Where should the bar go so you can host away from the kitchen?
The bar goes between the living room and the terrace, or in a private room next to it, so guests do not walk through the kitchen and the host does not run there for every glass. The kitchen stays a work area and the bar becomes the reception area.
Good positions: a niche in the living room with a closing front, a corner by the terrace door, a room with a door you shut when you want quiet. In a Sant Gervasi penthouse a terrace bar works as the guests' summer kitchen: a counter, an undercounter fridge and a covered area.
The plan is drawn around the route: entry, bar, seating, terrace exit. A counter 105–110 cm high and 50–60 cm deep, 90 cm of bartender work zone and at least 90 cm of passage behind the counter. For a private lounge allow 18–25 m² and a door with an acoustic seal.
If the bar is built into joinery, it closes behind fronts and by day looks like a cupboard. For large receptions a second access keeps staff out of the guest area.
Does a home bar need plumbing?
Yes, if you want to wash glasses and make ice: cold water, a small sink and a drain are enough. A bar without water means carrying glasses to the kitchen, and that gets old fast.
Minimum: a cold-water line of 15–16 mm, a small sink of 40–50 cm, a trap and a drain. If there is no soil stack nearby, a low-power macerator pump goes in. Ice comes from an undercounter ice machine, which needs water and a drain or a drain pump. Hot water comes from a small heater under the sink.
Cooling: a 60 or 30 cm drinks fridge under the counter, a dual-zone wine cabinet at 5–18 °C and, if needed, a separate freezer. Heat from the units must escape, so niches are left ventilated.
All of this is planned before the rough works. If the bar appears after finishing, pipes and drain will have to run in a wall or the floor, which costs a lot more.
Where do the wine and cigar cabinets go?
The wine cabinet goes in or beside the bar, away from heat and sun, and the humidor in a private zone with good ventilation. They need different climates, so they are kept apart.
For wine, 12–14 °C and 60–70 % humidity for long storage, and 5–18 °C in a working two-zone cabinet. Cigars need about 18–21 °C and roughly 70 % humidity, so a humidor or a humidor cabinet with humidification is used. A full wine cellar is covered in our article on wine rooms.
The unit is built into a niche with air for the cooling system: leave the clearances the manufacturer specifies at front and back, or the compressor overheats. Glass is UV-protected so the wine does not suffer in the light.
No appliances under a sink with running water or beside the oven: heat and moisture damage climate cabinets. Placing them by a south-facing terrace is a bad idea, because the sun warms the bottles.
How do you ventilate a cigar area?
Smoking needs extraction that captures smoke at source and does not return it to the home. A powerful purifier with a carbon filter is not enough: you need to vent outside and supply fresh air.
The scheme: extraction with its own duct, an air-change rate higher than in an ordinary lounge, and make-up air through a heat-recovery unit or a valve. The room is held at slight negative pressure so smoke does not drift into the corridor, and the door closes on a seal. Air is not taken from other floors: a shared riser cannot be used without the community's consent.
In a flat the extraction route often runs into common parts: courtyard, facade, riser. Here the community's agreement matters and, in protected buildings, a check of facade protection. If there is no possible outlet, the cigar zone moves to the terrace under an awning or into a closed cabin with a filter, but the result is poorer.
Materials are chosen to resist odour: tile, leather, varnished wood, wool. Fabrics and upholstery hold smell and need regular cleaning.
Which lighting suits the evening?
Warm, subdued light of 2200–2700 K, several levels and dimmers: shelf lighting, floor lamp, wall lights and accent light over the counter. A bar needs no general overhead light, or the atmosphere disappears.
Basic scheme: linear light behind the bottles and in the niche, spotlights over the counter, decorative pendants and light inside cabinets. For guests' faces 200–300 lux in a warm tone works best, and for the bartender's work zone up to 300–400 lux. Bars with glossy surfaces create glare, so choose a matte top or dark stone with light texture.
Music works as part of the light: built-in ceiling speakers with zones controlled from the smart-home system. Scenes such as dinner, evening and after-guests switch everything at once. There is more on lighting schemes in our article on lighting scenarios.
For the terrace add low floor or furniture lights and protection from insects and wind.
How BCN YARD integrates bars and private lounges
A bar combines plumbing, electrics, bespoke joinery, climate and lighting, so we run it with one team: our own crew, trusted subcontractors and one person responsible for the site. We work in Russian and Spanish.
First a visit and measurements, then a staged estimate. Payment by contract and in stages. We usually answer an enquiry within an hour.
Frequently asked questions
How much space does a small home bar need?
A wall-built bar needs 2–3 linear metres: fridge, sink, glassware cupboard and a worktop, which is enough for most households. If you want a counter with stools, allow 3 × 2 m including a 90 cm passage behind. A private lounge needs 18–25 m².
Can you smoke cigars in a flat with shared ventilation?
Smoking in your own home is permitted, but smoke must not reach neighbours through shared ventilation. That needs a dedicated extraction duct and the community's consent for the outlet, or complaints follow. Without your own extraction, smoke on the terrace.
Does a home bar need an ice machine?
It is handy if you entertain regularly: a built-in unit makes 10–20 kg of ice a day and needs no freezer. It requires water, a drain or drain pump and ventilation. For occasional gatherings, trays and bags of ice are enough.