We planned to repair it in the winter, we decided, as soon as it becomes warmer, and we will begin. And they planned not just a cosmetic "repair", but to do everything thoroughly. His wife planned, among other things, and ordered a new kitchen set. Naturally, they began to think how to equip the room itself, that is, the kitchen, with a better arrangement. Our kitchen is not very spacious in size, but it is desirable to store in it a little more.
One day my wife came home and said that I went to one of my friends and saw in her kitchen a nice bar counter. The size of the room is even smaller than ours, but it looks just great. Of course, she also "caught fire": "Come on, and you do it, what's it worth to you?".I answered in the spirit that since our people in a bakery in a taxi, as said in one famous movie, do not "ride", then we do not need a bar counter either.
Nevertheless, my wife persuaded me somehow to go and look at this bar, maybe I'll like it. We went to visit, and I looked. I looked very carefully. Honestly speaking, and I "caught fire" with this idea, impressed. Then specially "walked" on the Internet, I looked at photos, descriptions - chose the best option for us.
The main thing here is that you can do it yourself and not spend too much. I wanted to make such that the entire structure looked elegant, and that did not take up much space, which is already out of stock. He stopped at such an option as a mini-bar near the wall. And the place does not take much, and it looks great, and a cozy place for evening "gatherings".
Materials for the bar
Bar racks are made from a variety of materials. Suitable and wood, and laminate, and metal. You can use a special glass or corian. It is such an artificial material, imitating marble. However, one should also take into account the general design of the room, and first of all, of course, the kitchen set. So I did not invent something, but I decided to make a rack for the counter the same as the top of the kitchen set. That everything was the same and looked good.
In the office of the company where we came to order a kitchen set, I asked where they had production facilities. Well, then it's a matter of technology - explained what I need, counted how much it will cost "over" the price for a set. Then I met with the master and clarified what and how it should be. And I needed a little: the countertop for the bar counter, a small elongated shelf and the cornice( second level).I also ordered a vertical case for dishes.
The idea and assembly of the
rack The idea was this: along the right wall from the entrance to the kitchen set the countertop of the rack. Slightly to the left of the center, on the side, at a height of 50 cm from the tabletop - a small shelf, and even higher - a cornice with built-in illumination( several LED lamps).Considering that at the entrance to the kitchen I was going to put an arch with LED lamps, another highlighting with the same bulbs over the bar counter will allow creating different combinations in the illumination of the whole kitchen.
I solved this problem, but the main difficulty was how and how to fix the countertop. Since there are no young children in the family, they have grown, then decided to buy highchairs with footboards, for convenience. I chose the width of the countertop so that the chairs completely under it could move. With the racks everything turned out to be a bit more complicated. I needed nickel racks, but I did not find them on sale. Through acquaintances I got out of some trading equipment, which was written off. But this equipment was written off, and the racks are quite even, and the height is suitable.
Already then I found a site for manufacturers of bar equipment, where you can buy and racks, and shelves on racks, and other chrome accessories for the bar, even at retail. But in ordinary construction shops, you can find unless the chrome pipe is 50 mm in diameter - this is the standard for bar counters.
So, to the floor, I decided to fix the countertop with the help of racks. To the wall - pieces of a metal corner for 25. The wall is concrete, so that to drill holes for the sleeves and then fasten the tabletop against the wall with powerful screws, the task is feasible. The most important thing turned out to be marking, where to the table top to fix the racks - legs. Here, I think, there is no single recommendation. Criterion one - to sit was comfortable, in the sense, feet do not knock on the counters. And yet, it is worthwhile in advance to think about the plastic corner, which closes the junction between the wall and the rack. When the table top is pulled to the wall, at least some crack will be, and this is a place to collect dirt and moisture.
So, I attached the counter to the table top in the first place. Then he marked out and drilled holes for fixing to the wall. Between the wall and the table top I installed a corner of plastic - everything, there will not be cracks. Now it's time to make a highlight in the cornice. I had to gut the wall and pull a separate electrical wire straight from the cell. Naturally, and to the switch, which also had to be put personally to turn on the cornice lamps. I put a double switch, so that you can turn on either all the lamps, or only a part. The holes in the cornice under the lamps were cut with an electric jigsaw.
When I installed the countertop, I strengthened the shelf and put the cornice, it remains only to connect all the wiring. On the cornice, I cut a lid from plywood and glued wooden slats from below. Above the cornice was a slightly raised lid - a shelf. Her wife then put two pots with artificial flowers. And I attached the case to the "street" wall from the end of the table top and a little higher. Under it right in the corner, at the end of the bar, I put the base of the home phone.which turned out to be a rather convenient option. And in the case itself - glasses, glasses and similar things.
Here's something like this stand I got in the end:
