A $1,320 IKEA Hack Transforms This Awkward Spot into the Dreamiest Built-in Bar
If you want to maintain a great flow between your kitchen and dining room, consider using the same color palette, same style of chairs, or same stone or wood tones throughout. This will help create cohesion whether you have an open-plan layout with a seamless cooking and dining space, or a standalone kitchen or dining room.
In Laura Magee’s (@deco.dwelling) home, she made the kitchen and dining areas feel cohesive by painting the cabinetry in the dining area the same color (Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black) as her kitchen cabinet doors.
Where there was a credenza before, there’s now a bona fide bar area.
Laura didn’t always have cabinetry in her dining room; adding the bar setup was a DIY project she completed for about $1,320. “This was a dead space before, and we had an old sideboard sitting here,” Laura explains. “It has a slanted ceiling from the stairwell, so the space itself is a bit tricky to decorate. But … we love to entertain, so with lots of research and color palette testing, I set out to design myself this home bar.”
Laura used pinks, greens, and brass tones for the project. “We got our [hardware] on Amazon for a steal, and it looks so expensive!” Laura says. The walls and the floating shelves (which were installed by a professional carpenter) are painted in Lick’s Pink 09.
The lower cabinets are IKEA METODs.
The built-in bar contains an IKEA hack. Laura and her husband, Jonny, bought IKEA METOD (SEKTION in the US) cabinets, assembled and painted them themselves, and then worked with a professional carpenter to give them a built-in look.
Laura says one of the hardest parts was painting on the vinyl door fronts. “This was a bit of trial and error,” she says. “I used special primer first and then eggshell paint to ensure we had the right finish and durability. I was really happy with how it turned out!”
A faux marble top saves money.
Laura says she and Jonny debated for a while about what sort of countertop to add to the bar area, but the gray and white veiny faux marble adds style — and saves on money. (In fact, they actually salvaged the countertop slab from a dumpster, Laura shares on Instagram!)
If the couple could change one thing about the project, they might also add a wine fridge, but Laura says it was hard to find one that would work with the depth of the cabinetry (1.6 feet deep). “Maybe in the future they will make wine coolers a little more shallow!” she says.
Accessories complete the bar setup.
After the cabinets, countertops, paint, and hardware were in place, it was time to accessorize, and that was easier than expected, Laura shares. “It all kind of flowed,” she says. “I created so many design boards on how I wanted it to look and the process actually was quite organic when I started placing all my glassware, books, and booze!”
Laura says on Instagram that she now has “the ultimate pink home bar” — and she loves how it helps her host. “It’s a real showstopping space, and I love how it ties in with the rest of my living dining and kitchen area,” she adds.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.