Wet Bar: 3 Common Features of a Wet Bar

A wet bar is a designated space where you can make alcoholic drinks for guests while entertaining in-home. Its name comes from the fact that a wet bar always has a sink. This sink allows for easy clean-up without having to retreat to your kitchen sink, and it can also act as a makeshift ice bucket. A great home wet bar will hold liquor bottles, glassware, and any accoutrements for making drinks, such as a bottle opener, cocktail shaker, or a decanter.

A wet bar allows you to stay with your guests and keep the conversations going as you make drinks instead of having to run back and forth to the kitchen. While some homes have an open floor plan design that keeps the kitchen and entertaining area all in the same space, a wet bar is still helpful as a small bar area with a singular purpose during the main action of your gathering. Wet bars can be in a living room, recreation room, or even on the patio.

Wet bars became popular for in-home entertaining in the second half of the twentieth century. With the rise of entertainment areas, such as game rooms, man caves, and finished basements, many homeowners skipped traditional liquor cabinets in favor of a wet bar.

While very similar, a wet bar is not the same as a dry bar. Which one you use in your home will likely be determined by space, function, and budget.

• Sink: A wet bar is called as such because it has a sink with running water. A dry bar will not have a sink, but will still be used for making drinks and include all the necessary tools.
• Portability: Dry bars don’t have a sink, so they don’t have to be attached to a wall or the floor. Instead, it can be a cart, a small island, or even a converted area of shelves or cabinets. However, a wet bar has to be connected to plumbing and therefore, has limited installation options.
• Wine bar: Similar to a dry bar in that it doesn't include a sink, a wine bar can be a static feature in your home that uses a wine fridge, or a bar with a wine rack for your bottle collection. Both wet bars and dry bars may feature wine bar elements, depending on the size.

Wet bars can have unique shapes, countertops, and faucets. However, most wet bars share the following common features:

1. 1. Sink: A sink is what gives a wet bar its name. Without this, it's simply a dry bar. In order to include a sink when building your wet bar, you must take into account the setup of your plumbing.
2. 2. Storage area: Whether it's cabinetry or shelving, a great wet bar includes storage for all your wine glasses, tumblers, and barware. You may even want a wine rack to contain and arrange your wine bottles.
3. 3. Mini-fridge: In addition to a sink, a high-end wet bar often includes an additional appliance, such as a mini-fridge, wine fridge, or kegerator. If you don't have a place to chill the bottles at your wet bar, you may find yourself running back and forth to the kitchen to restock. However, if you have a mini-fridge right under your wet bar countertop, then you won't miss out on any conversation time with guests.

Developing a home wet bar can be an exciting home renovation project. Before you get started, consider the following issues:

• Home interior design style: A wet bar can take your current home design to the next level by utilizing it as a focal point, or you can find unique ways to hide it seamlessly into a setting.
• Location: How you spend time in your home is of the utmost importance when designing a home wet bar. For example, you probably wouldn’t install a home bar in a man cave if the major entertaining areas of your home are the living room or outdoor kitchen.
  
• Available space: Wet bars vary in size. If it’s built into the corner of your basement bar, it may only be a couple of feet. If you’re repurposing the back-side of your island on the patio, it could be a lot larger, and maybe even have room for bar stools. It’s likely not something that will be used every day, so no need to design your entire home around it. Consider vertical space in your bar design, as you'll likely have an easier time creating storage or a refrigeration area above and below the bar space.
• Plumbing: If you're creating a DIY home wet bar, consider using a built-in shelf that you already have. The high shelves can act as your bar cabinet and you can add stainless steel, marble, dark wood, or granite countertops. The only thing to consider in this instance is the plumbing, but a built-in shelf provides a great opportunity to save money and ensure you have a sturdy unit.
• Budget: While popular and generally inexpensive, wet bars do not add a significant amount of resale value to your home. If you can't afford to build a home wet bar, a dry bar or bar cart can be versatile options. A bar cart is excellent as you can transport it from the dining room to the game room to the outside kitchen, or wherever the party is happening.

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