I know this is a weird place to start with the new house but this room is quickly becoming one of my favorites in the house. Ok, not because it is the bar but because it is so different from any room that we have had before.
It started out as this odd little room right off of the kitchen that I think was intended to be a sun room. I had always wanted a bar area in our house so it seemed like the perfect place to put one.
Originally, it was like the rest of the rooms in the house with four beige walls and a ceiling fan. The first major improvement was paint. That always seems to make the biggest transformation in a room. I decided to go with a dark rich color, something manly. This room is now referred to as "The Man Cave" by my husband and children who like to use it for sports watching and Xbox games as well.
The next thing to go was the ceiling fan. I know it is hot in Texas but we don't need one in EVERY room! I realize that antler chandeliers are usually saved for study areas, living rooms or dining rooms but I thought I would mix it up a bit. Again, a manly statement in the room.
Next on the list: the actual bar. At first, we were going to build one in against the wall but, as in most of my decorating adventures, the plans changed...
One advantage to traveling North of San Antonio for baseball tournaments is passing by the outlet mall in San Marcus. One Saturday, we were almost to our destination when it started to pour down rain. We received an email from our coach that the games were cancelled for the day. We just happened to, serendipitously, be passing the aforementioned mall. After a quick u turn, we visited the Pottery Barn Outlet. (AKA ~ Heaven on Earth)
We found our bar! Not only was it already marked down to a great price but it was also during Memorial Day weekend and they were doing extra markdowns on furniture. I was so excited!
Everything was perfect until we figured out that this thing was not going to be so easy to move. The nice gentlemen at Pottery Barn could get it into our truck but how were WE going to get it down and into the house?
Well, after many phone calls, while my boys shopped at the Under Armour outlet, I found some movers that could come right away and meet us at the house. The urgency was that once we got it in the truck, we couldn't fit the truck into the garage and didn't want to leave it out all night. UGH! We managed to figure out THAT obstacle ahead of time. This thing was starting to become more trouble than it was worth! At least it had stopped raining...for now...
So we get back to the house and figure out that the movers will have to go through the front door instead of the garage because of the steps in the garage. The problem with this is that it is too heavy for even three people to lift and carry so it needs to be rolled. Sounds easy, right? Well, at this point, we don't have landscaping and that means dirt which turns into mud when it starts to pour down rain again, WHICH IT DID. Even after putting down wood and cardboard, the thing keeps getting stuck in the mud. I'm sure at this point our neighbors are looking out their windows and shaking their heads thinking, "Those people have no idea what they're doing!" After about thirty minutes in the driving rain, we decide to turn it around and just put it in the garage for now. So, we paid and tipped movers to basically get the bar out of our truck and spent the next half hour trying to dry off the bar and ourselves in the garage, At this point we were wishing we had done the built in bar! Obviously, you know the end of the story. We finally got it in the house once we moved. This is just a cautionary tale of buying outlet furniture without a plan!
The other side of the room was easier. A couple of comfy leather chairs and a table for remotes (LOL) was all that was needed.
I did do one fun project which was a shelf for extra glasses and liquor. I have done the plumbing pipe shelves before but changed it up a little by painting the pipes an antique gold color.
The glass holders on the bottom came from World Market and I spray painted them the same antique gold color as the pipes.
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| 2 small cans of Gold leaf from Hobby Lobby |
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| The view now from the kitchen |
You probably noticed two more major things that changed in this room. The concrete flooring had to be refinished throughout the first floor which is an entire post in itself and we added the brick accent which was another major project. I will discuss these two Non-DIY items in upcoming posts. If you are thinking about doing either of these things, you might want to read about want I learned from these experiences. I might title these posts as, "Do you really want to do this?" It was worth it in the end but both of these projects, even if you don't do it yourself, will definitely try your patience!
Now I need a drink, especially after reliving that bar story!!! Good thing I have a convenient place to go! If you haven't already, please follow me on Facebook or Pinterest . I have the links on the top left of the blog.
Thanks for reading~
Alyssa
