Here’s the thing: the bar looks built-in, but it’s not.
When my husband asked me what we should do with that space, I immediately thought, “Bar!” It was one of those built-in desks that were all the rage in the late ’99s and early 2000s, but it just wouldn’t work for us.
It already had almost everything we needed: cabinetry, countertop space and deep drawers for storage. The trick was figuring out how to work with what we had instead of starting from scratch, and that ended up being one of my favorite decisions in the renovation.
How we turned a built-in desk into a bar
We kept a lot of the existing structure. The cabinetry and drawers were functional and in good condition. All we needed to do was paint them. We were already painting the kitchen cabinets, so what’s a few more? We even used the same paint color and hardware.
After talking to our carpenter, he told us all we needed was a pre-made cabinet and a beverage fridge that would fit underneath. To make the new cabinet look built-in, he did some shaving and cutting before attaching it to the existing cabinetry.
The final piece was the countertop. We used the same countertop material as the kitchen, which helped tie the new cabinet into what was already there. Between the matching paint, hardware and countertop, the old and new pieces started to look like one intentional space instead of a desk we converted into a bar.
The details that made the bar feel custom
Now on to the razzle dazzle.
The two things that really make the bar stand out are the wood paneling and glass cabinet doors.
Initially, I wanted to extend the quartz countertop up the back wall as a backsplash, but that would have required us to buy another slab. It was a no for me, dog! So I started looking at other options, and honestly, I think the wood paneling turned out better than the quartz would have.
We used a Smooth MDF Wood Wall Panel to add some warmth, color and texture to a space that otherwise had a lot of white cabinetry.
The glass doors were actually our carpenter’s idea. He cut out the center panels of the existing cabinet doors and added glass, which completely changed the look without requiring us to replace the cabinets. My husband collects bourbon, so the glass lets us display some of his bottles while also storing them.
What we bought for our home bar
Because we reused so much of the original built-in, our shopping list was relatively short.
We carried several of the same finishes from our kitchen into the bar, including Sherwin-Williams Shoji White, oil-rubbed bronze hardware and our quartz countertops. The main additions were one unfinished base cabinet, the beverage refrigerator, wood paneling and glass for the existing cabinet doors.
| What we used | Product / Detail | Why we chose it | Cost |
| Base cabinet | Hampton Bay 15″ Unfinished Base Cabinet | Gave us extra storage without paying for custom cabinetry. | ~$105 |
| Wood slat panel | HIGHLANDERHOME Light Cold Oak Wall Panel | Added warmth and helped make the finished bar feel more intentional. | ~$223 |
| Beverage refrigerator | SIMZLIFE Beverage Refrigerator | Fit beneath our existing counter while providing plenty of beverage storage. | ~$190 |
| Cabinet hardware | KOOFIZO Oil-Rubbed Bronze Cabinet Pulls & Handles | Carried the same bronze hardware from the kitchen into the bar. | $65 |
| Cabinet paint | Sherwin-Williams Shoji White (SW 7042) | Using the same color as the kitchen helped the new and existing cabinetry blend together. | Included in carpenter cost |
| Glass + drawer pieces | Custom materials | Helped adapt the existing cabinetry and complete the built-in look. | $140 |
| TOTAL MATERIALS | $723 |
What did our built-in home bar cost?
One important note: our carpenter completed the bar as part of our larger kitchen renovation, so I don’t have a separate labor cost for this project. The total above reflects the materials we purchased specifically for the bar.
Excluding labor and the countertop material we were already purchasing for the kitchen, we spent about $723 turning the old desk into our home bar.
For a space that looks completely different—and feels like it was designed this way from the beginning—that’s a win!
Would I do it this way again?
Absolutely. We use the bar every day.
And despite calling it a bar, it isn’t just for alcoholic drinks. We make coffee and tea here, store cocktail and mocktail mixers, grab sodas from the fridge and use it as another little gathering spot in our home.
It’s small but mighty.
It was probably the easiest part of our renovation, and somehow it became one of my favorite spaces in the house. The best part is that we didn’t have to start from scratch to create it. We worked with what was already there, made a few strategic changes and ended up with a space that feels completely different.
Inside the Bar
Inside the Bar is where home design meets what we’re pouring. From the story behind our home bar to cocktails, mocktails, tea and the little details that make staying in feel special, I’m sharing what we’re making, drinking and learning along the way.
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