The cherished hallmark of home entertaining that kicked off during the 1950s has clearly made a comeback. Additionally, spaces and tools that are designed to amplify the experience are showing up in both home renovations and high-end urban residential projects. 

More than just a classy spot to show off your artisanal spirits and stylish stemware, a wet bar can establish the mood for your entertaining style. The addition of seating next to the bar can even provide a spot for guests to linger and chat before a meal—and then serving double duty as a location for post-dinner espressos.

Take a look at the following inspirational examples of wet bar styles that might have you brainstorming on how to create one of your own.  

The Wet Bars at 12 Warren in NYC

Nestled in the heart of New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood, 12 Warren features 13 full-floor duplex and triplex residences that have been designed, developed, and constructed by real estate firm DDG. In addition to a number of artisanal design elements, select homes feature wet bars with DDG-designed cabinetry, Julien sinks, and 30-inch Sub-Zero refrigerators. 

Robert Granoff

A Wet Bar With a View at The Oosten in Brooklyn

The Oosten is a new block-long luxury building in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that’s designed by acclaimed Dutch architect Piet Boon, along with think! Architecture.

The development just unveiled a 5,098-square-foot duplex penthouse designed by Toronto-based boutique design studio Abraham Chan, which features five bedrooms with en-suite baths and stellar views. It also boasts a living room wet bar with custom cabinets and a granite backsplash.

Eric Petschek

Wet Bar in a Converted Sugar Refinery From 1752

Architecture and interior design firm Standard Studio renovated this home for their client, a young stockbroker, in a 1752 sugar refinery on the Bloemgracht canal in Amsterdam.

One of the home’s many stylish features is a wet bar that’s connected to the kitchen by a flight of stairs, which is fully-equipped with cohesive, custom fittings and furniture by Eginstill. Each living area flows freely into the next, in an effort to “make the space as open as possible, just like it used to be when it was a sugar refinery,” says van Hulzen. “We wanted to [return] the building to its old glory.”

Standard Studio

Pacific Heights Remodel

What started off as a decorating job in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood turned into a full-blown renovation by NICOLEHOLLIS. It also included the addition of a wet bar at the end of the kitchen. The happy-hour hotspot is equipped with a spout for filtered water, an ice maker,

wine fridge, and a convenient over-the-sink shelf to house the booze. 

Photo by Ben Mayorga Photography

Photo Categories: kitchen, white cabinets, undermount sinks

A Laundry Room We’d Actually Want to Spend Time In

The residents of this Boston brownstone wanted their laundry room to be both beautiful and functional. While taking inspiration from James Turrell in terms of the atmosphere they wanted to create, Architectural firm 30E Design created a laundry room that doubles as a wet bar, due to its proximity to the garden terrace.

Photo: Eric Roth

Wet Bar in a Takenouchi Webb-Designed Apartment in Singapore