards cleaning up at the end of the night, spills and just makes life easier.

Don’t skimp on lighting.
Lighting is one of the things that can have the biggest impact on your home bar. With a small investment in a few recessed lights or dimmers, you can transform your bar from boring to charming.

These few details will really help your bar and ensure your friends and family have good times and fond memories in the place you call home.