Media Rooms, Basements, and Home Bars
"These cabinets form a dry bar tailored to the homeowners, who are bourbon aficionados, Adams says. At the top of the cabinets full of barware are brass grills hiding another surprise. “[The homeowners] are very big into music and had these very specific speakers that they wanted to incorporate. I did not want to see the speakers,” Adams says with a laugh. The grills’ open mesh provided the solution."
"When not in use, the bar simply folds up, clips in and is hidden by the tambour paneling."
"Another fun touch is this pull-down walnut bar shelf for serving guests during parties. Behind it, the wine fridge provides a nice view."
"Here’s a peek inside the slim pullout cabinet that holds bottles. This maximizes the small bar space and prevents having to dig around the back of a deep cabinet."
"The island and perimeter counters are Jet Mist granite. 'I have this in my own house,' Robertson says. 'It’s low-maintenance and it goes with everything. And I knew it would work well with the blue we were using in this kitchen.'"
"The bar includes a wine cooler, two refrigerator drawers for beverages and pullouts for bottles. Robertson repeated the walnut inside the pullout drawers."
"“My client was really into mesh, which is great because it adds so much texture,” Robertson says. She added brass mesh here on the upper cabinet doors and also on the island. She repeated the brass finish on the faucet, filtered-water spigot and cabinet hardware."
"She replaced the upper cabinets with floating shelves and covered the backsplash in a stunning encaustic cement tile from Clé. In some ways, the tight time line helped her make quick decisions — luckily, the tile was in stock with no lead time. She also replaced the countertop with basaltina (made from volcanic rock), painted the lower cabinetry to match the tile and swapped in leather drawer pulls. The spot makes it easy for guests to serve themselves."
"After: After a trip through the English countryside, Spear came home inspired by a favorite pub she had visited in the Cotswolds. She continued the kitchen cabinetry’s green paint onto the family room’s paneled walls and adorned the room with equestrian prints. The wood-and-iron item over the sofa is an old sliding door mechanism from the couple’s former house in Virginia. “I meant to use it to hang a curtain in our old laundry room but I never did,” Spear says. “Somehow it made it to St. Louis, and now it’s the perfect drink shelf.” This room was built on a slab, so hardwood flooring wasn’t an option. The floors are black and white marble tile in a harlequin pattern, and they’re heated. There’s a fireplace across from the sofa. Because this was to be the main TV-watching spot, the designer chose a comfortable sectional sofa and paired it with a green ottoman she already had."
Q