Plenty of good home bars involve no framing at all. When a closet or stair conversion from the small-space remodel article is more work than you want, a cart, a cabinet, or a wall-mounted unit can hold a working bar in a few square feet. Gray Kangaroo treats all three the same way as a built bar, with a work surface at a usable height, bottle storage you can reach, light, and somewhere for the ice to go.
Bar carts
Most bar carts stand somewhere around 30 to 36 inches tall, which puts the top tier near counter height for mixing a drink. Look for a gallery rail around the top tier so bottles don't slide off when the cart moves, locking casters, and a weight rating that covers what you'll load. A full 750 ml bottle weighs roughly 2.5 to 3.5 pounds depending on the glass, so a dozen bottles plus glassware adds up quickly on a light frame.
Keep the top tier for working, with a tray to catch drips, and store bottles and glasses below. Park the cart out of direct sun and away from heating vents, since sunlight fades labels and heat can change the flavor of some liqueurs over time. Ice has to come from the kitchen in an insulated bucket, which is the main limit of a cart bar.
Cabinet bars
An armoire, hutch, sideboard, or credenza can become a bar that closes up when it's not in use. Interior depth is usually the limiting dimension, and 12 inches holds bottles comfortably. Shelves spaced about 14 inches apart fit most 750 ml bottles, a drop-front or pull-out shelf at roughly 36 inches makes a work surface, and stemware racks screwed under a shelf hold glasses by the foot.
Battery or plug-in puck lights and LED tape with a plug-in driver add light without wiring, and the lighting guide covers color temperature for both. A small refrigerator inside a cabinet needs airflow. Freestanding units vent out the back or sides and aren't designed to be enclosed, so either remove the cabinet back and leave the clearance the manual specifies or choose a front-venting built-in model.
Older furniture often carries a shellac or lacquer finish, and spilled spirits soften both. Set bottles and glasses on a tray or a cut piece of stone or glass inside the cabinet, and wipe up spills right away. If you plan to refinish the piece, the bar top materials guide covers which finishes stand up to alcohol.
Wall-mounted and fold-down bars
A wall bar can be as simple as two floating shelves, the lower one deep enough to mix on, or a cabinet with a drop-down front that becomes a counter when it opens. Mount anything that holds bottles into studs, which in most houses sit 16 inches apart on center, or into blocking added behind the drywall. Drywall anchors alone are a poor match for a shelf that might hold 30 or 40 pounds of glass.
Put a lip on the front edge of bottle shelves so nothing walks off when a nearby door slams. A fold-down counter at 36 to 42 inches works for standing use, with the same heights as a built bar in the dimensions guide. In a hallway, keep enough clear width for people to pass, since the International Residential Code, which much of the US builds to, requires hallways of at least 3 feet.
Ice and cold storage without plumbing
A small bar still needs ice. Large-cube molds in the kitchen freezer cover spirit-forward drinks, and a countertop ice maker needs only an outlet and a jug of water, though it doesn't keep ice frozen for long. A compact beverage fridge handles mixers, beer, and opened vermouth. The ice and refrigeration guide compares the options.
Stocking a small bar
A small bar works best with a short list of bottles you reach for. Start with the base spirits for the drinks you make most, a couple of modifiers such as sweet vermouth and an orange liqueur, and aromatic bitters, then add bottles only when a recipe calls for them. Keep vermouth and other wine-based modifiers in the refrigerator once opened, since they oxidize like wine. Store spirit bottles upright, because high-proof alcohol can break down corks over time.