Organizing aperitifs, dinners and parties at home is easier if we can count on a comfortable minibar complete with everything: liqueurs, wines, favorite alcohol and, for do not be found unprepared by any last moment guests, a selection of excellent cocktails ready to drink like those of our Mixology Menu.
The NIO premisced cocktails, with packs with an ultra -flat and elegant design reminiscent of iconic CDs, are in fact ready to be enjoyed, without bulky bottles and with the maximum quality.
However, if we think of modern houses, which do not always have adequate spaces, the Choice of the right furniture for the bar corner it becomes fundamental like that of alcohol.
We therefore asked the Interior Design experts in Westwing Italia What were the main types of minibar from home that we can find on the market, where it is advisable to position them and which style to choose for this type of furniture.
Types of minibarWhere do I put it?
Choose your own style
How to complete a minibar
Types of minibar
We start by doing some useful distinctions to understand exactly what is meant by minibar and what its variants can be. A minibar is, as the word itself says, a small bar, or a version reduced by size and content compared to the more classic drinking corner or bar counter.
However, it must be said that There is no precise definition of minibar, and in fact there are several home accessories that can fall within the category; We therefore have:
Mini-bar
It is the classic minibar that you find in the hotel rooms, a small refrigerator with a selection of alcoholic and non -alcoholic beverages, in minimal and decidedly unstimal doses.
In its home-design version it becomes a object with a modern look Which is well suited to be inserted in the most diverse environments, since there are also built -in wall minibars to be transformed into elegant beautiful bar showcases to see and the slightest footprint.
Reflows can be considered essential minibars, since they can only contain bottles and bottles, but being small refrigerators are in great demand for the possibility of having a Environment at controlled temperature For its alcohol, in particular wine.
Instead, they are not suitable for those who appreciate the world of drinks and cocktails more, preparations that do not require special temperatures but, in the event, only ice.
Cabinet
The most classic and complete version of the home minibar is undoubtedly the mobile bar, or a furnishing object available on the market in the most diverse forms, designed and designed to contain not only everything you need to prepare drinks and aperitifs at your home , but also to make a decade at an interior design level.
In fact, there are cocktail or liqueurs furniture that are of the real furnishing works, built with the most precious materials and according to the most imaginative styles, without obviously neglecting the possibility of completing any type of minibar with useful and highly effective barman accessories.
The mobile drink is the perfect complement to create a Original minibar corner Without the need for large spaces and with an adequate budget: in fact, there are both minibar furniture of great value and cheaper cabinets but equally useful and visually impactful, especially if enriched with accessories and decorative elements in style.
Shopping cart
Great like a drinking cabinet and comfortable to move thanks to the characteristic wheels, the alcohol trolley is a real mobile minibar. Usually in metal or in wood, can have two or three shelves in the same material or even in glass.
In addition to transporting bottles of alcohol, cocktail tools and glasses, it is also an object of furniture of great effect, if well positioned in the environment and combined with the style of the house.
In the end it doesn't matter that our minibar is a small fridge, a piece of furniture or a trolley, the really important thing, apart from being always equipped with the best cocktails and alcohol, it is to understand where to insert it in domestic spaces to obtain maximum effect. Let's see how.
Nice, but where do I put it?
Well, you have chosen and bought your minibar, now you have to understand where to place it and make sure that it is at the same time comfortable to use, beautiful to see and, above all, that it does not steal too much space.
To well think about it, a minibar from home can be inserted almost everywhere in domestic environments, bathroom apart: at hand in the living room or in the room, in more reserved areas such as taverns and small depandances or directly outside, perhaps incorporating it In a large cocktail bar corner.
Living room / living area - It is the ideal place for a Carello Minibar in style with the furniture, which if necessary can be moved in case of need for more or less numerous parties or events. The fixed bar mobile is also an alternative, but it usually needs large enough halls so as not to be a clutter.
Bedroom - For those who love to enjoy quality drinks or cocktails in the warmth of their sleeping area, a drink cabinet is the ideal choice, perhaps in precious and vintage wood, or with a hypermodern design depending on their taste. If the space is little or you want to opt for a less intrusive solution, you can use a shelf or a small table To create a minimal but functional minibar.
Kitchen / island corner - In independent kitchens at most you can think of putting a reform for wine, but it is the kitchen area, possibly with island, to have all the necessary features to host a full -blown minibar angle, both by combining a reform with a dedicated furniture for accessories and other alcohol, both creating a real bar counter In the middle of the living area, obviously based on the spaces.
Taverna / Depandance - If space is not a problem and we can have secluded and always of great charm environments like a tavern or a small room adjacent to the main home, our minibar will become something much closer to a true Cocktail bar room, complete with counter, shelves for glasses, stools and refrigerated cells. To best customize this particular place, here are Westwing's advice on how furnish a tavern with style.
On the outside - If instead you have an outdoor space, you can organize a bar corner in verandas, terraces or gardens, as long as a covered part is available where you can put a piece of furniture or a minibar trolley without risks in case of rain or swing sun. Also in this case, depending on the space, it will be possible to have more or less "mini" bar areas.
How to do in studios and small environments?
As we have seen, the available space is crucial when you want to have a minibar in the house, and things get complicated even more if the space is really minimal. However, there are some very effective furnishing solutions, for example:
As we have seen, trolley from cocktails e shelves Port Drink can be perfect solutions for environments such as studios, without giving up a touch of elegance and a good variety of prestigious alcoholic beverages.
Alternatively, it is possible to exploit unused spaces such as i below, niches or corridors To insert small minibars.
Choose your own style
Even the most complete and expensive minibar can make a fool if bad combined with the character of one's home. In line or in contrast to the furnishings and colors of the house, it does not matter, what matters is that it is pleasant to see and that I invite you to enjoy cocktails and drink in company.
The style variants for a minibar are however limited, apart from some exceptions of avant -garde design. Here are the main styles of furniture and drinks that can be found on the market:
- Modern - Minimal lines, contrasting colors, in materials such as metal and glass.
- Vintage - Vecchi minibars refurbished and perhaps embellished with new inserts and decorations.
- Country - furniture or wooden trolleys ideal for hot colored environments or in contrast with spaces with colder tones.
- Technological - Let's go back to the minibars that, equipped with decorative lights, multifunction display or touch, polished metal chassis, can make the joy of fans not only of cocktail drink but also high-tech.
Some accessories to complete your minibar
We have seen styles, types and provisions, but the heart of a minibar always remains the selection of alcohol and drinks that can offer guests and friends on the occasion of aperitifs and dinners.
In order to be able to serve them at best it is necessary to provide your small house bar with some barman tools Like Shaker, Stirr and Strainer, always scenographic, a Set of glasses from drinks and cocktails such as the tumbler and the Martini Glass, and maybe one Selection of cocktails in Nio envelope, ideal for never being unguarded and to attempt their guests with some particular and easy to prepare drinks.
Article written in collaboration with Westwing