Convenient Bar Counter: 6 Great Ideas from Designers

A bar counter can become an additional spot for home gatherings or cooking, or it can serve as a full-fledged dining table. Check out how designers have styled bar counters in their projects, what methods they used to achieve a functional and harmonious kitchen space.

Bar Counter with Shelves

In this small studio apartment, the designers opted for a bar counter instead of a standard dining table. It doesn't overcrowd the space and fulfills its purpose well. The ends of the counter feature several shelves where the owner stores beautiful glasses and cups — it became a kind of decorative element.

Design: Julia Kaufeldt

"Floating" Bar Counter

If you don't want to overcrowd the space, take this idea for note. Designer Alexandra Dotsenko created a floating bar counter in her apartment — it is mounted to the wall and enhanced with a glass support that creates the effect of a "floating" countertop.

Design: Alexandra Dotsenko

Bar Counter with Storage Space

The design studio Buro Brainstorm made full use of every centimeter in their project. The kitchen was designed in two lines with an island and a bar counter. The latter was designed to also include storage space. This replaced the solid cabinet with five glass doors where anything can be hidden.

Design: Buro Brainstorm Studio

Bar Counter as an Island

Sitting at a kitchen island is uncomfortable, but the client of this project wanted to create a convenient space for cooking and entertaining guests. To achieve this, designers from Style By Sorensen extended the island's countertop and created a bar counter for 4–5 people.

Design: Style By Sorensen Studio

Bar Counter with Mini-Bar

This project also does not feature a conventional dining table. Designer Maria Malysheva designed a bar counter, which in this case is definitely an advantage, not a drawback. First of all, the counter helps zone the open kitchen-living room space, and secondly, it includes a mini-bar area in its construction.

Design: Mango Studio

Bar Counter by the Window

The kitchen in a typical Khrushchyovka is small — only 5.9 sq m. Therefore, the dining table was moved to the living room, and opposite the kitchen unit by the window, a bar counter was added. For this purpose, the standard windowsill was replaced with a wide one made of oak furniture board and complemented with half-bar stools — it turned out cozy and functional.

Design: Pavel Foteev