Overall Ambient Lighting
Recessed lighting is an inexpensive and unobtrusive way to give your lounge ambient lighting. Even the top 10 hotel bars in the world make use of recessed lighting to layer their lights. You may want to take a note from Dubai’s China Moon Champagne Bar later when you have surplus cash for more extravagant interior design.
In the meantime, consider can lights from an online lighting retailer such as AffordableLamps.com for interior lighting. Recessed lighting fits well in a contemporary home bar. Brands such as Bruck Lighting and Liton Lighting come to mind for discount recessed lights. For cheap recessed lighting fixtures with high quality LED, low voltage or dimmable retrofit lamps call 1-800-MY-LAMPS.
Over the Bar Counter
Pendant lighting is what the professional bar light designers use. You can find multiple pendant lights and monopoint lighting for cheap. Here are some considerations. Do you want stem or flexible cable suspension for your pendants? A fixed stem can be convenient but cuttable cable gives you more freedom to adjust the height of hanging pendant lights above your bar.
The second consideration is pendant shade. Do you prefer glass, metal or fabric shades? How wide do you want your pendant shades? What style of shade do you want? Are you open to futuristic styles like the ones used to decorate the Cloud Nine hotel bar in Shanghai?
Here is a practical guide to pendant shades:
Mini Pendants have shades less than 6″ in diameter.
Large Pendants have shades wider than 6″ in diameter.
Multi Pendants have small shades and varying lengths for each pendant light fixture.
When selecting bar lights, decide how many pendant lights you need to cover the length of your bar. How far apart would you like each shade?
Under Bar Lighting
There are other areas of your bar to consider such as wall lighting and liquor display but that can be found in a future article on bar lighting. For now, I will focus on the third area I promised, under bar lighting. When you want to store alcohol behind the bar and in cabinets, you can consider under cabinet LED lighting. LED lights do not run hot like halogens or give off UV light like fluorescent lamps. Just as you would be careful to store alcohol away from direct sunlight and a heat source such as an oven or heater, avoid accidently heating liquor with your artificial light. LED under cabinet lights sold by AffordableLamps.com last 40,000 hours or more.
If you apply these lighting basics for your home bar lighting, you will have the home decor lighting of a master. Remember to use recessed lighting to give your guests adequate ambient lighting. Use pendant lights for direct lighting and mood lighting at the bar counter. Make sure your bartender or host can find supplies and backup liquor under the cabinet with cool LED lighting.
Soon you will have your guests downing shots, ordering from your cocktail menu and nominating you for best mixologist in the region. Happy bartending at home!
By:Renee