101 Weekends of Fun

It often makes sense to design your home so that most of the rooms can serve dual functions. This is definitely a point to keep in mind if you're designing a home theater. While the primary use of this room is obviously to watch movies, TV shows, and sporting events, you may also want to use it for entertaining — perhaps having drinks and appetizers during a sports-watching party. If so, a bar added to the space can make a lot of sense. This is a process that you'll want to consider carefully, though. Here are some tips for building the right bar for your home theater.

Use a Soft Top

Most bars have either wooden or stone tops, and there are advantages to both designs. When you're adding a bar to your home theater, however, you'll want to consider a different style of top. Namely, you'll want something that is quiet. If you have people hanging around the bar and enjoying some drinks while others watch something on the big screen, people repeatedly setting down their bottles and glasses on a hard bar top can be noisy. A soft top — faux leather, for example — will muffle this noise and prevent this issue.

Find Comfortable Seating

When you're planning the bar that you'll build in your home theater, you will need to consider seating. While your first instinct might be to use conventional bar stools, there's a better option. If you have a large group that has gathered in the theater to enjoy a movie or a sporting event, some people may take a seat at the bar instead of in your theater seating. This may be necessary if the size of your group has surpassed the number of theater seats that you have. Conventional bar stools can be uncomfortable, so look at using stool-chair hybrids that have a soft, plush seat and a small back support.

Situate It at The Rear

There may be a number of spots in your home theater room that can accommodate a bar. If the room is wide, it might make sense to install the bar on either side of the room. It's ideal, however, if you can set it up at the rear — ideally, directly behind the last row of theater seats. Remember, some of your guests will sit at the bar to watch the screen, so it's ideal if the bar faces it instead of sitting off to the side.