Sometimes, the local does not feel quite local enough when you want to go to the pub, and in those cases, a garden room bar can feel like a truly tantalising proposition.
Rather than dealing with the walk to the nearest public house on a cold winter’s night, dealing with taxi fares, last orders and having to make do when it comes to drinks if your local has a rather limited selection.
By contrast, a pub of your own often offers any drink you buy in, lower drink prices, any opening hours you like, whatever you want to watch on the TV if you are not a football fan, no distractions, and a decor style that is quintessentially your own.
Developing a home bar in your garden makes a lot of sense, but the biggest question is how it should look.
Should you opt for a traditional village tavern, a clandestine speakeasy or a more modern cocktail bar? Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste, but if you want the former, here are some top tips to get the effect you want.
Take Inspiration From Your Local
Typically, if you want a more traditional garden pub, you often have a particular vision in mind inspired by a pub you used to love or the place you go most regularly.
Purely for research purposes, take some time to go there, see how they style, design and decorate the place and make a note of the aspects you want to replicate and which ones you want to leave behind.
Stick With Natural Looking Materials
Whilst pubs will vary a lot when it comes to specific stylistic choices, one element that they all have in common is that they will typically harmonise with locally sourced natural materials.
The floors tend to be either hardwood or stone pavers, whilst the bar itself is typically a dark-shade hardwood or made from polished stone, including wooden or stone panelling and fascias.
If you cannot easily source certain types of stone, laminate or luxury vinyl tile can provide the same sort of look for significantly less, so have a look around and see what kinds of styles take your fancy.
The best part of using natural reclaimed wood is that mismatched stools, chairs and tables only accentuate the aesthetic and make the place look inviting and far more historic than it is.
For a truly traditional look, add brass or wrought-iron fixtures such as lighting fittings, armrests and footrests.
Earthy Shades Work Best
Whilst you can choose any colour scheme you like as an accent, your main colour scheme should harmonise with the abundance of natural materials being used around the bar area.
Deep browns, stone greys and forest greens will look particularly earthy and convey a particularly traditional tavern look, where availability and practicality transcended the aesthetics available today.
Thick Wooden Shelves And Mirrored Cabinets
Whilst rather more minimalist home bars will opt for a cabinet arrangement, if you are going traditional, your drinks should be stored on a set of thick open shelves to showcase the spirits you have on offer.
If you do not have too many drinks on offer, these shelves are perfect for placing bottles and the complement of pint, half-pint and wine glasses necessary to enjoy a traditional bar at its absolute fullest.
Decor That Tells A Story
A pub is the centre of a community, and because of that, the decorations will say a lot about the landlord and landlady, as well as the wider community of people who have called the place home after hours.
This could include posters featuring vintage beer adverts from a time when you could claim “Guinness was good for you” or that Double Diamond was “The Beer the Men Drink”.
Vintage signs, old maps of the local area or even a collection of beer coasters stuck on the wall can give a pub a historic feel, as if it has endured as a pillar even as the community has changed around it.
Dim Soft Lighting
Lighting has a tremendous effect on a room’s ambience, and it is perhaps rather telling that many traditional pubs opt to keep the lighting as low and soft as possible.
Historically, it was a matter of necessity; when inns and taverns were lit by candlelight, there was only so far the light could travel.
However, the same ambience can be achieved using dimmer switches, vintage light bulbs or smart lights to create the exact type of atmosphere ripe for spirited conversation and emotional closeness.