Building a Home Bar

• A home bar should enhance the room where you build it. Depending on budget and taste, use maple, oak, birch or cherry wood to construct your home bar. There are several styles of home bars, but one of the easiest and most economical is the project that you complete in the course of a weekend.
  
  Before designing the bar, measure the room where the bar will be and allow space not only for the bar but for people to move easily around the bar. A good size for a home bar is eight feet long with measurements of 24 inches wide and 44 inches off the ground.
  
  To build the frame, you need standard eight-foot 2 x 4 studs that are adhered together using glued lap joints. The lap joints help to secure the corners together. Construct the frame to create the shape of the bar. Use 1 1/2 inch wood screws to help secure the lap joints. The screws help to create a sturdy and durable structure.
  
  The bar top can be one sheet of 4 x 8 plywood that is cut to fit your design. You can have any home-supply store cut the wood for you at no extra charge. Use wood nails to secure the plywood to the frame. If you wish, attach a drop-down counter under the bar. Attach this counter using lap joints and glue. Make sure to allow enough height to place bottles on the drop-down counter.
  
  

Completing Your Home Bar

• To complete the easy home bar, use crown molding for the edges, which you can secure with wood glue and quarter inch nails. Crown molding is an attractive way to cover the edges, and it adds style and texture to the home bar.
  
  Apply two coats of stain on the bar top along with several coats of urethane. Let each coat of stain and urethane dry completely before applying another coat.
  
  The front panel of the easy home bar is simply one eighth inch fiberboard nailed to the frame of the bar. Upgrade to a better quality of wood to cover the bar front if your budget allows this.