If you ended up on this blog post you must be wondering, what is a wet bar or what is a dry bar. Maybe you already know those answers and you are deciding on whether you should build a wet bar or should you build a dry bar. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
We’re all about adding in bar vignettes into our clients home, whether that’s a dry bar or wet bar. But there’s a big difference in them when it comes to overall costs and designs. So let’s talk about a difference between a wet bar and a dry bar.
A wet bar is equipped with a sink and running water, making it ideal for mixing drinks and cleaning up afterward. When you think of wet bar – just think of, do I need to have a licenses plumber hook up a water line to this area. If the answer is yes, you are building out a wet bar. Sinks need plumbing easily accessible, while stand alone fridges do not.
In contrast, a dry bar doesn’t require plumbing—it’s a stylish space for serving drinks without the need for a sink. You may have a handy friend or two who attempted to create their own dry bar and succeeded. However, you are feeling like you lack inspiration and a sense of direction and that’s why I am writing this blog!
If you’re considering creating your own dry bar, you might be surprised at how easy it is to repurpose an unused closet, buy and install a cabinet and floating shelves. With a little creativity, you can transform that space into a chic spot for entertaining guests.
A wet bar will require a professional eye and a bigger area in your home to create it and that’s where construction2style can come in handy with design and implementation.
Let’s take a closer look and determine what is better for you. Are you ready to go on an inspiration ride?
How To Choose Between Wet Bar vs Dry Bar?
In most cases, the decision between a wet bar and a dry bar is dictated by the size of the space, and the accessibility of plumbing, and distance to it. Many homeowners would undoubtedly opt for a wet bar if space and budget allowed.
Access to another sink and a storage area for linens, china and glasses is a true game-changer! Also, both dry bar and wet bar will upgrade your hosting opportunities and add value to your home.
My sister-in-law loves bringing people together. She is never afraid to introduce different business owners to each other or share her friends with others.
If those gatherings become loud and big, more often than not, a group of introverts will group together and relocate to a dry bar area downstairs. It is truly a fun space to invest in, and it will keep on giving!
Recently, I asked her why she and Jamie decided on a dry bar, and the answer was simple. They had plenty of space downstairs, some extra kitchen cabinets that Jamie was able to repurpose, and a beautiful dry bar was created.
Morgan did share that she wished they had put in a wet bar. However, they didn’t because of costs. That’s the main reason I hear from our clients, and that usually has to do with the bar’s location.
In their case, the location was in the basement, and in order to get plumbing there, they would have had to break up the concrete in the ground. That would have easily added around $5-10K with fixtures in costs. If a waterline isn’t near where clients want to install their sink, the project quickly becomes expensive.
You might be thinking the same thing as I am, but I am not a custom home builder and neither am I married to one. And that is true.
That’s why we will share a dozen recent projects of wet and dry bars that our team created to inspire you and give you ideas to consider. Once you pass that stage, please call us and we will gladly build one for you: either dry or wet.
In more cases than not, a wet bar has enough space for a full-size refrigerator. A dry bar can easily accommodate a miniature one: built-in wine or beverage refrigerator. Having an extra fridge of any size is a rather obvious advantage.
What Is a Wet Bar?
A wet bar essentially has plumbing hooked up within it. This allows for quick access to drinks while entertaining. This setup is convenient for everyone involved, as you can stay engaged with your guests without having to leave the party to prepare cocktails in the kitchen or run back for refills and clean-up.
Spills are inevitable during happy hours and gatherings and your wet bar is here for it. An accessible sink makes cleaning up quick and easy, helping you maintain a tidy bar area and excusing you from running up the stairs to grab a wet cloth and paper towels.
A wet bar can accommodate a wider array of complex cocktails. An added sink simplifies the mixing process, allowing for more creative opportunities and building on your drink repertoire.
Wet bars can be incorporated into various rooms, serving as a central focal point or discreetly tucked away in a corner. Their versatility is a major advantage. When designing your wet bar, consider how much and how often you entertain to ensure it meets all your needs.
What Is a Dry Bar?
Dry bars are a fantastic design idea for any home! They are affordable, versatile, and serve as an entertainment hub. They are substantially more budget-friendly since they don’t require plumbing, which helps lower overall costs. This makes them an attractive option.
Their versatility is another major benefit; without plumbing requirements, dry bars can join almost any room in the house, needing only a small area to set up your favorite mixers and spirits. Additionally, they provide a unique space for hosting friends and family, serving as a personal stage for fun gatherings filled with drinks, conversations, and laughter. Countertop space and drink fridge allow for a more seamless hosting process.
Dry Bar is a fun place to re-locate after a sit-down dinner if you want to continue with a more casual conversation, play a game, or split your party into more intimate groups.
Wet or Dry Bar Design Ideas
When it comes to designing a Dry Bar or a Wet Bar, you will come across at least five main decisions that you will have to make. Some of them will be easy or simply predetermined because your space, budget, cabinets you already own etc. At the same time, you might face a lot of options when it comes to tile, wallpaper, lighting shelving, hardware and cabinets.
White Oak Floating Shelves In a Dry Bar
You will notice many fit-to-order white oak floating shelves for sale that are easy to install in any available space. We love Shelfology and think that their shelf systems are a great choice.
Open shelving in the dry bar looks beautiful, but shelves must be tidy and styled well.
If the purpose of your dry bar is to exclusively serve cocktails and virgin drinks, you might want to organize glasses, bottles, and dessert plates. However, if your dry bar is fully dedicated to espressos and lattes, think about displaying multiple sugars, coffee beans in clear glass containers, cinnamon, or cocoa powder.
One shelf can be committed to mugs, including fun silver-finish or copper mugs, in which you could also serve Apple Ginger Moscow Mules.
Decorative Tile for Backsplash
If you are designing a dry bar or, in our case, a wet bar in the basement, you might need to take a different approach. Consider installing a TV between your floating shelves and opting for a darker hexagon tile for some visual interest.
A wet bar in the basement will call for a different floating shelf decor: books and candles, stacked charcoal grey porcelain bowls, candlesticks, small taper candle holders, etc.
This dry bar features teal herringbone backsplash tile, adding a pop of color to white custom cabinetry. A tile backsplash will bring all the elements of your wet bar together and create a focal point. White cabinetry calls for fun colors, while some neutral tile can properly complement painted cabinets.
Bar Lighting
We all know how important lighting is in any space and how light layering can make any room or area in your house much more beautiful and create that special ambiance. Accent lighting plays a crucial role in designing a wet bar vs dry bar.
It will highlight the beauty of your tile and decor and emphasize your backsplash. Be strategic and place accent lights towards the pieces you would like to highlight and bring out the dimension and depth of your wet bar. Modern flush and semi-flush mount ceiling lights will look great if placed symmetrically on the sides.
Another great lighting option would be this Aged Brass Wall Sconce. It is elegant, gold and back and looks perfect on wallpaper.
Quartz Backsplash
If grout lines are not your favorite and you like a seamless design, then a quartz slab is a great option. It will serve as a unifying element in your wet bar area. It is stain—and heat-resistant, durable, and beautiful.
From sparkling white and pearl grey to arctic, quartz comes in many beautiful colors.
Wet or Dry Bar Wallpaper
Last but not least, dry bar wallpaper is a budget-friendly option for any wet or dry bar. Wallpaper has a similar design function as a tile; however, you can be more creative and less committed because it is pretty simple to replace it if you decide to change the tone of your space. If you live in the Greater Minneapolis Metropolitan area we can’t recommend The Wallpaper Guy enough.
We hope that this blog provided you with enough information to answer your initial question, “What is a wet bar and what is a dry bar.” Hopefully now you know all about the key differences between wet bar vs dry bar and feel equipped with wonderful inspiration for wet bar and dry bar design ideas.
Always remember, that at construction2style, we provide a wide range of services including contracting, design, styling, and content creation. No project is too big or too small for our team; we’re here to cater to all your home improvement and content development needs.
