Design Your Home Bar With Ergonomics (And Guests) In Mind

Design Your Home Bar With Ergonomics (And Guests) In Mind

If you’re putting together a home bar, you’re probably thinking about the essentials you’ll need, but not necessarily how it’s laid out and where in the room. Kevin Liu at Serious Eats suggests you think about positioning too — the right layout will keep you and your guests happy and leave you less to clean up.

Liu discusses making sure your home bar is the right height and size for you (so you’re comfortable using it), but he also explains why you may not want to have the highly-regarded L-shaped bar up against a wall. He notes that having to come out from behind it every time you need to get something sucks, and depending on the size of your space, it’s probably a huge waste of space.

An island bar can be large enough for storage underneath and for a work space on top, and it will let you see and talk to your guests without being trapped behind a table all night. Hit the link below to read more detail, and to see some helpful diagrams that may make all the difference when you’re setting up your wet or dry bar at home.

He also goes into a few other useful entertaining tips, like putting your guests to work (asking them to put their dirty glasses in the sink so it’s easier to clean up, or get their own glass so you can make them a drink) and whittling down your drink choices to maybe four to five drinks if you’re playing bartender. Oh — and one tip I can vouch for; keep the beer and wine away from the bar. Most people are capable of grabbing a beer or pouring a glass of wine on their own, without your supervision. With Christmas entertaining and New Year’s parties coming up, you can use every tip you can get to make the experience less of a hassle.

Ergonomics and How to Organise Your Home Bar [Serious Eats]


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