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We can’t deny it: Fall is here and winter is coming. And while that prospect no doubt leaves many chilled to the bone with fears of another long period of social isolation, such individuals can take heart in a small consolation prize—the chance to further feather their own nests. Outdoor drinks and cocktails to go might soon be on temporary hiatus, but that doesn’t mean you and your fellow cohabitants can’t enjoy a glass of wine together inside. To help imbue such thoughts with warm sentiments, we’ve gathered 12 of the best home bars from AD’s archive. Ranging from extensive rooms to simple bar carts, they’ll fill you with a good deal of cheer.
One Memorable London Pad
“I wanted to make it happy: happy colors, happy home,” a resident of this Patrick Mele–designed home told AD in March 2020. Mele created this colorful London abode for a stylistically adventurous couple; in the room seen here, a Marina Adams painting helps exemplify the residence’s overall bold palette. Situated between two slipper chairs is a Soane Britain bar cart. Fully stocked—from a small arrangement of flowers all the way down to a bowl of lemons—it no doubt makes entertaining all the more easy.
The Home Bar of a Serious Car Collector
In its February 2020 issue, AD visited the home of real estate developer Rick Caruso. Designer Dan Fink noted at the time of the house’s bar area: “Rick really loves to entertain, and it’s just a great place to hang out.” But its design details go far deeper than that. Inspired by the Campbell Apartment in New York’s Grand Central Terminal, the space makes excellent use of Arabescato Cervaiole marble, thereby imbuing the area with “a sort of neoclassical quality to this industrial space,” as Fink put it. The showstopping stained glass window was made by Judson Studios in Los Angeles. The barstools are upholstered with Ralph Lauren Home leather.
A Blue Bar That Grows in Brooklyn
In the Brooklyn home of Sylvana Durrett, founder of high-fashion children’s line Maisonette, a shiny blue bar with gold fixtures dominates a library room. Of the space as a whole, Durrett noted in summer 2019: “It’s so cozy, and it’s where the bar is. My husband has become quite a beer aficionado. People come over and are like, ‘Tell me which brew you have on tap this week.’” The shaggy yet geometric rug is from Anthropologie, while the gold wallpaper that covers the ceiling is Calico. Of that head-turning design detail, Jesse Carrier of AD100 firm Carrier and Company reflected, “In such a confined space, it’s nice to be able to enjoy that constellation.”
The Gleaming Home Bar of Ett Hem’s Owners
Not all home bars are created equal. Case in point is this cabinet of glassware curiosities, which looks best flung wide open. That’s in part because its shiny gold finish is all the more viewable. The bespoke piece of furniture, which is made out of brass, was designed by AD100 firm Studioilse. Ilse Crawford created this Stockholm home for the couple behind the beautiful Swedish hotel Ett Hem (which fittingly translates to “at home”). The chair and matching stool are by Hans Wegner.
A Floridian Bar by Jacques Grange
Legendary French designer Jacques Grange designed the Palm Beach house in which this bar is located. In front of the custom bar are two sets of rattan seating options: one, vintage stools, the other, chairs upholstered with a Josef Frank fabric. Guy de Rougemont designed the cocktail table. Of the project in general, Grange stated at the time: “The balance between the two spirits is happy and comfortable, not traditional, and very reflective of the owner’s taste.… No, not taste, because he doesn’t have taste—he has style.”
One Bamboo Bar Cart at Casamota
In the Dominican Republic, interiors stylist Carlos Mota created a colorful abode. “I am a strong believer,” he said at one point in the May 2015 issue, “that color makes you happy.” Seen here is his living room, complete with gold Verner Panton chairs and a purple sofa. Off to one side is a vintage American bamboo bar cart, waiting to welcome any guests—or just Mota—at the end of the day. Speaking of why he chose to plant roots in the D.R., Mota added, “It reminds me of my beautiful home country, Venezuela.”
A Hidden Bar Designed by Miles Redd
Inside one classic California house created by AD100 decorator Miles Redd is a dining room clad in panoramic de Gournay wallpaper. The bucolic scene, however, pales in comparison to the jewel-box space that is a tucked-away corner bar. Camouflaged by an artfully placed door and outfitted in a tealish-blue lacquer, the space is illuminated in part by a nearby Circa Lighting sconce. In the rest of the room, curtains in Christopher Hyland silk taffeta, an antique chandelier from Florian Papp, and chair seats upholstered in a Chelsea Editions fabric can all be seen. The rug is by Patterson Flynn Martin.
One Expansive Chicago Home Where Artwork Shines
In this Chicago duplex, which features sweeping views of the city, travertine stone makes for a beautiful, if subtle, built-in bar. Above the countertop area is Mark Tansey’s Study for Columbus Discovers Spain. “We really had a head start on collecting great pieces for this project because the client has an incredible eye for furniture and objects,” Michael Misczynski of Atelier AM said of the project more broadly. “But in the end the artworks are the stars of the show—and that’s exactly how it should be.”
Thom Browne’s Manhattan-Set Bar Cart
In September 2013, inimitable fashion writer Lynn Yaeger wrote in Architectural Digest of designer Thom Browne: “Poised on a sleek leather chair, gazing fondly at a Christofle bar cart that he notes could use a tad more polishing, Browne admits that, like so many of his fellow Manhattanites, he would of course love some extra space.” That, however, was one of two bar areas in Browne’s New York City home. The other, located at the end of a hallway and seen here, was a 1950s Paul McCobb bar cart. Topped by a McDermott & McGough painting, it was filled with vintage Steuben and Baccarat glassware. Speaking of his apartment overall, Browne said, “I like it as clean and as uncluttered as possible.” That much is certainly clear.
A Connecticut Bar Over Which Cindy Sherman Watches
Joe Nahem turned a traditional Connecticut home into a canvas for contemporary art. And in June 2013, it was featured in the pages of AD. The bar area, seen here, includes a Cindy Sherman portrait. It also makes excellent use of faux-suede walls and barware by Calvin Klein Home. The other artwork seen is by Rudolf Stingel.
A Black-and-White Watering Hole Situated Next to a Private Bowling Alley
In this Hamptons home, an embrace of irreverence filled many a distinct space. “We love wacky,” the homeowner told AD in the 2019 feature. “But I also wanted sophistication.” Its memorable bowling alley, which can be glimpsed to the left of the above image, included a wallpaper inspired by the art of Jean Dubuffet. Its adjacent black-and-white bar, which was crafted out of Corian, picked up on the same graphic pattern scheme. The interior designer was Kelly Behun, the AD100 decorator.
Fred Astaire’s Personal Bar
In March 1977, Architectural Digest visited the Beverly Hills home of Fred Astaire. Besides mementos from a life spent in show business, the red space brimmed with photos related to horse racing. The 1946 Hollywood Park Gold Cup won by Astaire’s horse, Triplicate, can also be glimpsed.
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