Bar Project Series #6: Started Painting Bar and Installing Cabinets

So progress is slow but steady.  Was hoping to get bar done by Winter and I think it is still possible.  We had our first frost this morning and it has started dropping into the mid 40's but there is still time.  I do have a week of travel this month and next that will get in the way but we will set the goal for before the new year (cross your fingers!).  Maybe we can throw a New Years party!

We had some painters come in and paint the 2 story areas in our house (pictures will be posted soon).  We just didn't have the equipment to get up there.  While I had them quote the spaces, I went ahead and asked them to give me a price on painting parts of the bar.  This was mostly in efforts to meet my self imposed deadline.  After a little negotiation we agreed on a reasonable price.  So they painted from the chair rail down and all the doors, casings and baseboards.  We will still need to do the Faux paint process above the chair rail and eventually do something with the ceiling but it is already starting to look more like a bar and less like an empty rec room.

We also decided last minute to have them paint the bathroom down there too.  It looks great and we already picked up some decor for it.  Still need to hang it, I'll post pics when it is done.

Here are some pictures of the progress so far.

Cutting in on Stairs

Bottom of stairs looking into Media Room
First coat on trim

Bottom of stairs looking to the right with Media Room door on left
Future site of card table

Will need to change out all the outlets and switches
Also need to add an outlet behind the TV

This is Sherwin Williams Turkish Coffee in Duration Matte

Stairwell done

Entrance to Media Room straight ahead and
Exercise Room on the left

Game/Card Table Area

Still need to take out carpet and finish the floor in this area
Was trying to get the actual bar area done

Still going to add molding on the bottom of the chair rail to create a
raised paneling effect.  Just wanted to get the bar functional before
doing all this finish work.  We also need to replace all the baseboards
because they were damaged when our sump pump failed

Still need to close up that area on the back wall
You can also see that we started taping and mudding the bar wall
It will eventually be wrapped in oak but will be painted for now

Started mounting cabinets

Still need to do all the electrical on this wall for the Dishwasher, TV, Under/Over
cabinet lights and for the lights that will go in the bridge that will span
in between the 2 upper cabinets

The "Ready to Stain" cabinets do not come in 42" heights, so I just got a 30"
cabinet and a 12" cabinet.
Going to build a bridge over the top with Crown Molding

Bar bathroom painted in Sherwin Williams Crabby Apple
Also, will either replace vanity or get the Rustoleum
product that lets you refinish them in a darker color.
We also may replace the counter top and either get
a frame for the mirror or replace that too.

Going to put a shower curtain across here to block the
view of the shower...

Will probably do something with the ceiling in here when we do the bar.
Just don't' like the Bright White textured ceiling in this space.

Bar Project Series #5: Wine Racks Assembled & Floor Nearly Done

So its been a few months since I've made a post.  Mostly because I was stationed away from my home and just retired in August.  Started new job and finally got my suitcase unpacked and am back on the project.

Finished putting together the wine racks.  Really worried about staining these things... Not going to be fun.  Also put together the second Pub Table and received the rest of our Bar Stools.

Also, installed about 450sqft of flooring.  Only have about 250sqft to go.

Finished the electrical in the bar.  We're going to have a switched outlet for LED Rope Lights in addition to an outlet for a refrigerator and two outlets coming through the back of the cabinets on the inside.  There isn't enough room above the back splash on the bar side for outlets, so I may drill a hole in the counter top so we can run anything we want to plug in through the hole into the cabinet where there will be a couple outlets.

Hung all the drywall on the bar wall, just need to tape and mud it.  May put the bar top on before doing this.  The ultimate plan is to put oak paneling on the front of the bar and stain it but for now it will just be painted the same color as the lower half of the walls.

Purchased two TV's, HD Antennas and Roku's for Bar.  We will have a 60" in a seating area that will be visible from the bar area and a 48" hanging over the bar back.  The HD antennas work great, especially for live events (i.e. sporting events) that you don't want lag time on.  The Roku's stream Netflix, Time Warner Live and on Demand, Hulu, Pandora, etc.  Still have to add an electrical outlet behind both TV locations so you don't see wires hanging down.

Finally, we hired some painters to come in and caulk the chair rail and paint the lower half of the walls, chair rail, baseboards, casing and doors.  They have already done all the wall repairs and caulked the chair rail, they just need to come back and do the painting.  Will update pics when it is done.

Here are some pictures of the progress so far.

Majority of Flooring Installed in Bar Area

Just need to finish the flooring behind the bar

Spare Bedroom Door and Bathroom Door

Wine Racks Assembled and Started Hanging Sheet Rock on Bar Wall

Second Pub Table and you can see the TV on the wall

That is an example of our Bar Stools

TV Hung and Roku Working

You can also see the repairs the painters have made

Electrical Done. I know this looks weird but the outlets on the outside
needed to land above the shelf in the cabinets that will go here.

This will be the switched outlet for the LED rope lights.

Sheet rock hung on inside of bar wall

2 cabinets and an under counter refrigerator will go here.

Bar Project Series #4: Started Building Wine Racks

Started putting together the wine racks and installed more flooring.  The work on the bar itself had stopped because we needed to have some sheet rock and plywood delivered. Finally got that in but need to finish putting together these racks to get all the boxes out of the way. Also, will need to move the cabinets out of the bar area too. It's starting to get crowded in here.

The wine racks will be sanded and stained a dark color with a satin polyurethane.  We're probably going to pain the walls and do all the staining last.
 

Here are some pics of the work so far.

Three of the cubes that will go on top of the racks
Fairly straight forward. One thing I did notice was
some of the panels were bowed and required a little
finessing to get them to line up.

This looks complicated. Wish me luck!

 

Almost there...

 

Viola!  Actually, these aren't too difficult to assemble.
They do take a little bit of time to ensure everything lines
up but not labor intensive and the directions are pretty
straight forward.  I used a pneumatic finish nailer
as suggested and it went much faster.  I also, shot
a nail on the bottom of the wine bottle display pieces
you see half way up the rack.  The directions say to
just glue them in place but I wanted a little more security.

Wine tasting station done. Probably going to keep
part of that bump out for a piece of art or something.

Part of wine wall built. Still need to close in that bump
out.

 

 

Bar Project Series #3: Final Wine Wall Design from Wine Racks America

Received the final drawings and concepts from Wine Racks America.  First off, the company is absolutely wonderful to work with.  Very customer service focused company that is easy to work with and delivers on what it promises.  Ordered racks on a Monday, they shipped the next day and I had them by the following Monday... oh and shipping was free!  They offer a design service and were very helpful in talking through ideas, getting to know what you were trying to achieve and visualizing that idea as pictured below.

Absolutely love the concept and can't wait to see it come to life.  Don't remember what the total bottle count was but I think it is in the neighborhood of 850+ bottles plus cube storage for cases.  Now all I need is some time off to get home and do the work.  I'll make sure I make comments on how easy/hard they are to put together and stain.  I'm currently wondering if they would be easier to stain while in pieces or after assembly.  There will be some small finish nail holes, so there would be touch up required either way.

The Wine wall will go along that back wall with the windows.  We are
going to close up that bump out.  The racks will go up to just over the bottom
of the windows and extend from the left side of the room, all the way to the right.
The plan right now is to stain them in a similar/or same color as the bar and
cabinets with a Satin Polyurethane finish to protect them.

Top View

Front View

Side View

Bar Project Series #2: Bar Concept Drawings, Flooring and Pub Tables

Bar and Wine Wall Concept Drawings

I am currently working with Wine Racks America (www.wineracksamerica.com) on a concept for the Wine Wall.  I'll post when we have something final.  I have a concept drawings below with my doodles.

Right now we are working on the Bar Area specifically and will work on the game room possibly this winter.

This is the layout of the entire room.

Close up of Bar Area turned 90 degrees clockwise from picture above.

First attempt at sketching out the wine wall
Arguably the most important wall in the house...!
Except the kids academic achievement wall of course...

This is a concept doodle of the Bar Back.  Was going to try to make
upper cabinet shelving.  Decided for time and cost to go with
cabinets.  These are 30" tall x 30" wide with a 12" tall by 30" wide
cabinet over the top of those (so 42" to make up for the 9' ceilings).
Going to construct some sort of bridge to go over the top of the cabinets though.
Will probably put under cabinet LED lights in the bridge.

Pub Tables and Flooring

Put together one of the Pub Tables (Pier 1, Ronan in Tobacco) to see how they matched the bar stools we found.  Also, started installing the flooring.  We ended up going with another color.  Once we went to purchase the flooring we liked this one more.  It is Style Selections 6-in x 48-in Antique Woodland Oak Residential Vinyl Plank.

New Color Palette...

Still deciding on Kona or Dark Walnut... Maybe the answer is both.  Kona on the base
Dark Walnut on the Bar Top and Counter Tops.????

Pier 1 Pub Table and Bar Stool

Started laying out pieces to ensure the pattern looked random

After about 4 hours. Installing the flooring goes pretty quick
but pulling up the tack strips and drywall mud left on the
floor.. and constantly sweeping the floor takes up a lot
of time.

New Flooring with one of the pub tables and chairs.  The paneling hasn't been
installed yet, nor has the wall been painted but this pic shows the furniture
with the new flooring and it has a nice contrast and rustic feel.

Close up of pub table with new floor.

Another angle with different lighting.
Again, paneling on wall and paint is not done yet.
Will be Turkish Coffee on bottom and lighter Faux finish on top.  See previous post.