Whether you are building a new starter bar from scratch, or have an existing bar that you want to bring to life, there are many things you can do to improve the look, feel, and effectiveness of your starter bar. A good place to start is to gather a few photos or take photos of your favorite bars. Find out what surprises you about them and use it as a starting point for your launch bar.

Here are some tips to improve your launch bar:

Choose a color theme.
Depending on the mood you are trying to set with your bar and your personality, you may want to choose a color theme. For example, if you are looking for a relaxed and smooth feel, use darker colors like blues, greens, purples, etc., where if you are looking for an uplifting and energizing fall, look for more bright solid colors.

Make sure your seat is cozy, but not overly cozy.
You want your guests to be comfortable, but you don’t want them to be so comfortable that they fall asleep at your bar. In part, this is why bar stools generally have no backs. Not having a back also encourages people to lean over the bar and participate more in the conversation.

Get a great sound system.
Music has always been at the heart of any bar, so don’t neglect this with yours. Your bar should have a large collection of your favorite music, free commercial Internet radio, or an easy place for you or your friends to document your iPods and iPhones. Have some preselected music collections that you can randomly play so you always have something playing in the background. Easy access to volume is a must so you can turn up the volume in the queue.

Flat screen television.
If you’re a sports fanatic, this is a no-brainer, but you can also use your TV to upgrade your bar in other ways. One of my favorites is the Wii video games and the infamous Rock Band are always a hit and never fail to attract their guests. Another good use is to display environmental images. They make DVDs that show interesting graphics for this kind of thing. Another good bet is the music videos.

Keg cooler.
This is one of the characteristics that all your friends will have in your house every weekend. As sure as the beer is cold and flowing from your home bar tap, people will be there to drink it with you. If it gets too out of control, throw out a barrel bottom jar.

Get the essential barware.
Make sure you have everything you need to prepare drinks when you need them. This includes a shaker, a pitcher, barware glasses (martini, beer, highball, lowball, etc …), swizzle sticks, napkins, rim salters, drink pourers, etc …

To wash.
It is a good idea to install yourself a counter sink. This little convenience will go a long way towards cleaning up at the end of the night, spills, and just make life easier.

Don’t skimp on lighting.
Lighting is one of the things that can have the biggest impact on your home bar. With a small investment in recessed lighting or dimmers, you can transform your bar from boring to charming.

These few details will really help your bar and ensure that your friends and family have good times and good memories in the place you call home.

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