Build Your Own Sports Bar

It may be but a dream or desire, but converting a room in your house into a sports bar has crept into the mind of most sports fans. Imagine inviting over a few friends to watch the big game in comfortable seating while serving up a cold one. You’d be the envy of all and it might be a dream, but it is a doable do-it-yourself project.

Pick a Theme

The first action is to decide what that theme will be. There are many generic approaches to creating a theme. One is by sport while another could be by team. More than likely, as a sports fan, you already have a considerable amount of team memorabilia anyway. The size and shape of the room you want to use will exert a great deal of influence on your decision.

Start Your Design

If you are a capable woodworker and there is ample space, consider adding features such as back wall shelving and a long-serving surface that can seat many people. Your bar design can be a wet bar (includes plumbed-in features like a sink) or a keg bar that employs a delivery system for providing bear through a tap dispensation device. Space considerations can allow for a bar area along an entire wall or necessitate a single stool and a single cabinet area.

Build It

Once you have decided what type and design your bar will have, it’s time for construction. If you are a good woodworker, building a frame for the bar serving area will be an easy project. The countertop area can be created using a number of materials including wood, Formica, or tile depending on the desired look and feel. Traditional bar serving area tops are made of wood that contains several finishing coats of highly polished protective substances such as polyurethane.

Creatively, bartops can be designed to suit your personal taste. Many popular designs include objects embedded in the surface and in the construction of a sports bar, following this theme leaves the end game wide open to the boundaries of your imagination.

Flat, two-dimensional objects like playing cards, programs, and other sports and team memorabilia can enhance a bartop. Before completing any wall or serving areas that need the delivery of water – and beer – make sure to install all plumbing and electrical wiring before finishing with planking, sheetrock, or other materials. Then you're ready to install personal accessories like bar stools and other bar-related accouterments.