A Secret Bar Adds to the Fun of a Restored Ohio Victorian
Cork wallpaper, custom stained glass and intricate craftsmanship make this library and hidden bar a must-see
Bryan Anthony
September 8, 2018
Photos by Rick Lee
Home Bar at Glance
Who lives here: Avid antique collectors
Location: Marietta, Ohio
Size: About 200 square feet (18.6 square meters)
Designer: Pam Holschuh, Copper Leaf Interior Design Studio
After the last of their three kids left home, these homeowners were ready to raise the bar on their dinner party game. They asked designer Pam Holschuh to give their turn-of-the-20th-century Victorian a complete remodel. Among the renovated rooms, the designer and her team added a hidden bar in the library to create an unexpected space for guests to mingle before and after dinner.
The team made the front of the custom bar out of mahogany, with intricate inlays, molding and other details in cherry wood. And behind a glass and wood sliding panel …
Home Bar at Glance
Who lives here: Avid antique collectors
Location: Marietta, Ohio
Size: About 200 square feet (18.6 square meters)
Designer: Pam Holschuh, Copper Leaf Interior Design Studio
After the last of their three kids left home, these homeowners were ready to raise the bar on their dinner party game. They asked designer Pam Holschuh to give their turn-of-the-20th-century Victorian a complete remodel. Among the renovated rooms, the designer and her team added a hidden bar in the library to create an unexpected space for guests to mingle before and after dinner.
The team made the front of the custom bar out of mahogany, with intricate inlays, molding and other details in cherry wood. And behind a glass and wood sliding panel …
… the interior of the bar features a wine refrigerator, sink, ice machine and a large collection of barware.
The countertop is quartz that mimics the look of marble. The team at Studio Arts & Glass in North Canton, Ohio, created the stained-glass window. “There are so many incredible artisans in the area, it only makes sense to take advantage of the local talent,” Holschuh says.
Glass-front cabinets bookend the bar opening and provide storage for a collection of vintage glassware. The cabinets include LED lights that can change color. “For St. Patrick’s Day, the whole bar can be lit up in green,” the designer says.
The countertop is quartz that mimics the look of marble. The team at Studio Arts & Glass in North Canton, Ohio, created the stained-glass window. “There are so many incredible artisans in the area, it only makes sense to take advantage of the local talent,” Holschuh says.
Glass-front cabinets bookend the bar opening and provide storage for a collection of vintage glassware. The cabinets include LED lights that can change color. “For St. Patrick’s Day, the whole bar can be lit up in green,” the designer says.
Holschuh placed a black leather antique side chair, small marble end table and a vintage Tiffany-inspired floor lamp in front of the bar. The new stained-glass French doors made by the team at Rockwood Door & Millwork in Millersburg, Ohio, lead to the exterior “smoking deck.”
Holschuh used a wallcovering of metallic-painted cork, which not only adds warmth and texture but also helps dampen noise.
Wallcovering: Thibaut
Holschuh used a wallcovering of metallic-painted cork, which not only adds warmth and texture but also helps dampen noise.
Wallcovering: Thibaut
The library’s original fireplace is on the wall opposite the bar. Its mahogany wood, glass cabinets, marble surround and inset glass above the mantel provided the inspiration for the bar’s design.
Holschuh added a second antique black leather chair in front of the fireplace. “It’s not a very large space,” she says. “When guests are over, everyone stands, but the chairs provide a spot for the homeowners to sit when they’re alone.”
Holschuh added a second antique black leather chair in front of the fireplace. “It’s not a very large space,” she says. “When guests are over, everyone stands, but the chairs provide a spot for the homeowners to sit when they’re alone.”
The interior of the bar also features ceramic tile floors and a tall shelving unit for bottles.
The space is narrow but can easily accommodate two bartenders to keep the line of imbibers flowing when the owners host large cocktail parties.
Browse built-in ice machines
The space is narrow but can easily accommodate two bartenders to keep the line of imbibers flowing when the owners host large cocktail parties.
Browse built-in ice machines
Holschuh completely revamped the powder room just off the library, creating a custom space to rival the new bar. She and her team took one of the homeowners’ antique dressers and turned it into a bathroom vanity.
The piece is topped with a black quartz countertop from Cambria and features a porcelain vessel sink embossed with a gold acanthus leaf pattern. The team at Studio Arts & Glass also made the stained-glass window to the right of the sink. It features a depiction of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss.
15 Vintage Cabinets Become One-of-a-Kind Bathroom Vanities
The piece is topped with a black quartz countertop from Cambria and features a porcelain vessel sink embossed with a gold acanthus leaf pattern. The team at Studio Arts & Glass also made the stained-glass window to the right of the sink. It features a depiction of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss.
15 Vintage Cabinets Become One-of-a-Kind Bathroom Vanities
Holschuh covered the wall behind the toilet and urinal in antiqued mirrored subway tiles that reflect light and add a luxe detail to the space. On the room’s three other walls, she used a pressed-velvet wallcovering with embedded glass beads. Black porcelain tile with accents in gold-painted glass covers the floor.
Wallcovering: York
Wallcovering: York
This floor pan shows the location of the first-floor library and bar; the outdoor patio, or smoking deck; and the powder room.
More
How to Create a Built-In Home Bar
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More
How to Create a Built-In Home Bar
Think You Haven’t Got Space for a Home Bar?
Find barware and decor
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This is too fun!
Oh dear.