Home Bar Project

:idea:You mentioned basement previously but I see windows, one quite low.
Is your house built on a hill or did I confuse myself somewhere?
Paneling looks spectacular BTW. Nice warm color, not too dark.
Pretty close to what I used for wainscot in our Dining Room.
 
Excellent work! A nice warm and welcoming look.
What ^he said! That is an inviting look. When we had family parties at the house, everyone would congregate around the bar in the basement.

I'd be the one bringing over a good bottle of tequila as a bar-warming gift. :D
 
Thanks. In person it looks a bit better than the photos. Sort of like distressed leather, or that it already has a patina on it from age.

As to the basement, both windows sit a couple inches above ground level, the larger facing the front yard. Opposite the large window is completely below grade. The garage is off to the right and is on the grade.

Oh, I forgot to add, to deal with the pretty obvious light/dark wood wavy pattern, since I had already stained the one wall, I added a second coat of stain to the light portions to darken them a bit. For the two other walls I hadn't stained yet, I did a second coat of the shellac sealer on the dark wood prior to doing the base stain coat. It really evened out the grain pattern which I hadn't considered when I bought the lauan to begin with. Glad I was able to recover from it.
 
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1st coat of Urethane done. I think I'll do one more since there's a couple spots that are showing dull vs the satin sheen I'm looking for. Got a work trip though, so I'll let it sit a couple days and then decide for sure.
 
Gorgeous job, love the paneling. Hadn't realized originally that there were windows, the natural light adds a beautiful atmosphere...
 
Rockola juke box company home bar that I've had for decades.

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Without a doubt, I agree, a "Quality Product"!
 
The main panels are just lauan, usually used to even out subfloor as an underpayment. It's not normally of very fine grade, but I chose it because it is typically made from a wood with similar grain properties as Walnut, is thin (1/8” - 3/16”), and is fairly inexpensive. I was placing it over drywall, so didn't need anything too thick. The raised portions are 3/4” Maple, and the ogee trim is pine. I would have preferred something with a little less grain pattern, but had to manufacture my own from solid planks. Since a good portion of the wood was going to turn into sawdust in the process, I went for lower cost and softer to also not need extra router bits.
 
When I worked in the family biz decades ago, we moved from a small space to a building that actually had the warehouse space we needed. My uncle's office was similarly paneled in wood (and similarly stained dark), but I think we figured out that the previous owner used a cabinet-grade plywood for the walls--they were thick and solid! (Previous owner, who built the building, was a contractor by trade, and left the building with a few neat "extras" like that. And I'm sure in 1968 when he built it, the cost of that paneling wasn't prohibitive especially after his discount.)
 
Had I wanted to rip out the drywall, I would have at least used 1/2 ply, and may have considered doing some inset shelving in the walls, or other such design features. But, the whole project had already been going on longer than expected and my wife has been a saint not complaining about the mess and not getting the cars in the garage, etc. So, I'm really trying to get this finished up so we can actually reclaim the use of the basement and garage.
 
I would do the same as you, actually--I have no desire to tear out drywall anywhere. Plus it is easier to work with.
 
In continuance of this project is my keezer build...a three faucet kegerator built out of a chest freezer. I started a new thread in general off topic forums, but perhaps should have just added it here. Anywho, clicking the photo will take you to the build thread.

 
Great assembly and finished off really well! :thumbsup: Like the matching walls.

Be sure and put repeated applications to area wherein the glasses/bottle sit. There will be numerous spills/accidents.

Was wondering if you will be also looking for a more convenient place for that audio gear? Just wondering.

Q
 
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