If you have some free space in your house, you can build a bar there. A bar made of natural wood will nicely fit the interior of nearly any style. Once it is ready, you can organize a party and proudly share the stunning photos of your creation on your social networks. Such an addition to your home decor will impress your friends and relatives and you will enjoy the process of building this element of furniture with your own hands. In this article, you will find a step-by-step instruction on how to build a beautiful and functional bar even if you have never done it before.
Create a Plan
Ideally, you should make two layouts: a physical and a digital one. If you have empty boxes at your disposal, use them to “build” a prototype. This will help you to realistically assess the measurements of your upcoming creation. Then, draw your dream bar in Photoshop or another piece of software. You might as well draft it in your old-school notebook with a pencil and ruler but in Photoshop, it will be easier to modify the sketch later. The crucial aspect of the draft are the sizes of each part. You should clearly understand how many wooden panels you should purchase, what the length of the nails should be and how many cans of varnish you will need.
Build the Frame
It should consist of several connected wooden squares. No panels yet! The measurements of the frame should be a bit smaller than the actual bar. When you put the surface on top, it will add approximately 1 inch to the height of the frame. When people will be sitting at the bar, they will need some space for their legs — so be ready to add up to 10 inches of depth. If you dream of an L-shaped construction, you should create the shorter and the longer segment of the frame separately and fix them together. This will allow you to quickly disassemble the item later if you decide to relocate it.
Attach the Panels
For the front part, you can purchase oak veneer plywood it is both durable and affordable. Ideally, you should acquire a solid piece. Alternatively, connect two or more pieces together and screw them into the frame. To conceal the seams and the screws, you will later use slats. When attaching similar panels from the inside, slates are not mandatory since no one will see the seams.
Add Shelves and Cabinets
The more stuff you are planning to store under the bar top, the deeper the frame should be. It would be wise to leave some space between the top of the cabinet and the bar top. This will enable you to put some objects there without squatting down.
For the shelves, purchase solid oak and not plywood. Cut strips from this oak to support the shelves from both sides.
Those looking for cheaper alternatives can use pine for the strips and shelves. It can not boast of the premium looks of the oak yet your guests will hardly ever notice it. Cut the shelves of the necessary length with a jigsaw and put it on the stripes.
Cover the outside surface of the support with oak veneer slats, attaching them with the help of wood glue and clamps. To conceal the inside seams, resort to a facing lattice. Wood glue might be enough to hold it in place yet to play safe, you might want to use finishing nails too.
It would be ok to leave the shelves and cabinets open. But if you prefer to attach doors to them, you should do it at the last stage, after placing the bar top. You need to be very careful in building shelves and choosing the right design because these are where you place the glassware, as well as the world’s famous beers, such as corona beer and modelo beer.
Add Facing Boards and the Top
When cutting the facing boards, it is better to leave them a bit larger than necessary and then cut off one tiny layer after another until the boards fit snugly to the frame.
If you fail to purchase a solid piece of oak for the top, feel free to compile it using several pieces of wood. To eliminate the seams between these pieces, it will be enough to sand, stain and varnish them. Most likely, your guests will never guess there are seams underneath the varnish.
Once the top is cut, you should clamp it in the appropriate position and attach it to the frame with the help of wood glue. Then, connect the top and the frame with the help of screws. On the underside, drill holes and screw up from beneath. Choose short screws that would not come through the top.
Final Touches
To sand the surfaces, you should use a small power sander and sanding sponges. After you stain the wood, it might look a bit darker than you expected. When it dries, it should become a bit lighter. And when you varnish it and let it dry once again, it will finally acquire the desired hue that you saw on the samples in the store.
Once the bar is ready, you might want to purchase new furniture and elements of decor to surround it. It would be wise to select stylish and authentic objects in a themed shop, such as Room Service 360. To add character to the premise, you might also consider attaching a beer tap display to the wall behind the bar and create classy wine rack holes for the shelves with the help of a hole saw.
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Conclusion
These guidelines were written with newbies in mind, without going too deep into complicated technical details. The components of the construction do not cost too much and you will need only the basic tools that you most likely have in your garage. But you should be ready to invest time, effort and patience in this project. If you are planning to locate the new piece of furniture in your basement, make sure there is enough light there when you make measurements and assemble your creation.