Creating The Perfect At Home Bar & Fun Valentine's Ideas.
Updated: Oct 6, 2022
I don’t know about you, but I personally feel like I can never have enough countertop, cabinet and fridge space. I went from a 7’ Island in my previous house to a 9’6” Island in my current house and I STILL feel like I could always use more space! I could keep increasing my kitchen size by moving… or I could think more about how to free up space in my kitchen by creating a zone elsewhere.
During the first lockdown, I realized that I'd make my coffee and pour my wine in the kitchen (typically not at the same time), but then I would always take my drink elsewhere to drink it. The two location choices I found myself in were the dining room or the living room.
This led me to:
STEP 1: Determining the location of the Drink Bar.
I noticed my husband and I are always in the living room in the mornings and evenings. We tend to have our coffees there when we wake up and we unwind there after work in the evenings. Maybe you do most of your relaxing in your master bedroom or a basement entertainment space. The location of your drink bar ideally, in my humble opinion, should be close in proximity to where you regularly need it.
STEP 2: How do you need your drink bar to function for you?
Think through the items you need for this drink bar to serve you best. I am a coffee lover and I take Milk in my coffee EVERY morning. My husband and I also enjoy white wine, and HE is a real beer connoisseur; therefore, for us, it was a necessity to invest in a beverage fridge for my drink bar location. If we often used ice in our drinks (which we don't), I would have considered a built in ice-maker as well. (Check this custom door front from GE CAFE).
Not only did this drink bar free up tons of space in my kitchen fridge, but it also freed up counter space AND cabinet/drawer space in the kitchen, which leads me to my next Step!
STEP 3: STORAGE!!!!
What do you need to s`atore and how much space do you need? Also, what kind of storage do you need? Is an old hutch with drawers suitable for your space or do you need cabinets to store taller things like wine bottles? Did you need shelves to display your matching stemware and coffee cups, or are closed cabinets more suitable for your mismatched collection? The kind of storage most useful for your set up is key in creating a usable space, which leads me to the next step.
STEP 4: Beauty!
Now that your drink bar functions, it’s time to make it beautiful. Beauty is in
the eye of the beholder. Some people like more of an eclectic look and others prefer a minimal appearance. Whatever your style is, here are a few ways to add beauty.
1. Pretty Canisters
2. A plant or a vase full of flowers
3. Stemware and pretty glasses on display.
STEP 5: Enjoy!
The last and final step to your new drink bar is to stock it up with the things your family loves and start pouring!
Moving on from drinking to L.O.V.E
So, now that we have the important coffee/wine bar set up it's now time to talk about decorating for Valentines in a way that's not overbearing or in other words a little too corny.
When it comes to Valentine's day the trick is to use a little to show a lot. This is done simply by following a few steps to help knock out the January blues:
Add in some red or pink! Nothing says Valentine’s Day more than a few pretty pops of red or pink and it doesn’t take much to make the red really pop against any background.
Swap out your regular staples for some pink/red flowers, highlights, mugs, and kitchenware.
Use some festive chocolates or candies! Using seasonal chocolates or other candy is an inexpensive and tasty way to add some color to your Valentine’s Day decor. Use wrapped chocolates or place candies in covered glass containers. One of the good things about decorating with chocolate is that you don’t have to store it at the end of the season.
Use some Valentines throw pillows! You can’t get much easier than tossing a Valentine’s Day throw pillow onto a bench, chair, or sofa! If you’re short on space, look for a pillow cover that can just be added over top of one of you current pillows.
Finally don't forget the smallest member of your family too! Even a simple blanket or basket change can make a huge difference.
We'd just like to take this time to wish you, your friends and your family a Happy Valentines Day from all of us here at AC Interiors Design & Build.