Building my Basement Bar

[AboveTheBest]

@AboveTheBest , is that a pickup tailgate turned into a bench? You really are above the best and I agree with @swatski that I shouldn't expect the same quality results as you. Nice work

That’s the last thing I have left from a F250 that I totaled while moving from Alabama to Vermont after flight school.

I had my truck with my Harley in the back and I was pulling a 20’ trailer with everything my wife and I owned.

It was a roll-over/total loss. Nobody was hurt and we got all new stuff. I kept the tailgate and finally got to do something cool with it about a year ago.

 

[AboveTheBest]

Here’s something interesting...

Before the drywall crew mudded/finished the walls I marked several points of interest that I needed to access: AV box cutout, locations for surround speakers, and THE WATER SHUTOFF FOR THE HOUSE.

Apparently they weren’t worried about the water shutoff, as they mudded over my marks on the wall, leaving me only to guess where it might be.

I had the framers make a small bump out in the wall where the valve was, and my plan was to mount the deer head over this location (seen in earlier pictures). I made the final connection to my wet bar water supply today and had to figure out where the shutoff was.

I took my best guess from a picture I had of the unfinished basement and cutout a 1.5” hole at eye level dead center in the bump out.

Turns out I was pretty lucky and just had to make one more hole. Even luckier is that the deer head hides both of them



You might also notice the scratches/gouges on my wall. That’s from the first day the deer was on the wall and my dog trying to play with it because he thought it was alive...

 

[AboveTheBest]

Tomorrow i’ll Start pouring the bar top.

 

[AboveTheBest]

As I’m waiting for my bartop to cure and my support brackets to arrive I can’t stop thinking about the back wall of the bar.

Initially I planned on using galvanized roofing somewhere, and I like the idea of painting some black and running it vertically on the back wall.

I will have a 60x36” mirror centered about 4.5’ up in the middle, and plan on framing around the metal with more cedar. I think the black, cedar, and concrete look might go well together but still am not sold on what to do to the back wall.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Dean P]

I a big fan of Sam Adams. I would put one of their BIG mirrors up there (or which ever beer you like) or even different ones. But definitely SA would look great!

 

[sethman919]

Looks great! Built mine a few months back.

 

[MattFX4]

Have you considered some type of brick or stacked stone? I'm a big fan of some I have seen in pictures.

 

[AboveTheBest]

I like the stone idea, and have thought about using it on the bottom half or possibly pillars on the sides.

I like the idea of using several different materials around the bar.

 

[AboveTheBest]

Bartop is sealed, and tomorrow it gets set!

 

[dnicholas47]

Very nice! How long is that?

 

[AboveTheBest]

It exactly 8’ long, which coincidentally is the same length as the melamine sheet I used as the form

The main bartop is 16” wife and will have a 10” overhang. The “L” is only 12” wide and will only have about a 5” overhang, as it is mainly just a return and I don’t plan to have a stool at that spot.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

I like the stone idea, and have thought about using it on the bottom half or possibly pillars on the sides.

I like the idea of using several different materials around the bar.

I used wood and stacked. Built out the columns and added shelves. Your wall is much bigger but depending on the decor I like the way it turned out.

I am loving the concrete. Nice work!

 

[AboveTheBest]

I used wood and stacked. Built out the columns and added shelves. Your wall is much bigger but depending on the decor I like the way it turned out.

I am loving the concrete. Nice work!

View attachment 90062

That looks awesome!
I think I would end up spending a small fortune in that stone veneer if I did thatonbmy back wall.

 

[AboveTheBest]

@GiddYupJoe

What is the board on the right with the brass plumbing bell hangers?

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Copper pipe hangers mounted to a board and then put in wine bottles upside down.

My wife can’t seem to leave it filled up!

 

[AboveTheBest]

That’s pretty clever

 

[Mainah]

Ok I am jealous of all of these basement bars. Now I want a basement just to build one. @MattFX4 did you leave enough clear span space for a pool table?

 

[MattFX4]

Ok I am jealous of all of these basement bars. Now I want a basement just to build one. @MattFX4 did you leave enough clear span space for a pool table?

I think. This area here across from bar is 15’x13’. I hope a pool table will fit here.

 

[AboveTheBest]

Now I can finally clean up the cement factory out of my basement!

 

[AboveTheBest]

Did a little tile work around the bar and added a new rug (to replace my concrete factory).