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Nick + Alicia

Lifestyle

June 12, 2017 | by Alicia

Summer Entertaining + Outdoor Bar | Free Plans

This post was sponsored by Kreg Tool Company and contains affiliate links.
All opinions and thoughts are my own, see our full disclosure policy here.

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

It feels like summer is finally upon us and with all of this beautiful weather and sunshine we’ve been living outdoors as much as possible. Our deck has become an extension of our home, and we just love spending our days outside in the fresh air – from mornings spent sipping coffee while our little one explores her garden to evenings watching the sun set on the horizon – it’s where we are loving to be right now!

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

It’s also where we tend to host family and friends when they come by to visit. So this year, we decided to add a beautiful outdoor bar for summer entertaining. Nick developed this plan, and you can download it for free here.

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

Running back and forth to the kitchen is no longer part of our entertaining routine. Which is so nice, because it really was quite a hassle, especially trying to keep our pets inside and those pesky summer bugs outside. But now we have everything we need right at our fingertips.

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

Before our guests arrive, we simply stock our bar with all of the essentials, including outdoor glasses and dishes, our favorite selection of summer drinks poured into cute bottles and lots of ice! It makes hosting so much easier and enjoyable – I love that it is kind of like a self-serve option where our friends can grab what they want whenever they need it.

Get the Look

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

Nick designed this piece to have a large serving top, so there is lots of space to spread out drinks and appetizers. I like keeping a tray here to corral items like garnishes and over-sized cloth napkins. The shelves underneath make great storage for extra glasses and drinks. And I just love adding a few potted plants and herbs for color, plus they make for a great garnish!

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

It’s finished in a simple white outdoor paint and the shelves are just left natural cedar. We opted not to use pressure treated boards since they contain chemicals and if we’re going to be serving up food and drinks or potting any vegetable plants, we didn’t want anything to get contaminated! Plus, the untreated cedar is beautiful and will age to a weathered gray by next summer!

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

My favorite part is the built-in ice bucket. It’s the perfect way to keep drinks cold and a great spot to keep a few cool treats for the kids (even the pup thinks she needs a cold one)!

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

While Nick was planning the design of this beautiful piece, he wanted to make sure it served multiple purposes because let’s be honest – we don’t host summer parties every weekend. 😉

Summer entertaining is easy with this beautiful DIY outdoor bar + free plans.

So with that in mind, he created a piece of outdoor furniture that can be used while entertaining but is amazing as a potting bench while gardening early in the spring and using the planter as a place to store your potting soil. It can also be used BBQ prep station when you need a little extra space, and you can use the planter on the side to plant fresh herbs for easy access while cooking! I love how functional this piece, not to mention the simple design is perfect for any backyard or patio.

You can get the free plans for our multi-purpose piece at buildsomething.com. While you’re there, you’ll find plenty of other great DIY ideas to keep you busy this summer. Happy building!

Alicia xo

 

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Comments

  1. Dianne Gingrich says

    June 12, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    What a beautiful piece for outdoor entertaing!

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      June 12, 2017 at 3:15 pm

      Thank you, Dianne! It definitely makes a great addition to our backyard! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Nicole says

    June 13, 2017 at 7:39 am

    Love all the pieces you used on the table! Would you mind sourcing them!! I’m totally copying! ? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      June 19, 2017 at 10:58 am

      Hi, Nicole, I would be happy to share the sources…I will post them soon! Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Julie Merusi says

    June 17, 2017 at 7:35 am

    What are the over all dimensions on this piece?

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      June 19, 2017 at 11:02 am

      Hi Julie, the overall dimensions for the outdoor bar are 74″ wide including the side planter (60″ without) x 16.5 deep x 35.5 high. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Laura says

    June 20, 2017 at 10:17 pm

    Your dog looks exactly like my dog, down to the different shades of his coat. Weird. I was wondering for a brief moment how my dog ended up in your picture! Oh, we have the same problem keeping him in the house too! 😉

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      June 23, 2017 at 3:13 pm

      Haha! Oh my, Laura! Maybe they are long-lost twins! 😉

      Reply
  5. Karla Holley | Small Town Rambler says

    June 26, 2017 at 10:21 pm

    Wow! I love this! My mom would love to have something like this for her back patio and I think I’m going to give it a try!

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      June 30, 2017 at 11:35 am

      We would love to see photos if you build one of your own, Karla! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Ashlee says

    April 22, 2018 at 8:07 am

    Is this sturdy enough to keep out all the time without it tipping over? I’m planning on putting on my deck but didn’t know if I need to bolt it down.

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      April 23, 2018 at 10:15 am

      Hi Ashlee, we left ours out all summer on our deck and had no problems at all. But if you are worried about it, it wouldn’t hurt to bolt it down, then you know it’s really sturdy! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Pasqualina Jenkins says

    May 3, 2019 at 10:09 am

    Hello, did you make the bar cart or buy it?

    Reply
    • Nick says

      May 7, 2019 at 1:47 pm

      Hello Pasqualina, we built this bar cart and you can find the plans to build it by following the link at the end of the post!

      Reply

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