Metal letters spell "wine" on a dark gray wall. They're mounted on a floating wooden shelf next to a small plant with green leaves. This inviting setup adds a charming touch to your home bar area, seamlessly merging elegance with functionality.
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Modern Wet Bar With Floating Shelf

ByLisa
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Not only is it November already but it’s also week five of the One Room Challenge! I am both excited and a little nervous about finishing everything in the next week. Fingers crossed everything goes as planned. If you missed the beginning, the DIY Cable Railing, How I Almost Got Murdered Over Paint, or my MCM Furniture Glow Up, start with those first. As promised, this week I transformed our wet bar by giving it a modern makeover with a floating shelf. Even though this week started off a little rough and involved a saw, nail gun, and a full moon on Halloween, no one got murdered. With only one week left, I don’t think its likely I will get my own episode of Unsolved Mysteries, but we will see 😉

A sleek wet bar with a floating shelf showcases a decorative "wine" sign, a small plant, and a glass container. The bar's granite countertop pairs elegantly with a sink and silver faucet, all set against gray paneled walls that complete this modern oasis.This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my policies.

Before we dive into the how, first we must visit the why. When we first bought our dated 70s house it was a bit frightening all around, but the wet bar was truly a tragedy.  

WET Bar Before A small bar area with a sink, wooden cabinets, and a countertop. Bottles and glassware are arranged on the counter. A framed abstract art piece hangs above the bar. Carpeted flooring is visible.

In case there is any doubt in your mind, those are indeed faux leather countertops. Not kidding. Obviously, those had to go and the folks that built our house were likely on drugs. We replaced the countertop and faucet when we made over the kitchen several years back giving the wet bar a little facelift. When we started this makeover five weeks ago, this is what the bar looked like. A small wet bar nook features dark cabinets, a granite countertop, and a sink. A floating shelf displays liquor bottles alongside a neatly arranged decanter, beneath a wall-mounted sign that reads "wine.

Not terrible but definitely not great either. This was what I like to refer to as the lipstick phase where I make it better than it was but it still hasn’t hit its full potential. The first piece of the design came on a trip to IKEA. I stumbled across these pendent shades on clearance for only $3.99! With no real plan, I bought 3 of them, because I knew I would come up with something.A large yellow IKEA sign showcases a "LUFTMASSA" black oval patterned lamp shade, once priced at $17.99, now just $3.99. These lamp shades rest on a white metal shelf, right beside the floating shelf display. Text at bottom reads "While supplies last".

Modern Wet Bar With Floating Shelf

When the week started off, I was planning to build in a custom wine rack that I shared on Instagram. Let’s just say that didn’t go as planned. Luckily, I realized it wouldn’t work before I spent hours cutting wood. The good news was, I liked my new plan even better. We had some leftover 1x2s from the living room accent wall and that got my wheels turning. 

Five long wooden planks of varying widths lay out on the concrete floor, a perfect start for crafting a rustic floating shelf or perhaps refurbishing an old bar to add a touch of charm. Despite the damp air, their beauty remains unaffected.

Rather than doing vertical slats like the living room or the grid pattern I did in the hallway, I decided to do alternating half vertical slats. To make sure I was happy with the pattern before cutting, I taped it out on the wall. This actually really helped speed up the cutting. 

A small kitchen area features dark wood cabinets and a granite countertop. Blue painter's tape on the wall above the sink hints at a planned design, possibly for a floating shelf. A black pendant light adds charm to the space.

Then of course I had to sand them. Sadly, our seven year old sander had enough and bit the big one right as I turned it on. I had been thinking about getting a new one for a while because the power button was broken so this time sanding was a little more enjoyable with a slightly upgraded version. An orange and black orbital sander sits on a white table, surrounded by various pieces of light-colored wood for a floating shelf project. The sander has a dust collection bag attached. Stones are visible in the background, adding contrast to the workshop scene.

Once all the pieces were cut to size, I knew exactly where they were supposed to go and simply pulled off the tape one one piece at a time and attached them to wall with the nail gun. 

A modern kitchen nook features a granite countertop and sleek faucet set against a beige wall with vertical wooden slats. A floating shelf adds practical elegance above the wet bar, while a wire mesh pendant light illuminates the space. Dark cabinetry provides contrast below the countertop.

The Floating Shelf

We had some extra wood from the fireplace mantle addition and chose to do a floating shelf in the middle of the alternating slats. This was honestly a little bit of an experiment because we attached it straight to the studs with pocket holes. I really wanted a true floating shelf with no visible brackets or wood. 

A workbench with a wooden board clamped to the edge resembles a busy bar countertop. A power drill with a bit is inserted into a blue pocket hole jig, and a metal clamp holds the board steady as if crafting the perfect floating shelf. Tools are scattered on the table in organized chaos. A long wooden board, destined to become a floating shelf, rests on a table in the workshop. Its edge features multiple pocket holes. Tools and supplies, including a drill and containers, are visible amidst the slightly wet background.

Because the wet bar has light granite and I wanted the wood of the floating shelf  to stand out, I painted the wall black 🙂 When in doubt, paint it black! Seriously, Iron Ore just might be my favorite paint color.

A decorative metal sign spelling "wine" sits on a wooden floating shelf against a dark gray wall, bringing a touch of charm to this cozy wet bar. Above it hangs a gold wire pendant light, while a small plant is partly visible on the left side.

To play off the fireplace and add some contrast, I painted wet bar cabinets with the leftover paint from the brick. 

A modern kitchen area featuring a polished granite countertop, stainless steel sink, and shiny faucet. A striped kitchen towel is draped over the sink. Below are white cabinets with metal handles. Two drinking glasses and a metallic shaker sit atop the counter by a wet bar setup.

Since I chose to go dark on the accent wall, I decided to spray paint my pendant light from IKEA to make it stand out a bit more.

A modern pendant light with a gold wire mesh design hangs in front of a dark textured wall, casting subtle illumination over the wet bar. A clear bulb is visible inside the mesh, while below, partial metal letters adorn a floating shelf.

I am honestly shocked with how the wet bar and floating shelf turned out, especially since this plan did not come together until Sunday at the eleventh hour! It feels so grown up, sophisticated and modern now! Top image: A small wooden bar cabinet with a mirror and decorative items. Text reads "Before." Bottom image: A remodeled wet bar area with white cabinets, a floating shelf adorned with the word "wine," and decorative plants. Text reads "After.

Now all I want to do is have happy hour at my bar! Not that I needed an excuse before 😉 I mean there is a reason we haven’t turned this into a closet like so many other homes in our neighborhood. A modern kitchen counter showcases a metal "wine" sign on a floating shelf. Below, the wet bar area features a granite surface with a sink, several glass cups, and a white vase with green branches. The backdrop is a textured dark wall, illuminated by a wire mesh pendant light above.

Since I used mostly items I had leftover, this bar makeover only cost $20 for the new light! Can you believe that?!

A modern wet bar kitchenette with dark walls and a granite countertop features a metal faucet, cocktail shaker, glass decanters, and a green potted plant. A floating shelf showcases elegant decor beneath the wire-frame light fixture, while a towel drapes over the sink edge next to the decorative sign.

I also managed to get a few other items checked off the list like my curtains, (sneak peak on Instagram ) but you are just going to have to wait until the final reveal to see all of that 😉 Join me again next week to see how it all comes together and to make sure no one gets murdered.  

A modern kitchen features a metallic "wine" sign on a wooden floating shelf. Below the sign is a granite countertop with a small wet bar sink and two empty glasses. A potted plant sits on the left, and a textured pendant light hangs above.

Shop the Look

Beer Flight Set | Crystal Decanter | Whiskey Decanter | Cocktail Shaker | Jigger | Towel | Decanter Charms | Rocks Glasses | Cabinet Pulls | Fottery Vases  

If you enjoyed my Modern Wet Bar With Floating Shelf, please share it on Facebook or hover over an image and save to Pinterest! And if you don’t already follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook, I would love for us to be friends!

A stylish floating shelf holds two elegant glass decanters and a lush green succulent in a gray pot. Above, a woven rattan light fixture casts a warm glow against the dark wall, perfect for creating a cozy and modern bar ambiance.

Make sure you sign up here so you don’t miss next weeks big reveal! We are so close to the end now! I will be sharing behind the scenes throughout the week on Instagram and Facebook. 

Don’t forget to stop by the One Room Challenge to check out all the other participants and their progress so far! There are so may talented designers in this group, you will not be disappointed!
Garrison Street Design Studio - Modern Wet Bar With Floating Shelf

This sleek wet bar boasts a floating shelf with a bold metallic "wine" sign. Complete with a sink, cocktail shaker, glasses, and a vase of green leaves, it sits elegantly on a granite countertop against the dark paneled wall.

This post, Modern Wet Bar With Floating Shelf, appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.

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