Do-it-yourself bar counter +50 photo ideas and how to make

Non-standard kitchen equipment makes it easy to update its interior, to give it a modern and stylish look. One of the budget and practical ways of arranging a kitchen can be considered making a bar counter with your own hands. Such an element can act as a conditional separator of zones, replace the dining table and ensure the comfort of storing dishes, kitchen accessories and utensils. Below we describe what bar stands are and what features each type has. We also created step-by-step master classes that will help you to make a rack of wood, drywall, and brick without much difficulty. Simple instructions and an indication of the required tools and materials will help without errors to arrange the kitchen. Also among the proposed options for lighting and decor, you can easily find a way to uniquely style the installed add-on.

Features - advantages and disadvantages of the interior with a bar counter

Convenience and practicality of bar counters in the interior must be taken into account before arranging your kitchen or kitchen-dining room with such an element. The main advantages of these elements include:

Possibility of use as a dining table. This will not overload the free space of the kitchen and create a stylish area for meals.
Simple separation of different zones (cooking and eating, cooking and relaxing). This is a very practical solution for arranging a studio apartment.
The ability to equip the bar counter auxiliary drawers and shelves. This feature will provide the comfort of storing kitchen things, preservation, spices.

The disadvantages of additions include the inconvenience of use by young children and the elderly because of the high location of the table top. Also, at the mini racks used as a dining table, at the same time can not sit more than 3-4 people.

Functions of bar counters in the interior

Depending on the location, size and equipment bar counters can be used for the following purposes:

division of space;

Provide practical zoning of the kitchen, kitchen-dining room or kitchen-living room. Such models are usually placed in the aisles of studio apartments or in spacious kitchens.

dinner table replacements;

They represent a stylized table, which can be additionally equipped with shelves, extensions.

addition of kitchen with another worktop;

Despite the compactness, the bar counters are great for preparing food before cooking. They can also simultaneously act as a working area and a dining table.

increase in the working area and places of storage of utensils.

The presence of shelves or equipment with compact tumba, bar racks extensions provides ease of organizing the storage of dishes, seaming, various bottles of oil, vinegar and jars of spices.

Types of construction

According to the features of the execution and the format of the installed table top, bar counters can be divided into the following categories:

Straight lines They have the shape of a rectangle, can be a continuation of the working area (peninsular) or be a separate element (near the wall - wall, in the center of the kitchen - island).
Rounded. Unusual models that have the shape of a semicircle. They are a great addition to stylized headsets. Usually complemented by shelves, a couple of thumbs.
Corner. L-shaped bar counter can be immediately used as a dining table, and as a working area. Such models can be an excellent replacement for a large-sized table: you can place 5 or more people behind the corner stand.

We should also consider when choosing models and non-standard products. The bar counter can be a full replacement for the window sill and be located directly in front of the window. It can also be mobile: fold under the wall, move under the working table top of the headset.

Bar counters can be both single-tier and two-tier. The latter can be equipped with an additional shelf at the top or have a double worktop.

Size and dimensions

Each owner must select the optimal size of the bar, based on the requirements of his family. In a house where adults, children and the elderly live, it is better to install a rack with a height of about 1-1.1 m. For a family consisting of adults and a teenager, a model with a height of 1.1 to 1.5 m is suitable.

Of course, it should be supplemented with special chairs with footrests for the comfort of its use during meals and rest. The dimensions of the table top are also determined individually, based on the area of the equipped room and its layout. But the optimum for use is considered to be a worktop depth of about 80 cm and a length of about 1-1.5 m. For a rack-sill, the depth can be from 40 to 60 cm. But island models for small kitchens are better to choose with dimensions of about 1x0.6 m.

Performance style

Depending on the features of the design and the materials used, the bar counters have the following style:

loft: models with stone, baked wood, brick;
modern and high-tech: stands in combinations of gray, white and black, usually complemented by glass worktops or front walls made of glass, can be equipped with bright LED backlighting;
Provence: light wood models, may have a regular or craquelure color (semi-antique);
classic: solid wooden models in all shades of brown, usually not painted, but coated with varnish or wax;
industrial: models of wood in gray, black colors or with sheets of metal (most often installed in themed cafes);
modern, urban: models in bright colors, which can be complemented by tiles, plastic panels in a single-color design or with photo printing.

Substrate Materials

The main requirements for assembling the base of the bar counter are reliability and durability. This is especially true of models that will be used daily as a kitchen table. The following materials can be used for the manufacture of the base structure (with shelves, thumbs, or without them):

Wooden beam and slats (outside sheathed with plywood, boards).
Metal profile (suitable for assembling a plasterboard rack).
Metal corners, channel bars (used for welding the most durable base racks for themed cafes, can be partially or completely closed with metal sheets, boards, panels).
Brick (allows you to lay a reliable and durable base, such bases can be used even for the manufacture of racks in the rest rooms in the baths).
Metal pipes (chrome bearings allow you to easily and easily make the simplest rack in a modern design).

The choice of materials for the countertop

When choosing a table top for making your own beautiful bar counter, you can consider the following materials:

Solid wood: allows you to create a solid and reliable worktop, but requires treatment with antiseptic and varnish coating, wax.
MDF or chipboard: great for assembling a budget rack; they can be covered with film or plastic; the owner himself can easily glue over such a tabletop with PVC film or decorate with mosaic.
Glass: neat glass countertops give a special charm to the assembled products, but it is difficult to keep this material clean.
Artificial stone: countertops made of such material are durable, have an attractive appearance and fit well into the classic interior.
Wood + resin: such tabletops can be attributed to the most popular for cafes and modern interiors, the presence of a thick resin layer (or its location between parts of the tree) provides the original look of the rack.

Step-by-step workshops of making a bar counter do it yourself

Below we have reviewed the workshops on making their own hands of different types of bar counters. Please note that before starting work it is necessary to perform the following work:

Measure the room (kitchen, kitchen-living room, kitchen-dining room), in which this addition will be collected.
Determine the allowable (or optimal) dimensions for the structure. It is necessary to consider whether the tabletop will protrude above the base or not.
Determine the design of the rack: a recess for sitting behind it, as at the table; the need for installation of shelves or installation under the table top cabinets.
Make a detailed drawing of the bar counter indicating the dimensions of the height, width, depth of the finished object.
Separately, make a scheme for the base and countertops, taking into account their exact dimensions.

Required materials and tools

In preparation for the manufacture of the bar counter, you must purchase all the materials and select the appropriate tools. Our simple hint will help you to do this:

For wooden products: timber, planks, slats, screwdriver, screws on wood, antiseptic, wood stain (or paint), varnish (or wax).
For a plasterboard product: screwdriver, guide and post profiles, screws for plasterboard and metal, sheets of plasterboard.
For a brick rack: brick, sand, cement, anchors, thin pins, trowel.
For mobile (folding design): MDF, furniture hinges and corners, dowels, wooden slats.
For a model with a support pipe: a pair of brackets, a bar tube (or a chrome furniture tube), a mount and a support for the tube with the appropriate parameters.

Be sure in the process of work (regardless of other materials) you will need a pencil level. It will also be useful and a square.

Bar counter made of wood

You can assemble a very stylish and modern rack with shelves from wood, which will allow you to store kitchen utensils compactly. For assembling the base, it is recommended to use a timber of 5x5 cm. The lining will be held with a burned board. As a tabletop can be used as an array of wood and MDF. The work is carried out in the following master class:

On the floor there is a place to install the rack in the form of a rectangle. On each side a pair of squares is separated - on the sides of our stand there will be shelves.
Along the perimeter of the future bollards (squared squares) and under the blank wall to the floor with the help of anchors pieces of timber are mounted. Where people will sit at the counter, the bar can not be mounted.
Vertical props are assembled for future pedestals - 4 for each of them. Also installed vertical support for the blank wall (at a distance of 30-40 cm).
The upper beam is being mounted (similarly to the lower one) + horizontal support is mounted under the tabletop from the side where people will sit.
The side parts of the future bollards, as well as the future wall (inside and outside) are sheathed with a board.
Curbstones are additionally sheathed inside with MDF or plywood. Mounting under the shelves inside the cabinets.
The table top is mounted (on studs, dowels or mounted from under the bottom). Installing shelves.
The tree is being processed.

From plasterboard

Drywall bars are pretty easy to assemble even by a non-professional. For work usually moisture-proof sheets are used. But to create a rounded stand, it is allowed to use ordinary thin sheets: they will be easily curved. To protect materials from moisture, additional pasting is carried out with moisture-resistant wallpaper. Special drywall or thick plain drywall can be pasted over with film, tile, artificial stone. The work itself on the assembly of the structure is as follows:

On the floor and wall are set marks for the location of profiles. The distance between parallel guide profiles can be about 30-50 cm.
Installation of guide profiles on the floor and wall. Horizontal lintels are mounted between the floor profiles to reinforce the structure.
Rack profiles are mounted: they are installed in guides vertically. From above, guide profiles are fixed to them (they will be the basis for the worktop).
The finished base is sheathed with sheets of drywall. Conducted grouting joints, wall trim.
The worktop is being installed: laminated chipboard or MDF.

Stone / brick

Building a brick bar counter takes a lot of time, but it looks luxurious and will serve the owners as long as possible. At the same time, it is recommended to make it U-shaped: this way the internal recess will provide the comfort of sitting behind the desk. To make such an addition for the kitchen with your own hands, you can according to the following scheme:

The plot is marked (parts of the floor and walls) where the wall stand will be located. Further, these surfaces are aligned to create maximum grip. A solution is made of cement and sand in a ratio of 1 to 3.
A layer of mortar is laid out on the floor, on top of it is the first layer of brick. The joints of neighboring elements are well greased with a solution. The first row is evenly checked.
Laying 2 and 3 rows. Then an anchor is driven into the wall and the next row is laid. Anchor tab will ensure the density of junction of a brick rack to the kitchen wall. Driving anchors should be carried out every 3-4 rows.
The last row is complemented by 2-4 short pins for attaching wood or MDF tops. Also, the structure is cleaned from excess solution.
After the solution dries, a decorative stone is used to decorate the stand (for example, in one corner near the wall).

Check the evenness of the structure is both horizontally and vertically. If the brick protrudes above the plane, it should be seated using a rubber hammer. With an insufficient height of the brick relative to the general plane of the row, it is removed, the solution is added, and the brick is reinstalled in a row.

Bar counter with a pipe support

Using a support pipe and MDF board or an array of wood (of any shape) for making, you can make a very simple and stylish rack. Its production is carried out as follows:

Preparation of the table top of the desired form. The tree can be sawed, rounded, covered with an antiseptic, stain or varnish. MDF plate is also trimmed, PVC film is pasted on top.
A pair of corners is screwed to the edge of the tabletop, which will abut the wall. On the opposite side (distant from the wall), a nozzle is installed-emphasis under the selected bar tube.
The workpiece is turned over. On the wall marked the place of attachment of the corners, the installation of dowels. The location of the pipe is marked on the floor and a special support is mounted under it - the “heel”.
The rack is installed on the chosen place, fixing of a pipe is carried out (is established in a heel) and fixture of corners.

Foldable bar counter for a small kitchen

Making a compact rack is best suited for a small kitchen. You can fasten the table top along the wall (to create a folding add-on), and you can also fix the sliding mechanism between the headset and the cupboard under it (to install a sliding add-on). For the manufacture of a simple folding rack work is carried out on such a master class:

A wooden board is attached to the free wall of the kitchen using durable furniture corners (for example, for mounting shelves).
The table top itself (from MDF or a non-thick solid wood) is fixed to the fixed board with the help of loops. Thus, the assembled structure can both fold out and collapse.
To fix the tabletop in the unfolded state, a vertical plank is attached to the wall.
A wooden corner is mounted to the vertical board with the help of the same furniture hinges (the right angle should be located directly under the table top and wall). You can make a corner of the rails.
Additionally, a corner stopper is installed on the underside of the table top (this can be a dowel or a rubber pad attached to the table top.)

Bar counter instead of windowsill

Installation of the usual bar counter due to small dimensions of the kitchen is not always possible. In such a situation, the installation of this add-on as a window sill fully justifies itself. This stand can be used as an auxiliary work area, and as a dining table. Similar constructions possess such features:

They partly enter the wall, thus fixing them is reliable.
Auxiliary cabinets or shelves can be easily located under the large tabletop of the window racks.
With the complete arrangement of the kitchen, you can order or make a stand-sill, which will be a continuation of the top of the headset itself.
At will the made rack can have both equal, and slightly rounded, figured edge.

Backlight and rack lighting

The use of different types of lighting and lighting for the bar allows you to most effectively highlight it in the interior. The lighting option using LED strips is quite popular. They can be mounted under the countertop, thus illuminating the space under the rack. For bars and apartments decorated in high-tech or modern style, the option of highlighting a glass tabletop or tabletop made of wood and resin is useful.

Световые потоки, проходящие сквозь прозрачный слой, подчеркнут оригинальность конструкции. Для двухъярусных моделей (с высокой верхней полкой) подойдет вариант установки точечных встраиваемых светильников. But above the single-tier racks you can hang 2-3 identical chandeliers with lampshades of strict geometric shape. Also a popular solution was the 3-4 different chandeliers with metal shades in the form of polyhedra hanging over the Edison lamp stand.

Bar counter decor and accessories

The choice of jewelry and auxiliary elements for the bar should be based on its style. Commonly used solutions include:

Finishing the front and side walls of the carriage stitch. This option is suitable for classic wooden models.
Installing translucent plastic panels or frosted glass with light.
Decorating the table top with improvised materials: laying out coins or metal lids from soda and beer and then pouring them with epoxy resin, decoupage the surface with newspapers, sheets of books or notes.

As a useful accessory can be considered the installation of pipes with chrome shelves. This option is suitable even for a single-deck model: the upper part of the pipe will be fixed immediately on the ceiling. Bunk models can be complemented by glass storage tanks.

Conclusion

A beautiful bar counter can be a good addition to any apartment, house or modern cottage. Such furniture will give an original look to an interior and will emphasize its unusualness. At the same time, it is not necessary to order the production of the bar counter to the masters: the owners can do it themselves. For work fit various materials. For example, close to the classical model can be assembled from wood, plywood, MDF. Simple modern rack will not be difficult to make of profiles and drywall. You can decorate it with a variety of materials: artificial stone, wallpaper, plastic panels. Optionally, the finished design can be complemented by a second tier for easy connection of the backlight and the creation of an auxiliary level for storing glasses. With careful drawing up of the drawings and exact following by the step-by-step master classes everyone can make a practical and reliable bar counter.