Home Bar Blog

Bar of the Month - November 2007
This great looking bar built by one of our members includes a slight modification of the Kegger Bar design along with the upper portion of the Bar Back design.  Swivel bar stools complete the project.

A custom corner cove houses an LCD TV for viewing your favorite movies and sporting events. Being Packer Fans, we particularly like the green and gold paint job, although a closer examination of the decor indicates a Ravens fan, but regardless, another excellent constrcution job!

You can order your own barplan.com membership by clicking here.

Here are a few Thanksgiving Cocktail Ideas to help deal with the in-laws. 

Wild Turkey Dinner
2 oz apple cider
1 oz Wild Turkey bourbon
Pour into a glass and freeze overnight. Serve slushy.

Turkey Trot Punch
2 cups lemon lime soda
1 cup bourbon
2 cups cranberry juice
Mix with crushed ice. Garnish with mint leaves.

Burnt Turkey
1 oz bourbon
1 splash grenadine
1 oz 151-proof rum
Mix with crushed ice. Garnish with mint leaves.

Cabinetry is a job that novice woodworkers may find intimidating and avoid altogether simply because they are not familiar with proper assembley techniques. It’s not all that difficult, especially when you have the secret weapon of cabinet builders, the Pocket Hole Jig.
This affordable tool consists of a specialized clamp, drill bit and drill bit guide to allow for perfect joinery of two perpedicular wood parts, such as the sides of a drawer or cabinet trim panels. The jig allows the fastening screw to be hidden inside so what you end up with is a corner fastening with no visible screw heads. Pocket hole jigs are available in a variety of models from simple jigs priced around $50 to professional versions selling for between $100-$150. Read More…

Do you fear technology? Is your computer your friend or foe?
If modern technology baffles you, then perhaps you are a “Luddite”, which is defined as either a person who dislikes technology and devices that threaten their job or which interfere with personal privacy. Luddite can also be applied to someone who is simply incompetent when it comes to using new technology. That’s your word for the day.

These days, economic worries seem to come and go like so much good & bad weather, but people are smart, right? and smart folks prepare for the worst by adjusting their way of life, or at least anticipating an economic downturn by keeping a watchful eye on global events fueled by oil prices. Imagine for a moment if the economy took a major turn for the worse, what would you do? What if you HAD to stay home? No more going out to dinner & drinks, no more vacation trips or liesurely afternoon drives and life in in general becomes so expensive, you’d have to tighten your belt & hunker down as you and your family ride out the storm. Think this notion is outlandish? What if gas really does hit four or five dollars per gallon? Things could get ugly, fast!

Let’s not forget about all the other doom and gloom predictions either. The nightly news and even the Discovery Channel is full of signs that perhaps we should be watching more seriously. Global warming, glacial melt, super tsunamis, asteroid impacts, super viruses, terrorism and let’s not forget George W. Bush hinting at World War III. Could it get any worse? If you were forced to stay home, no matter what the circumstance, wouldn’t it be nice to have all the (southern) comforts you need at hand?

Building a home bar, rec room  or home theater area is one way to start preparing for the future by reducing your travel costs, saving gas and saving the money you might otherwise spend on expensive drinks and entertainment, freeing up that money for essentials like food and home expenses, and let’s not forget, a home bar built underground in a basement area can double as a protective bunker in tough times. Sure there is a initial cost to building your own family room entertainment area, but consider it an investment in your home that will increase in value. 

A basement area is best, but upper levels or your home also serve as great areas for a private place to entertain. Of course basements have the added advantage of protecting you from tornadoes and other potentially deadly events. To take it to the extreme, you could even reinforce the ceiling to provide better protection, add a large walk in pantry for food and beverages. It’s not a far fetched idea to combine a home bar area with a fallout shelter like those of the 1950’s. The bottom line is to be prepared.  

Does this mean we should all build bars and become raging alcoholics? No, rather we can preserve happier times by bringing entertainment back inside the home the way it used to be; playing games, watching movies and connecting with family members. Once you begin into building a home bar or theater project, you’ll spend many years not only having fun entertaining, but also “adding flair” to your own private establishment.

So look around you, keep your eye on the news and start thinking about how that empty or unused space in your home, especially those with basements, can be transformed into your new home bar refuge and bunker, shielding you from an increasingly crazy world.

“I’ll tell ya what, when the big one hits, I’ll be relaxing in my home bar”. Order Plans Today - Before it’s too late!

  

On Sunday November 5th, we were all watching the big match-up between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots that was touted as Superbowl 42 and a half, when after one play I heard a distinct digital skipping sound of of background crowd noise over my high definition home theater system right before a Randy Moss catch. It was quite obvious that the sound was either a digital broadcast problem or as the Patriots alleged, that the Colts cheated by piping crowd noise into the stadium in an attempt distract their opponent. Apparently it didn’t work so well because Moss caught the ball and the Patriots won the game.  The scheme was revealed after the source of the sound skipped or hiccuped. We’ve seen similar tactics used in the past by the Vikings in the Roller Dome. You’d never have that kind of problem at Lambeau field in Green Bay. Come on Colts fans, make your own noise!

Listen for yourself to see if you can detect the skipping sound.