Collection: Bar Cabinets

A bar cabinet gathers bottles, glasses and accessories in one piece of furniture that is made to stand on show. Here you will find bar cabinets in several sizes and styles, from compact models for a smaller flat to wide cabinets that become the focal point of the room. The range includes models such as Brooklyn, Westbury, Memphis and Hampshire, with different solutions for storage and lighting.

What a good bar cabinet should handle

The difference between a bar cabinet that lasts and one that does not is almost always in the construction behind the door. Bottles are heavy, and a shelf that carries ten bottles will bend under twenty. When you compare models it is worth looking at three things.

The thickness of the shelves and how they are fixed, since that governs how much weight they carry
Whether there are glass holders, bottle stops or a raised edge that keeps bottles from sliding
How the doors are hung, since heavy doors on thin hinges drop over time

Lighting inside the cabinet is a detail that makes more difference than it sounds. It lifts labels and glasses when the cabinet stands open, and makes the piece work as a light source in a dimmed room.

Small bar cabinet or large

A small bar cabinet suits places where the floor space is limited, in a hallway or beside a sofa. It usually holds around ten bottles and glasses for an evening, which goes further than many expect. Westbury is an example of a model in that format.

A larger bar cabinet gives room for the whole range, glasses in several sizes and accessories such as shaker, ice bucket and chopping board. At the same time it needs a wall where the piece is allowed to take space. Always measure the swing of the doors before you decide on placement, since wide cabinets need clear space in front of them to be usable.

A bar cabinet as a kitchen island and room divider

Several of the models are used for something quite different from a bar. In a kitchen where a fixed island will not fit, a bar cabinet on castors works as a movable kitchen island, and in an open plan the same piece becomes a room divider between kitchen and dining area.

Memphis is often used that way. The height sits close to counter height, the castors make it easy to move aside when the space is needed for something else, and the storage takes what would otherwise be left out on the worktop. Westbury works the same way where the floor area is smaller.

If the cabinet is to stand free in the middle of the room, the back is worth a thought. A piece that divides a room is seen from both sides, and then the back should be as finished as the front.

A spirits cabinet with a lock and control

A spirits cabinet is essentially a bar cabinet where storage weighs heavier than display. The front is often completely closed, the bottles stand in the dark, and several models can be locked. It is a reasonable choice in homes with children, in rental properties and in businesses where you want control of the stock.

Dark storage also has a practical advantage. Light affects the taste of opened bottles over time, particularly in vermouth and other wine based products. A closed drinks cabinet preserves the contents better than an open shelf in sunlight.

Retro bar cabinets and modern lines

The retro idiom has become the clearest direction among bar cabinets. Rounded corners, glazed or fluted doors, brass details and dark wood give a feeling of the fifties and sixties. Brooklyn belongs here and works particularly well in older flats with high ceilings and stucco.

The more modern line builds instead on right angles, matt surfaces and concealed handles. It suits rooms where the rest of the interior is restrained, and where the cabinet should blend in rather than stand out. Memphis sits closer to that expression. Hampshire is the model in the range with a glazed front, which means bottles and glasses are visible even when the cabinet is closed.

Looking after the cabinet

A bar cabinet needs little maintenance, but a few things extend the life of the piece. If the cabinet has a glazed front or shelves in glass, as Hampshire does, wipe them with a product without abrasives, since scratches in glass cannot be put right afterwards. Brass details that should keep their tone are wiped dry after cleaning, while untreated brass is happy to patinate in peace. Check the shelf fixings once a year, particularly if the cabinet stands full, and tighten the hinges if the doors have started to hang unevenly.

A drinks cabinet as part of the room

A drinks cabinet does not have to stand alone. Many combine a fixed bar cabinet with a drinks trolley, where the cabinet is the storage and the trolley the mobile serving. Others place the cabinet in a dining room and let it take over the role a sideboard usually has.

Think about the height in relation to the room. A tall, narrow bar cabinet draws the eye upwards and makes a small area feel airier, while a low and wide cabinet gives weight and calm. Against a dark wall, brass and glass stand out more clearly than against a white one.