Take your cooking and dining space – no to mention hosting your guests – to a whole new level with an integrated bar, with advice from interior design brand, Schmidt. www.schmidt.co.uk
The Kitchen as the New Cocktail Bar
The Kitchen as the New Cocktail Bar Today’s homeowners want their kitchens to work as hard as they do, flowing seamlessly from meal preparation to cocktail hour without missing a beat. “Clients are increasingly asking for spaces that bring people together,” says Schmidt UK’s Tamara Heller. “There’s been a real shift in the way we entertain. People are now investing more in their homes and in the experience they create within them – and the kitchen is at the heart of it all. Think long summer evenings, friends gathered around the island, drinks in hand. You want a home bar that genuinely impresses. That’s not an afterthought, but a feature that makes a real statement.”
The Perfect Host
Summer entertaining is about more than drinks – it’s about the experience. Think bespoke bar configurations that suit your lifestyle, from intimate aperitif niches to full-width cocktail stations capable of hosting the most ambitious garden party.
Attention To Detail
This is paramount – your integrated kitchen bar should be as practical as it is beautiful. Think discreet bottle storage, easy-clean surfaces, integrated ice bucket recesses, and carefully curated material palettes.
Essential Elements
So what should you consider in your integrated kitchen bar?
Illuminated glass shelving: think LED-lit niches that create instant atmosphere, putting your finest spirits on display like works of art.
Modular pegboard bar cabinets: customisable panels with magnetic accessories, stemware rails, spice shelves and utensil hooks – elements that adapt to your entertaining style.
Marble and stone finishes: dramatic worktops and back panels in Calacatta marble and slate bring a premium hotel-bar feel into the home.
Under-counter wine coolers: seamlessly integrated to keep whites perfectly chilled and ready to pour.
Long deep drawers: these give you access to easy-to-reach accessories that make a great impression while serving your guests.
Pocket doors: allowing you to work and hide everything in seconds. Because after showing off your impressive cocktail-making skills it’s nice to leave the mess you could well have made until after your guests have left. Which could well be long into the night or morning – and that’s very much down to you.
