The Best Backyard Bar Ideas

One of the more fun aspects of home design—or improvement—is deciding how to creatively use whatever space is available to you. This should include your outdoor areas, too. One idea that has us clinking our glasses? Adding a backyard bar to your home. Whether you’re someone who likes to gather the family outdoors or you enjoy relaxing with a glass of wine at home at the end of a long day, a backyard bar can elevate your experience. “Spending time outdoors is healthy and a mood booster,” says interior designer Susanne Pumpluen of Scandi Bohemian Interiors. “A backyard bar can be a welcome escape after work without having to leave your home.”

Transforming a backyard has always been important to most homeowners, but in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it takes on a whole new level importance. “Backyards have become even more of an extension of our living rooms, and are a safer place to socialize than indoors,” Pumpluen says. Even if you’re not having others over to your home right now, a backyard bar is one more place where you and your family can safely unwind while quarantining. And they’re worth investing in right now for future gatherings—once it’s safe to socialize with friends and extended family again, you’ll be ready with a fresh setup.

Turning your dreams of backyard bar into a reality encourages lots of creativity: Whether you want to take on DIY projects and repurpose furniture from other parts of your home or work with a landscaper to come up with a new backyard design that’ll complement the seating you plan to install, the options are only as limited as your imagination. Look at this as an opportunity to recreate everything you love and miss about your favorite bar while also improving upon what you aren’t a fan of. And once the initial project is completed, know that kicking back at your outdoor bar will be a lot more affordable than going out for drinks every Saturday, too.

Whether your backyard is spacious or on the smaller side, you can create a refuge for yourself and show off your personality. The casual nature of a backyard bar means that chairs can be replaced with floor pillows, blankets can be used in place of central heating, wires can be hidden by plants, and string lights can provide all the light you need. However you choose to design decorate your backyard bar, you’re adding an interesting and beautiful focal point to your outdoor living space.