Advice

How to Transform Your Home into A Comfy Pub

Edward Sloane 23rd November 2020

During the Covid-19 pandemic, staying at home is more important than ever. It’s normal to miss the bustle, chat, and cosy atmosphere of your local pub. While we can’t always make it to the local these days, you can create the same comfort and warm ambience in your very own home.

Some people carve out a home bar in a spare bedroom or the corner of their lounge room, while others convert their garden shed into a pub. Which sounds best to you?

How to convert a shed into a pub

Follow these steps to convert a shed into the back garden pub of your dreams. Check out these garden shed bar ideas

Choosing a shed – Of course, the first thing you’ll need is a garden shed in the first place! If you don’t already have a shed in your back garden, head to the local garden centre and have a peek at the options on offer. Garden sheds are also sold online.

Important note – make sure that your bartenders (likely you and your significant other) can comfortably stand up tall in the shed. Nothing is worse than having to hunch over whenever you want to fix a drink.

Building your bar – Here is where you’ll need to bust out the tools and plywood and get building. While you can get creative with modular components from Ikea, most people prefer to build their own bar to their height and size specifications. If you want to reuse some materials otherwise destined for the tip, consider building a bar out of pallets. There are plenty of tutorials online that can help – you’ll save money and help reduce waste.[1]

Bar stools – Depending on the size of your shed, you’ll likely only have room for a few bar stools. However, they are excellent seating options that don’t require a lot of floor space, so don’t neglect these. You simply can’t have a proper pub atmosphere without a barstool to perch on as you order a pint of bitter and a packet of crisps.

An Overstuffed Chair – You might not have room for one of the truly majestic overstuffed chairs found in the cosiest pubs, you definitely need a few comfortable chairs for it to be considered a proper British pub. A tub chair works perfectly – add at least one (and ideally two) and a low table for the right feel.

Lighting – Hanging globe lights look best in a pub setting. Don’t neglect this detail – the typical fluorescent lighting in a shed will completely ruin your cosy atmosphere. It’s a great idea to install a dimmer switch so you can take complete control over your ambience no matter what time of year and the lighting outside.[2]

A draught beer dispenser and a cask pump – Sure, you can serve beers out of tins and bottles, but your pub won’t really feel authentic unless you install a draught beer keg and/or cask pump, depending on what you like to drink. Commercial units might be too large (not to mention expensive) for your home pub, but there are now plenty of at-home options available, such as the Beer Hawk.

The right glasses – If you’re planning to serve your cask ales and draught beers out of glasses from your kitchen, you’ve already missed the mark! In order for your pub to have the right ambience, you need branded pint glasses for your perfect pour.

Retro pub signage – Traditional pubs always have plenty of vintage beer signs all over the walls, adding a retro flair to the space. Choose a few brands that you really love and go on the hunt for vintage pub signs – you’ll find them at car boots, charity shops, or in antique store. If you can find some neon signs, even better!

A drinks fridge with a transparent door – A typical mini-fridge just won’t do in a pub. For the right look and feel, you need to invest in a drinks fridge with a clear glass door so that the punters (ok, your mates) can see inside.

Adding electricity, heating, and plumbing

If you want refrigeration, lighting, a cosy warm atmosphere, and even a small bar sink, you’ll need to install utilities. Do note that some councils will require you to seek planning permission if you want to add electricity, heating, and plumbing to your shed. Be sure to check the local rules and regulations before you sink money into this project.[3]

Clip strips of crisps, peanuts, and scratchings

What pub doesn’t have a clip strip or two lined with packets of crisps, peanuts, and pork scratchings? Hang a few of these behind the bar so you can split them open and share with friends.

If you need further inspiration, you can always take your cue from Sadie Jones and Nick Threadgold of Wilmslow in Cheshire. For just £500 they converted their garden shed into the Stagger Inn.[4] The project, which started as a way to bring the comfort and joy of the pub into their back garden during lockdown, couldn’t have turned out any better. Sadie said, “it’s definitely been helpful mentally and physically to do something over these last 12 weeks, and we would recommend it to anyone to give it a go.”

Creating a stunning bar in your lounge room

Sure, some people use their spare bedrooms as a ‘she shed’ or a ‘man cave’ but why not combine the best of all worlds and transform yours into a pub that everyone can enjoy?[5]

However, not all of us have a spare room that is truly ‘spare.’ In that case, carve out some space in the corner of your lounge room and create a bar (or car cart) that will have guests begging for an invite.[6]

A Glam Bar Cart – Add mixers, attractive glassware, crystal bottles, and swizzle sticks arranged nicely on a bar cart, and keep it in the corner, ready to roll out when company arrives.
The Bookshelf Bodega – Sure, you could line a bookshelf with books, but booze is even better! Arrange your bottles and glassware on a few shelves, add a bar stool or two, and viola – a bookshelf bar at your service.
The Closet Cocktail Bar – Clear out your linen closet and panel it with mirrors. Line the shelves with gorgeous crystal ware and bottles – you can even add a bar fridge and your own disco ball!
The Luxury Lounge Wet Bar – If you have the space and money to dedicate a corner of your lounge to a wet bar, you can really go all out. Add a bar, luxurious decorations, glass shelving on the walls, candles, and some barstools.
The Dresser Inn – Purchase a dresser from a charity shop and doll it up – display the bottles and barware on the top and fill the drawers with practicalities.
The Cabinet Watering Hole – Install a cabinet in your living room, creating a floor to ceiling bar display full of drinks, snacks, sweets, and flowers.
The Shelf of Delights – If you don’t have any floor space to spare, install a floating shelf and create a fully stocked bar that takes up no space at all.
The Table Tipple – Transform a small console table into a handy and functional bar. Place taller bottles on the top shelf, and smaller bottles and glassware on the bottom shelf.

Nothing is better than your own home pub

Whether you decide to go for a simple yet elegant home bar in the corner of your lounge room or a fully kitted-out British pub in your garden shed, nothing is better.

Skip the queues and avoid the high prices of the pub or bar – once you raise a glass in your own home pub or bar, you’ll never fancy a night out again!

Reference list

Evans, H. (2020). How to Turn Your Living Room into a Bar. [online] Nimvo – Interior and Exterior Design, Architecture, Home Tips. Available at: https://nimvo.com/how-to-turn-your-living-room-into-a-bar/ [Accessed 19 Nov. 2020].

Garden4less (2020). Make a bar out of pallet wood! – How To/ DIY. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v_WbMEvIdY [Accessed 22 Nov. 2020].

Hicks, A. (2019). Mum transforms spare room into “woman cave” complete with bar – in just a week. [online] mirror. Available at: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-transforms-spare-room-woman-16550310 [Accessed 19 Nov. 2020].

McCarron, E. (2016). Pub lighting: four design tips that you should consider | Mullan Lighting. [online] www.mullanlighting.com. Available at: https://www.mullanlighting.com/blog/style-tips-choosing-pub-lighting/ [Accessed 20 Nov. 2020].

Milligan, R. (2020). Installing utilities into your shed, garage or outhouse: What you need to know. [online] trustedtraders.which.co.uk. Available at: https://trustedtraders.which.co.uk/articles/installing-utilities-into-your-shed-garage-or-outhouse-what-you-need-to-know.

Montes, S. (2019). 15 Living Room Bar Ideas for Hosting In Any Square Footage. [online] MyDomaine. Available at: https://www.mydomaine.com/living-room-bar-ideas-4769530 [Accessed 19 Nov. 2020].

Otter, S. (2020). Couple converted their garden shed into a pub in brilliant transformation. [online] Manchester Evening News. Available at: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/money-saving/couple-convert-garden-shed-pub-18497243 [Accessed 19 Nov. 2020].

Probus, J. (2015). This Is How to Make Your Shed into Your Own Private Bar. [online] BuzzFeed. Available at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/pub-sheds-are-exactly-what-they-sound-like-and-they-are-awes?utm_term=.vw4lDV11v [Accessed 19 Nov. 2020].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v_WbMEvIdY

[2] https://www.mullanlighting.com/blog/style-tips-choosing-pub-lighting/

[3] https://trustedtraders.which.co.uk/articles/installing-utilities-into-your-shed-garage-or-outhouse-what-you-need-to-know

[4] https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/money-saving/couple-convert-garden-shed-pub-18497243

[5] https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-transforms-spare-room-woman-16550310

[6] https://www.mydomaine.com/living-room-bar-ideas-4769530