New Purple Pub Becomes the Most Popular Hangout at Home
This swanky home bar in California draws a big crowd with bling, booze and bubbly
Before: The previous bar area had light-toned oak cabinets, faux-brick wallpaper and mottled brown granite countertops.
After: To make the bar area feel larger and more inviting, the design team removed the overhead soffit that concealed the home’s HVAC system. “We had to relocate the system to another area of the house, but the hassle was worth the results,” Lenton says. The higher ceiling also provided enough room to add a dazzling midcentury-style chandelier.
One of the early purchases for the renovation was the quartz countertop, from Cambria’s Annicca line. The marble-look quartz has specks of gold and purple that inspired the rest of the design. “They wanted to create a Las Vegas vibe for the space, so we found items with a little bling to them,” interior designer Heather Poulliot says.
The mirrored back wall of the bar also brings a swanky vibe all its own. A purple tiered ledge with recessed LED colored lights creates a perch to showcase bottles of liquor. The upper corner of the bar includes a built-in wine rack.
One of the early purchases for the renovation was the quartz countertop, from Cambria’s Annicca line. The marble-look quartz has specks of gold and purple that inspired the rest of the design. “They wanted to create a Las Vegas vibe for the space, so we found items with a little bling to them,” interior designer Heather Poulliot says.
The mirrored back wall of the bar also brings a swanky vibe all its own. A purple tiered ledge with recessed LED colored lights creates a perch to showcase bottles of liquor. The upper corner of the bar includes a built-in wine rack.
To bring some additional bling, the design team attached three hammered-tin tiles to the front of the bar. “The tiles were designed for ceilings, but they look great on the bar and are the perfect size,” Lenton says.
Remodeling tip: Consider ordering more tile than needed for a project and store the extra for future use. The homeowners had saved enough tumbled travertine tile from an earlier floor renovation of the bar area that the design team was able to patch in the extra tile where needed, rather than having to retile the entire floor.
Remodeling tip: Consider ordering more tile than needed for a project and store the extra for future use. The homeowners had saved enough tumbled travertine tile from an earlier floor renovation of the bar area that the design team was able to patch in the extra tile where needed, rather than having to retile the entire floor.
To complement the hammered-tin tiles on the front of the bar, the design team selected a hammered-copper sink and paired it with a Delta faucet in a champagne-bronze finish.
Find silver-finish hammered-copper sinks
Find silver-finish hammered-copper sinks
It’s not hard to figure out why this renovated bar has quickly become the home’s new hot spot. To make serving family and friends as easy as possible, the bar includes two built-in appliances from Sub-Zero: a beverage cooler to store beer and bubbly, and a stainless steel refrigerator-ice maker combo.
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Home Bar at a Glance
Who lives here: A multigenerational family
Location: Lancaster, California
Size: 114 square feet (10.6 square meters)
Designers: Robert Lenton and Heather Poulliot of Lenton
Many extended families have that one house that everyone gravitates to for holidays, birthday parties, Sunday dinners or sometimes for no reason at all other than to hang out with loved ones. Designer Robert Lenton says the homeowners in this story have that kind of house in Lancaster, California. “They have a very big family, and people are always coming over to visit,” he says. Since this a multigenerational household with parents, children and grandparents all under one roof, even without extended family over, the house is always full of life.
The house has become an even bigger draw since the recent renovation of the home bar. The glamorous space features new cabinets painted a bold shade of purple, plus quartz countertops with flecks of gold and purple and amenities including a wine refrigerator, sink and ice maker.