Oh good, this is exactly why I have returned to gardenweb -- we are still in the process; we have only about 8 ft of wall (and no opposing bar or peninsula). We chose to put in an 18" dw and an undercounter fridge/freezer (with ice maker). I wanted a single dw drawer at first, but the saleslady scared me off. I have a toaster oven that I might keep downstairs, and am not planning on buying a microwave for the space unless we absolutely need it instead. I thought a single induction burner would be great, since it doesn't get hot. Decided to forgo that because of limited counter space, and I will probably get a portable induction unit for times when we need it. We will have a full-size freezer and small wine refrigerator in a storage room, as well. Oh, and a portable icemaker. My favorite part (I hope it works) is that directly on the other side of the bar is storage where we plan to install a keg fridge and will tap it through the wall over the bar sink, next to the water faucet. Location might be a challenge; it will be tucked into the back corner of the room, so I'm a little worried about flow, but all things considered I think it was the best place. Look forward to seeing what others are doing/have done, and will update as we progress.

Thank you all for the additional insight. I do not have a floor plan yet, but I can try to draw one out and see what I can do about finding somewhere to host the images. Any suggestions on free software that I could use to draw out a layout? Otherwise maybe I can use graph paper and take a digital picture. The wet bar room is literally just across the small laundry room from a powder room (which is a much larger space than this teeny tiny room). So you're probably right that a hand washing sink really won't add much of anything. I could see the sink being useful when we do remodel the kitchen (as a temporary kitchen), though it would require that area to be finished prior to the kitchen remodel. I think I'd want the cabinetry to match, so I'll have to plan accordingly. I've also been considering having a plumber look at adding a sink off of this same plumbing stack in the garage (for working on cars, gardening, painting, etc). The little room and sink back directly onto a bump out section of the garage. Maybe it would make sense to get rid of the inside sink and just have the sink in the garage. (I need to find out if this is possible since we do have to worry about pipes freezing in Utah.) If I do close off the space, I'm not certain whether I can fit a sink and a pantry in the enclosed space. It's fairly narrow, so it might be difficult. I'll have to post a layout for your review to get some help with that. I'm actually not even certain if I can comfortably fit cabinetry across what's now the bar (if I go standard 24" deep cabinets to fit a wine or beverage fridge) without visually negatively impacting our family room. I think all in all I like the idea of somewhere to keep barware, wine, maybe some beer (so it's not all outside in our garage). I have quite a few beer, champagne, and shot glasses that I really love, though we rarely use them. It might be nice to have some glass display cabinets to show them off. And I think the practicality of an actual pantry (yay!) would be very high on my list. In terms of resale, I think you're absolutely right plllog. It's a house with 3 bedrooms (maybe 4 depending on how we finish the basement) and a nice yard. Considering the region (Utah) and the neighborhood (suburban, fairly upscale with great schools) I suspect swapping out the wine fridge for a beverage fridge will be a must. The cabinetry probably would still be desired since it could easily be a place for kids to grab drinks and such. For us, we do not have children or any intention of having children. I'm honestly not certain when we might sell. This is our first house (we've lived here for 5 years) and I really hope to some day move somewhere with a bigger yard that's hopefully at the base of our spectacular mountains. (We live about a 5 minute drive away, but want to be closer.) I would hope we might be able to upgrade within 5-10 years. However, life happens and my significant other is changing his profession so that impacts our financial plans for the near future.

Thanks everyone. Since the house Is a mid century ranch and the main bath is at the end of the hallway in almost a direct line left from the front door, proximity for guests isn’t a concern. The potential half bath would be located through either the kitchen or living room then through the family room at the back of the house so it would actually be far less accessible for guests. I guess the issue is going to be resolved when we have a plumber come in to look at the 40+ year old abandoned plumbing. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to afford to go with a bath though! And speciall thanks for the advice on drowning out the sound!

Michelle, because this is a new house to you, I would wait before I do anything. Sometimes doing one thing leads to another to another to another and pretty soon you are in over your head. Usually, waiting a year and seeing how the space works is the best advice. Then, research, research, research about what you like, how you would like the space to look, what materials you want, etc. Gather pictures, and start a Houzz profile with kitchens that you like and don't like. Study them. See what you like and don't like about each picture. Look at faucets, lighting, flooring, cabinets, hardware, etc. The more research you do, the better the finished product. THEN, if you decide to paint, you will be better informed about what you want the finished product to look like. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it is what you may need to hear.