Orlando Soria is known for the hit HGTV shows “Build Me Up” and “Unspouse My House,” but lately, he’s focusing his attention on one home feature that plenty of people will want for July Fourth (and beyond) to party away their post-pandemic summer: a home bar.

With homeowners getting more comfortable with inviting friends over, Soria knows that clients will need great spaces to entertain. (This is why he recently teamed up with Maker’s Mark to design two home bars for the winners of the Maker’s Mark Remarkable Home Bar Contest.)

But Soria insists that building a home bar doesn’t have to be done by a pro. Here are his top tips to create your own cocktail-making space, plus what he loves most about the bar setup in his own home.

What tips do you have for nondesigners creating their own bar spaces?

If you’re feeling stuck, commit to a decision to get the ball rolling. For example, find some bar stools you love and just pull the trigger, or choose your wall color based on a color you’ve always wanted in your home.

Many people feel really overwhelmed when starting from scratch, but the process gets way easier once one decision has been made. It provides some style guidance and parameters.

Are there any specific materials or colors that look great in a bar space? Anything to avoid?

A bar, just like any well-designed space, should combine different materials and textures to create an eclectic balance that feels rich. I like to combine natural-tone wood, marble, metallics, pottery, and concrete finishes to bring in as many elements as possible while also keeping the whole vibe neutral and relaxing. After all, the whole point of a bar is to be a place to relax and enjoy a delicious drink.

The trend for years now has been to add brass accents, but I think we’re starting to see a shift of adding more diverse metallics. Matte black, silver, copper can bring more energy and excitement to bar spaces.

I also tend to shy away from using woven surfaces like wicker that may not hold up to regular use and spills, but you can always use a pretty woven tray if you love the look.

When choosing colors, you should pick the ones that speak to you, but be mindful of how they fit into your overall design. As a general rule, painting a whole room red might be a bold move, but if you love that color and want to bring it into your bar, try doing that with accent pieces like some beautiful lacquer coasters, or even a bar cart. Balanced punches of color let your personality show through and keep it from feeling too reserved.

How can you create a bar area if you don’t have the money for a big renovation?

If you’re trying to make an impact on a budget, consider swapping out knobs or hardware on an existing bar cabinet as a way to immediately give the piece new character. Changing faucets or cabinet knobs can completely change the way a piece feels.

You can also do things like stripping and waxing wood bar carts and cabinets to achieve some old-world sophistication.

You also don’t need to outfit your whole bar at once. It’s OK to do things over time and add pieces along the way. One of my favorite things to do is to go to thrift stores and find really gorgeous vintage glassware. If you’re on a budget, you can often find 12 glasses for $10 to $20 and have something that is beautiful and cost-effective. And since you’re essentially upcycling, you’re being smart for the planet.

What tips do you have for accessorizing?

When you’re creating an entertainment space, people often forget to include the things that aren’t strictly practical, but are crucial for bringing your vision to life—things beyond glasses and barware and coasters. Adding a sculpture or some books, or even a box to hide all the ugly stuff that you might need for your bar but that you don’t want people to see, is going to make it feel way more elevated.

For me, bars feel like great places to bring in vintage pieces. Vintage is so important to bar design, because it brings in a sense of history and age and romance. Things you might find in a thrift store or flea market can be used to balance out the brand-new and the fresh and shiny metal elements. I like to combine vintage things with things from other eras and styles. It helps your bar feel relevant and interesting, but with the dignity that can only come with age.

What bar mistakes have you seen?

One I often see is making your bar space feel too theme-y. When designing a home bar, you should definitely be mindful of the fact that you are creating something that is a lived-in space and not a TV or movie set. Going too literal with certain design elements is easy to do in a home bar, whether you’re incorporating recycled bourbon bottles, or adding a bunch of ropes and anchors that create a nautical theme.

My advice is to bring natural elements into the space, such as a nice wood finish, natural stone finish, or even bar tops that are poured concrete to balance out and evoke some of that Kentucky bourbon barrel and limestone aesthetic.

What sort of bar setup do you have at home?

My personal bar area is anchored with a bold black bar cart that’s adorned with beautiful ornate glassware. It’s intended to let the amber hues of the spirits and the reflective qualities of those glasses be the stars.

I wanted to make sure I was setting everything so that they created a vibe and that set a mood that tell the story that I want to be listening to when I’m enjoying a cocktail. When you’re drinking whiskey, there is something ritualistic about it. It’s an olfactory experience of smelling the whiskey before you drink it, it’s about how the bourbon tastes when it hits your lips, it’s how it all comes together and how you feel when you’re drinking it. My bar area re-creates that same warm feeling.

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