Tuesday, April 03, 2007

A Well-Stocked Bar



I love glamorous bars in a home, and I'm not talking about a small tray with a few bottles of liquor laid out on it. I like a bar that is both well-thought out and well-laid out. There are so many fun things you can add to your bar: a nice variety of liquor, a great array of mixers (Canada Dry or Schweppes anyone?), beautiful glassware, and chic bar tools. Of course a bar should first be utilitarian, but the "look" of it is important too. Perhaps that is why so many designers choose to put out glass bottles of Coke on the bar rather than plastic ones! While it may not always be practical to give up precious real estate in a house to a bar, they can be a sign to your guests that they're in store for a fun evening! (For ideas on bar tools and accessories, see my post "Glamorous Imbibing" from last year.)


Miles Redd's stylish bar in his Manhattan home (image courtesy of House and Garden, Sept. 04)


Eugenie Niven designed this apartment for her father, who is the son of actor David Niven. The photo of David Niven on the bar is quite apropos (image courtesy of House Beautiful).


Dining room with bar in the Paris home of Mathilde Agostinelli, designed by Jacques Grange (image courtesy of House Beautiful, Sept. 02)

Image at top of the "ultimate" home bar by David Hicks

11 comments:

  1. Ahhhh yes, the beginning of summer drinking season. You're much more elegant than I am!

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  2. LOVE all the images you used here! Of course the Miles Redd is a favorite and I also am so drawn to the colors in the Jacques Grange room. Clever post!

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  3. Fairfax- I wish I had an elegant bar like that!!

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  4. Style Court- Miles' is my favorite too! He's so talented at "tablescapes", just like David Hicks!

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  5. Anonymous1:14 PM

    Funny. I have had this obsession since I moved out. Now I am able to have a fab bar set up in my home all of the time...Although, I find I rarely drink it up anymore...funny, the way things work out....Love the pictures...Yes..Wonderful..

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  6. Vanessa- So true! Now that I'm "old enough" to have a proper bar I don't partake of it very often!

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  7. Anonymous4:35 PM

    i used that david hicks photo as my inspiration for a set i just designed! (it was set over a boozy weekend in a summer house) i love mini tonic bottles, they really remind me of summer...
    i love this post.

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  8. Wow Frances! I bet the set looked great! All of Hicks' work photographed so well. And I wish I could get those slender tonic bottles here, but all I can find are the little fat ones.

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  9. I swear I am becoming a Miles Redd junkie.

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  10. Washington Cube- Aren't we all! I think that someday we will view Miles in the same light as Billy Baldwin!

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  11. These bars are just gorgeous. Thanks for the inspiration!

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