How to Make a Kitchen Bar

Measure all kitchen floor space. Draw dimensions on graph paper to plan the bar. Figure out if removing a wall between the kitchen and a living room might help. Leave room around the bar for foot traffic. Allow 48 inches for a generous walkway on all sides, if you will build the bar as an island.

Buy premade cabinets to form the bar base. Secure cabinets to each other, as one option, and install a countertop constructed from plywood. Leave an 18-inch overhang on sides that will have bar stools. Cover the plywood counter with porcelain tiles.

Install light fixtures or recessed lights over the bar. Access the attic to figure out the best way to route electrical wiring. Add a skylight, as another alternative, over the island bar. Construct a sky wall light shaft that will open the kitchen ceiling to the roof. Cap the sky well, which will be pyramid-shaped, with the skylight.

Change the island base to open shelves, as another choice. Remove cabinet doors and cover all cabinetry with bead board paneling. Use this method for old or recycled cabinets forming the bar base. Paint the bar base bead board cream or white. Paint the interior shelving and add baskets that are visible for holding supplies.

Enhance the bar with high-quality wood molding. Nail heavy crown molding around the perimeter of the bar base to give the island a built-in look. Add molding around door openings to give the cabinet base a polished look. Paint all molding to blend with the island base color.