New Hospitality Bar

In December of 2013, I wrote about my in-home hospitality bar. It was a solution born out of a need for saving prep time when entertaining in my home.  {Original article here} I decided to pin it on Pinterest since there weren’t any such pins for coffee, tea, cocoa, or hospitality bars/stations. Not one! Seven years later there are hundreds of these pins for adding creativity and beauty to a home. Are you having a party, celebrating a holiday, or do you have a busy home with a constant stream of friends, neighbors, book club/Bible study members, or your kid’s friends? If so, you need one of these! Our family has since moved, and our new house didn’t have a built-in nook for a hospitality station, so I built one. It coordinates with the other rustic and primitive tables and shelves we have in our home. Above is the finished product. There was an abundance of lumber left over from our new home build.

1. I bought the unfinished base at Lowes, distressed it, added beadboard on the sides and toe kick, gave it two feet, and painted it with a flat black primer/paint. The counter-top on the bar is made from a leftover piece of cedar deck lumber that was too warped to use for its original purpose. It was exactly what I wanted for the counter-top, so I claimed it before my husband could use it for something else. I decided not to polyurethane it after discovering it’s a fantastic place for hot dishes and baked goods straight out of the oven. The cedar tolerates a higher heat than my cutting boards. Top 28″ X 41″
2. The cubbies were created mainly from leftover wood in our garage except for some specialty trim pieces. Measures 6″ X 22″ X 30″.
3. Open box for decorations 6″ X 9″ X 18″.
4. Side view 6″ depth. Popcorn cubby 6 3/4″ X 7″. 6 identical cubbies are 4 1/2″ X 5 1/2″ and hold 2 types of oatmeal, apple cider packets, cocoa packets, and Folgers singles packets. Popcorn bag cubby 4″ X 11″.
5. Cubbies are for decorations and framed artwork.
6. An organizer for food and drink disposable products.
7. Flavored syrups for Italian iced drinks, an idea I gleaned from my friend Gina. We use crushed ice, sparkling water or soda/pop, with a few syrup shots, topped with whip cream, enjoyed with a drinking straw. Chrome/silver urn is a Berkey water filter and is the best filter on the market. It removes 200+ contaminants while leaving the minerals in the water. No other filter does this, including reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis removes the minerals causing health problems. Berkey is like having FIGI brand water available 24/7 from your kitchen.
8. For the distressed beadboard, I rubbed candle wax in some of the groves and on some of the tree knots (beadboard, doors, drawers, and cubby shelving). After the flat black primer paint dried, I sanded with 320 grit sandpaper to remove paint from the candle waxed areas.
9. These are Kraft Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits for topping off your favorite hot cocoa. Knowing I would want these, my friend Marcia texted me a picture when she spotted them in a grocery store.
10. William Sonoma no longer sells this 3 tier tray. If you type ‘3 tier wood serving tray ‘ into Amazon you will find several other options.
11. Christmas décor. I change decorations seasonally and for holidays. I keep small dishes on the 2nd tier for creamer, sugar, and sweetener packets.
12. Extra supplies: Tea, coffee, Chai Tea Latte, Cocoa, Cappuccino, lemonade, mugs, hot and cold carafes, drink pitchers, and toppings/sprinkles for hot drinks.
13. Pull out drawer with a variety of tea bags, loose tea, and loose tea utensils. I use a bamboo utensil holder turned sideways to organize tea bags.
14. Pull out drawer for popcorn seasonings. Our home is often a hangout for groups of teen boys, so having accessible snacks on hand is a must.

I hope you have fun inventing your hospitality bar for the holiday season and entertaining purposes. If you don’t have space for a permanent bar, you can set up a temporary bar, for holidays or parties, by using a hutch or buffet, desk, counter-top, bookshelf, small dresser, a small table, or another sturdy object. Cheers! I receive no monetary gain from the provided links. They are simply for your convenience.