Sunday, December 30, 2012

Pouring A Drink From An Elegant Place

In New Orleans nearly every home has a space dedicated to a bar. It might be a tray of bottles on the kitchen counter, or a built-in elaborate wet bar, or a bar cart,  or a tray on a chest, or tucked into an armoire converted into a bar.

Where is the bar n your house? Convert an old TV cabinet into a retro hipster bar

Happy New Year time

Arranging a bar tray has become an art form

A bar with non alcoholic  drinks gets equal opportunity styling on my patio as seen in House of Fifty

The best thing is to use for a bar an armoire. Throw some shelves and mirror in it, add a tray and maybe some store bought wine racks, and there you have it. Everyone of a certain age has a fugly TV armoire, and it is so easy to transform it into updated storage.

Go to Steven and Chris for the 411 on the basic easy DIY

Materials

mirrors, cut to size
metallic spray paint in various colours
SpongeTowels
spray bottle filled with water
spray adhesive
glassware and other bar accessories

Method

  1. Measure dimensions of back wall of each shelf. Have glass-store clerk cut pieces of mirror to fit.
  2. Clean and dry mirrors well.
  3. Spray mirror with water. Be sure spray bottle is set to a very fine mist; you want to cover the entire surface of the mirror in small droplets of water.
  4. Immediately spray mirror with a light mist of spray paint in various metallic shades (e.g. silver, copper, etc.).
  5. After 30 seconds, dab mirror with a SpongeTowel. Keep your touch light; you're trying to get rid of the water, not the spray paint. Repeat with mirrors for other shelves.
  6. Affix antiqued mirrors to backs of shelves using spray adhesive.
  7. Dress shelves with glassware, bar accessories, tchotchkes, etc., and invite some friends over for a drink!  from Steven and Chris
Bryan Batt, actor, author, decorator, shop owner, and New Orleans personalityy loves a good armoire

He converted his 18th century antique into a killer bar, complete with a s working sink

This armoire got a coat of paint, some wine rack storage, and bistro style blackboard paint on the inside of a door

I have this fugly computer office armoire that I am dying to paint

Maybe I could turn it into a place to store fabric samples - I have another TV armoire that was turned into linen storage - Alberto added shelves - Armoires are deep so they make a perfect space for storing sheets and blankets

Shoe storage in an armoire makeover would be a good idea

See how great an armoire is for blanket storage

Joni Webb from Cote de Texas styled her armoire with all white books and objects - so pretty

This antique beauty belongs to one of my clients who added shelves and uses it for china and table linens

The sky is the limit with your paint job

This armoire got a coat of mod green paint

Black makes this converted armoire look so chic

Don't need bar space? This nifty home sewing station was made from an armoire

How clever is this! The table folds into the armoire

This is a wrap station in a kitchen cabinet, but you could adapt this idea in an armoire
You can used TV armoires so cheap on Craigslist, sometime even for free. We have two stores that sell used hotel furniture, and they always have tons of TV armoires at cheap prices.

Hotel Liquidators
221 Harbor Circle  New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 302-3324

Canal Furniture Liquidators
3534 Toulouse St
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 442-5383

Do you have an armoire waiting for makeover?  Or have you already done it?

This armoire was turned into a pantry - genius

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4 comments:

  1. Really enjoyed this collection of ideas for armoires. I have repurposed one of mine with extra shelving for part of my collection of stemware. The big drawers in the bottom are great for flat-folded tablecloths.

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  2. That TV/bar is wonderful, Valerie. I've been trying to get one of my girlfriends to get rid of her TV armoire & update, she keeps saying how much she loves the cabinet...now I know what to tell her. Happy New Year !!

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  3. INstantly fell in love with that hot pink serving tray! New fan and follower here! Feel free to stop by GlamourMash anytime!!

    xx
    
Holly Foxen Wells

    GlamourMash

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  4. I converted a television armoire into a shoe cabinet in our mud room. I love it.

    ReplyDelete