With the upcoming Superbowl next month in February, people are flocking to grocery stores and stocking on chicken wings and all the good stuff we like to munch on during the game. What about setting up a home bar or lounge to enhance the whole experience ? Here are ideas that will have you headed to your go-to hardware store before the games begin.
The basement or the living room are spots of choice to watch the game in most homes. It's a common area where you can fit many people and large furniture like a lazy-boy, sofas or a sectional.
Temperature control
The basement is a place that is often underused. People usually avoid the basement because it sometimes looks uninviting and cold. Even if it's finished. It's where the furnace is located, cable television access point, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, the air-conditioning system and garage.
And if you plan to work on your basement, you have to make sure it is well insulated and waterproofed before you begin any project. Moisture can occur and unless you deal with water issues, basements can be moldy, unpleasant places.
Built underground, it's completely or partially below the ground level where the frost depth reaches about 3 feet of more like here in North America. The solution is in excavating with the footings deeper than the frost depth, thus creating basement with a ceiling height of about 7-8 feet.
Home bar
A home theatre or home audio system
At the center of a solid home theatre system is a big screen TV. Watch and listen to the latest audio and video as if you were at the movies.
Whether you’re watching football and want to experience halftime or you’re kicking back with the latest blockbuster get speakers, subwoofers and sound bars that can bring your favorite media to life. Stick to one brand or mix it up with different components from several brands.
If appliances you own like the washer and dryer are not the quiet type, try to stay away or place them behind a closed door. For more privacy there are noise-cancelling materials you can buy like acoustic panels.
Color palette
A neutral color palette consists of light and dark colors mainly grey, taupe, white, brown and black. They're popular in modern design projects and the epitome of all things nature. They're visually pleasing and do not fire up neurons in your brain like other colors, for instance red or orange.
Lighting
For a basement, ambient lighting is best achieved through recessed ceiling lights. Other options are track lighting and LED lights that come with dimmers. LED's can also be used under the cabinet doors if you have a wet bar, underneath the countertop edges and on furniture wall units.
Use gimble LED lights to direct the attention to an area in the room, like emphasis on a wine cellar, vintage decor or art work. You may also add electric outlets to plug a floor lamp.
Bar
The bar is the main feature in in this type of project. The bar is the main feature in in this type of project. If you plan on building it, you may need to add code-compliant recommendations. An exterior door or escape path in the space, as well as carbon monoxide smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
Ask your City borough which projects require a permit, in case of doubt.
Otherwise you're ready to start your project ! Now which material to choose from ? You can do a Western saloon bar with reclaimed wood, a tudor style bar with medieval artefact like armoiries and iron, an oasis themed bar with cuban cigars, an urban bar with the use of copper or a modern bar with today's modern materials. There are a few bar and lounge layout styles.
Create visual intrigue
That's a focal point, something in the space that draws the eye. The wall color, adding a shelving unit, beadboard planks, placing bar decor in the room, having exposed beams or a fireplace.
Even flooring can set the tone as a feature element. Some floor patterns are made to look like different wood species or resemble porcelain tile. Take vinyl or engineered wood for instance that can be installed over concrete or a subfloor.
If you were thinking of going for a more expensive look with real wood flooring, you can do so starting from the main floor and onward. Solid wood flooring does not perform well in basements with unstable temperatures as it is always the case with rooms below the ground level. This goes against our effort to banish the gloom. So it is suggested in the basement for accent walls, support columns or ceilings beams.
Home lounge
A home lounge is a place where people can sit and chill.
In the quest for a cozy spot in the house and extra square footage, finding a new location is jackpot. To begin install a wet bar with a stone countertop and mini fridge for snacks. Everything else gravitates around it. Think about all the things you want in a space like this, a sitting area, bar stools, a flat-screen, your headphones, etc.
A lounge space has plenty of elbow room for a poker or pool table set on a carpeted platform. Picture this with other details like stained wood furniture, faux-leather finishes, recessed lights on dimmers, wood tones on the walls and modern light fixtures.
Materials used in this type of project
A vinyl or engineered wood floor has a major advantage over other materials when it is damaged. It allows for a section of the floor to be sanded down, repaired or replaced. It's less worrying in case you drop liquid, cans or food. A common constraint to work around is the ceiling height, if you go for the basement. There can be wires hanging, the maze of pipes, walls to repair and ductwork overhead. You'll need to work with drywall to remove these eye sores.
Home bar lounge renovation objectives :
Increase living space
Pool-table to entertain guests
Acoustic panels to reduce noise
Barn doors to add style and charm
Use a matte finish and light colors to make the room look bigger
Partial renovations to change floor, add plumbing, lighting, electrical outlets, apply a moisture-blocking paint, acoustic panels, etc.
Depending on where in the home you choose to do this project, you don't want it to become the hangout spot you use for every occasion. It's space where you can invite and entertain guests.
If you choose to have a wine cellar and have kids under-aged, you may want to give this project some thought. Commercial buildings like hotels place it on the ground floor in the main lobby. But in residential spaces it's best to have the bar or lounge in a den, dedicated area, basement or somewhere away from traffic flow and all the noise.