The COVID-19 pandemic continues to inspire changes within the home. Here’s a toast to one of the latest: the return (and update) of the at-home bar.

Key Takeaways:

• Homeowners should find the best spot for mixing and pouring, with room for all the bar accessories.
• Decide if it’s mostly for liquor storage or if they want to provide full service with a sink and refrigerator.
• They can add some glam to the decor with a luxe stone countertop, mirrored backsplash, and good LED lighting.

In addition to spurring designated work-from-home spaces, larger kitchen islands, and more relaxing outdoor living areas, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought back the at-home bar trend in a renaissance of home entertaining.

What started with Zoom cocktail gatherings and mixology events has stirred more homeowners to create an at-home bar.

In its 2021 Houzz Emerging Home Design Trends Report(link is external), Houzz, an online design source, found that searches for home bars and wine cellars both were up nearly four times from the prior year.

“People have been relying on their homes to provide new avenues of activity and entertainment since the beginning of the pandemic,” says Julie Noble, senior communications manager.

The concept isn’t new, however. At-home bars were a centerpiece for entertaining guests in the 1950s and 1960s. A certain cohort may recall the scene in the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” when Mrs. Robinson sat down at her home bar and asked college grad Benjamin what he wanted to drink.

Today, homeowners have adjusted their room designs and decors themselves to bring together the furnishing needed for a bar. Some are as simple as bottles of liquor and wine, along with an ice bucket, glasses, napkins, stirrers, and coasters on a counter or big tray. Others are professionally designed with added features such as shelves, cabinetry, a sink, and a refrigerator or wine cooler.

The interest in home bars also led to the return of stylish bar carts, which can roll into different rooms and outdoors.

Dallas-based architect Eddie Maestri of Studio Maestri(link is external) is among the professionals who have found the at-home bar to be an increasingly popular client request.

“Every single project we have currently involves a bar of some sort,” he says. “We are doing a lot of floating shelving on brass, incorporating mirrors into the back wall, for sure. Whether it has a sink just depends on the space and if the client wants one.”

Maestri, himself, has an at-home bar with a sink and ice maker. He also just completed a project for a client converting a dining room into a bar.

The styling of home bars has also evolved, says real estate salesperson Jennifer Ames Lazarre of Engel & Volkers(link is external) in Chicago.

“They used to be a formula: base cabinets, upper cabinets with glass doors, granite top, sink, and refrigerator,” she says. “Now, they are often more artfully designed with floating shelves, LED lighting in a channel on the underside of the shelf, and beautiful hardware.”

Professionals like Chicago kitchen designer Mick De Giulio of de Giulio Kitchen Design(link is external) agree that the at-home bar is being requested more often. He prefers to call it a beverage center. In addition to the pandemic trend of entertaining at home, De Giulio believes homeowners are also seeking an organized arrangement of living areas in an open plan.

“Beverage centers can include not only traditional barware, ice makers, sinks, and liquor storage but also refrigerated drawers for beverages and wine storage,” he says. “Companies like Sub-Zero have manufactured(link is external) modular wine and refrigeration units in many more sizes and configurations, and now have the ability to mask the fronts with cabinet and furniture-like facades, allowing for bars that don’t look like bars but blend seamlessly into the surroundings.”

And Los Angeles–based designer Lori Gilder of Interior Makeovers Inc.(link is external), who has seen an increased interest in home bars over the last few years, thinks the trend simply is another way homeowners reassessed their living spaces.

“We repurposed and redesigned unused living rooms by transforming them into new areas to entertain family and friends, indoors and outside,” she says. For some clients, Gilder has nestled dry bars into existing nooks, and for others, she set up more elaborate wet bars that included a sink, refrigeration, and display shelving for barware.

People’s “entertaining aesthetic tells a personal story,” Gilder says. To make the areas attractive, she carefully chooses finishes, woods, metals, stones, glass, wall coverings, integrated lighting, and hardware.

Where to put a bar varies according to how homeowners use their homes. Designer Jodi Swartz of KitchenVisions(link is external) in Natick, Mass., has one large installation going into a basement. Typically, she places bars in a kitchen as a beverage center, or outside that room in a butler’s pantry, in an alcove, along the buffet wall of a dining room, or even behind a door in a closet. She tends to include a sink and refrigerator and often a dishwasher. For decoration, she might line a backsplash with tiles, a full splash of quartz, or a mirror, possibly an antique. She rarely uses wallpaper since it can easily get splattered.

Designer Krista Watterworth Alterman of Krista + Home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla(link is external)., considers a custom bar to be a terrific way to use a fun nook or an unused area in a living room. “I like to add a bar to break up a very large space—it adds zones that are perfect for entertaining and connecting,” she says. Other additions include a lot of storage, open shelving, and an ice machine or wine fridge.

The popularity of the at-home bar has also helped designers boost business. Case in point: Renee and Marc Simon, owners of foo-BARS Designs in Ocala, Fla(link is external)., experienced a 100% year-over-year sales increase for their furniture business, which started out making reception desks, then shifted to handcrafted bars. The bars vary in shape and size up to 14 feet. Most use pressure-treated lumber when designed for the outside and pine for bars inside a home; some are stained and others are painted. Others incorporate corrugated metal. And while many clients live in Florida, the couple has worked with homeowners in New York and California.

For now, nobody seems to know whether the home bar will remain an important part of more homeowners’ wish lists or fizzle when the pandemic ends.

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©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Supply chain woes are heating up in the HVAC sector. Heating and cooling servicers say they are facing a record number of backlogged orders. Parts and equipment delays are continuing through these companies’ busiest time of the year. Repair companies are struggling to fix and replace furnaces, boilers, and other heating and cooling equipment in both the residential and commercial sectors, The Wall Street Journal reports.(link is external)

HVAC equipment is the latest category to join a growing list of shortages. Builders have reported major material bottlenecks that are slowing their ability to add more new-home inventory, with other shortages in materials such as windows, garage doors, and paint. Last month, the National Association of Home Builders reported that material costs have risen 21% compared to a year ago.

As for furnace parts, company executives say there has been an increase in demand for buildings’ climate control technology since workers shifted to remote work, intensified by higher incidences of extreme weather. Demand for HVAC equipment has outpaced supply among the largest manufacturers, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Meanwhile, companies are reporting order backlogs that are hitting record levels at times. “It’s very, very disruptive,” Dave Regnery, Trane’s CEO, told The Wall Street Journal. “This is a plant manager’s kind of nightmare.”

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©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Heating bills this winter have left many homeowners in sticker shock. The rising cost of fuel has made heating bills jump by from 5% to 50% this winter—a warning that federal agencies made last fall.

Still, in some regions, heating bills are higher than forecasters anticipated.

Money Magazine spoke to homeowners who reported heating bills double their 2021 levels in Minnesota, while In Wyoming, residents said their heating bills climbed by $100 or more compared to a year ago. Natural gas suppliers in Missouri, Mississippi, and Alabama said they raised prices by 96% this year.

“Natural gas prices have skyrocketed globally,” Megan McFarland, a spokesperson for Pacific Gas & Electric, told an NBC station in California. “We’ve seen a 90% higher cost than last winter. We’re not making any money off this situation.”

The higher utility bills can particularly affect low-income households, who tend to spend three times as much of their income on energy costs compared with the rest of the population, Money Magazine reports, citing Natural Resources Defense Council data. Programs are available to help low-income residents pay their energy bills. Learn more: Benefits.gov

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©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Share these tips with your clients to help them take a deep dive into decluttering and storage for greater efficiency and enjoyment of their abode.

Key Takeaways:

• The first step is to get rid of what’s not needed.
• Homeowners should choose a space accessible for what’s used regularly.
• Storage that’s in sight should fit the decor. Out of sight storage should have visible labels for access.

Having a well-organized house that functions for everyday living takes time to achieve. It requires putting in the time and having the right supplies for storage that allows for a harmonious aesthetic.

Whether it’s holiday decorations, winter clothing, legal documents, or children’s toys, storage that’s out of the way yet easy to access is an important system for the home. This helps owners avoid exhaustive hunts for items and feel more at ease in their space.

“When there’s a home for things, people tend to put them back rather than pile them on the counter, far from where needed, or on the floor,” says Raleigh, N.C., designer Leslie Cohen(link is external).

The goal should be to keep belongings so organized that a room’s contents add to rather than complicate daily living.

When the pandemic hit, and everyone was at home 24/7, even well-organized homeowners needed additional help. “I got calls for turning dining room tables to desks and areas for kids to do homework or Zoom classes,” says Santa Monica, Calif.–based certified professional organizer Cary Prince(link is external).

The good news is that there’s a growing cadre of support—members of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing(link is external), books, YouTube videos, and shows like Netflix’s “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” Piecing together organizational hacks from several sources is worthwhile, and it can all be done in a way that enhances rather than detracts from decor due to an expanding assortment of attractive containers, bins, baskets, and file drawers. Prince has found that attractive storage containers are key.

“Visual clutter is what drives everybody crazy,” she says.

Besides saving time, removing frustration, and creating more usable space, there’s yet another benefit to home organization. Homeowners who decide to sell will find they need less time to ready their homes before listing.

Here are six steps that organization pundits say can help.

1. Declutter.

To get and stay organized, many follow Marie Kondo’s “KonMari” method(link is external) of decluttering a home, which caught fire after she published her first book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her advice is to keep only possessions that spark joy and discard the rest rather than store them. A big part of that advice is to consider how much something is used.

“Do you really need five whisks and 10 spatulas?” asks Prince. “Curate your home like a museum might do by keeping the best and getting rid of the rest.”

Forewarn homeowners that this step takes time because it requires careful sorting of closets, drawers, cabinets, boxes, bins, and file cabinets. Instead of just giving things a heave-ho, homeowners might donate to community groups like the Buy Nothing Project(link is external) or to a local thrift shop. Caution them to call places first. Due to the pandemic, many organizations are over capacity and might be accepting more items at this time, or they may limit the types of goods they accept.

2. Seek help.

Many agents are skilled in organizational advice. However, you may want to refer clients to a specialist, especially if they need a lot of help. Members of NAPO, stagers, designers, and even cabinet manufacturers have creative ideas for storage. For example, a homeowner might want to get rid of an old entertainment unit that looks dated and detracts from a room’s decor, but they need suggestions on how to replace it with modern storage.

Experts know all about finding furnishings that offer dual functions, often with inconspicuous storage, says Houston-based real estate salesperson Maya Peterson of Better.com. These include benches and ottomans, custom sofas with deep drawers underneath, or custom bed platforms with drawers around the frame.

3. Improve available space.

Many homeowners think they need to add square footage to create added storage, but they might not be maximizing what they already have, Cohen says. She advocates for fashioning a better pantry or adding custom storage in a dead corner. These types of makeovers are less costly and time-consuming than building from scratch. One such hack that sparked interest during the pandemic was to construct a home office in an extra closet, says Charlotte, N.C., designer Laura Van Sickle, owner of a Closets by Design(link is external) franchise. In Texas, many make use of floored attic space, termed a “Texas basement,” since most homes there don’t have basements, says Peterson.

Other ways to find space and even make rooms look bigger is to go up, out, and under. Going vertical is smart in many garages, attics, and basements by using pegboards, hooks, and shelves. Homeowners can use a library ladder to reach books and other items high up or add a second rod in a closet, says Prince. A Murphy bed along a wall can turn a guest bedroom into flex space for other uses, says Marco Angelucci, design director at Philadelphia-based Marguerite Rodgers.(link is external)

For homeowners who add horizontal shelves, Van Sickle recommends not extending them more than 14 inches so items don’t get hidden behind other objects.

Homeowners can also carve out new space beneath a staircase or take advantage of existing space under a window seat or bed. Paul Moody, an interior design and home expert with Pro Mover Reviews(link is external), says that under-bed storage is a convenient place to keep bedsheets in flat plastic boxes. But Nashville organizer Cynthia Lindsey-Goodman of Its Arranged(link is external), also a salesperson with Zeitlin Sotheby’s International Realty, warns that storage there tends to collect dust.

Some places should be used with caution, such as hot or cold attics or potentially wet basements. Besides weather, insects and animals may get into storage that’s not been well-sealed, says Lindsey-Goodman. Even clear containers should be labeled, and homeowners are wise to make a list on their computer of what’s where in case they forget or others need access.

4. The benefit of zones.

Organizational experts agree that the best place to store items is near where they’re needed. In some rooms that may mean setting up zones, such as for baking or food prep in a kitchen, says Lindsey-Goodman. Zones can also be set up in spaces like an attic, garage, or basement for what’s not needed as often. Garden tools might go in one area, old paint cans in another, and sports balls in yet a third.

5. Make storage visible and attractive.

While it sounds like a simple rule to follow, many homeowners fail at making storage attractive because they don’t have the right containers, drawers, or cabinets. This can be especially true with clothing. The advantage of a neat, visible system is that it can help homeowners dress faster. For example, Van Sickle likes to roll t-shirts and yoga pants in drawers to grab and go rather than stack them in a pile.

These days, companies like The Container Store, Ikea, and Target make it easy by offering myriad affordable options in rustic, clear plastic, acrylic, wood, and other materials to fit in with decor. Built-ins or freestanding furnishings should suit a room’s style, too. When done well, they can create a handsome backdrop for Zoom calls, says Van Sickle, who favors classic white, gray, and taupe hues. But pops of color can also be stylish such as glossy black shelves against a white wall, says architect Giuroiu Anton, CEO at Architecture Lab(link is external).

Lindsey-Goodman has found that built-ins can add value to a home, but some spaces don’t call for the expense. Generally, she suggests deciding based on how many years a homeowner will stay. If fewer than five years, she suggests portable furniture that can move with them.

Within the cabinets and drawers, design experts recommend internal organizers. “The inside of cabinets has dramatically changed,” says Mitchell Parker, senior editor at Houzz, (link is external)a design and remodeling resource.(link is external) What’s available includes options like inserts and drawer dividers, holders for plates, spices, and cookie sheets, and pull-out waste and recycling baskets.

6. Keep it flexible.

Prince advocates thinking of organization systems like planting and caring for a garden. “Everything planted needs care and watering over time,” she says.

By making systems flexible, it’s easier and less costly to adjust when changes arise. Good examples are shelves that can be moved up and down, using brackets rather than those fixed in place, and pegboards with hooks that are easy to move, Van Sickle says.

A well-organized home can give a house an edge for resale. “Houses may be moving fast, but homes that are decluttered and well taken care of—where people can see the house and not all the stuff—will go faster,” Lindsey-Goodman says.

BONUS: Storage in the Kitchen

Among the toughest rooms to organize is the kitchen because it has so many items often used, and it also doubles as a workspace for many people working from home. Jasper, Ind.,-based MasterBrand Cabinets(link is external), one of the country’s largest manufacturers, and J.T. Norman(link is external), in charge of business development, product design, and innovation at Kitchen Magic in Nazareth, Penn., offer these tips for keeping the room organized and looking its best:

• Drawers rather than doors on base cabinets offer the same amount of storage but with greater accessibility, especially when rollout trays are incorporated.
• Big walk-in pantries have become akin to small general stores with space for canned goods, utensils, pots and pans, small appliances, and sometimes even a sink, says Norman.
• Panel-ready appliance fronts provide a sleek, cohesive look, which can mimic cabinet fronts and blend with cabinetry in adjoining rooms, sometimes part of an open plan layout.
• Floating shelves permit quick access to items and a way to personalize a kitchen. But don’t eliminate all upper cabinets, since they can keep things out of view to help the room look neater.

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©National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission