Wow Your Guests With The Property Brothers' Speakeasy Bar Addition

There's something classy about serving your guests their drinks from a proper bar, even if it's actually just a cart that you roll up next to their spot on the couch. The logistics of a full-on bar in the average home are often complicated at best. But, with the Property Brothers' inspiration and a little effort, you can turn a seldom-used corner or closet into your very own speakeasy bar.

Drew and Johnathan Scott are the twin faces behind the well-loved HGTV hit Property Brothers (among others) and are experts in all things home, from design to construction. When they showed off a secret speakeasy on their Instagram page, it whet home owners' design appetites. The term "speakeasy" arose when the sale of alcohol was prohibited in the U.S. Underground bars encouraged their guests to "speak easy", meaning keep chatter about the bar to a minimum — hence, the hidden closet bar. Concealed in a closet that has been wallpapered to match the surrounding walls, the Brothers' bar itself consists of nothing more than a lower double cabinet and a couple of shelves. But, it isn't lacking in style. The Brothers incorporated interesting lighting and decorative elements to highlight the speakeasy vibe, and you can do the same.

Step one: Plan out your space. From what we can see in the video, it's a dry bar — meaning it isn't plumbed for a sink, dishwasher or refrigerator — which ticks down the difficulty rating. Drew and Johnathan seem to have leaned on unique paint colors and aesthetic arrangement to bring their bar to life.

As you plan your version, consider wallpapering the inside of the closet and going for dark colors on the cabinet to create that moody, secret speakeasy vibe. Set it up to showcase the glassware and give pride of place to your more beautiful bottles. Pro-tip: If you finish off an elegant bottle, consider refilling it with tinted water. Or, repurpose the bottle into a drinking glass, lamp, or candle so it can have a second life wowing your party guests. 

Lighting will also have a big impact. Create a relaxed atmosphere by positioning light sources at eye level or lower. Consider nixing that overhead bulb in your converted closet and opting for rope lighting that will run along the shelf line behind your glassware and bottles. Arrange your essential bar implements, such as stirrers, jiggers, strainers, and the like, in a clear glass vase to show off their shine. If you're going to use fixtures on your cabinet, you might want to match the finish of the metal to your home bar tools. Of course, if you don't have a space in your home that lends itself well to the speakeasy conversion, a piece of repurposed furniture could easily become a bar.