Lifestyles by Estelia…  Raising the Wet Bar – Out of the basement and into the living

Lavish wet bars are becoming the rage.  The share of potential home buyers who say they have a wet bar has grown substantially as home prices increase.  The Wall Street Journal reports that 30% of survey respondents consider it essential or desirable when spending between $250,000 and $499,000, while 42% do when the price hits $500,000 or more. The wet bar has replaced the old fireplace where you gather around.  The popularity of wet bar has waxed and waned over the years.  In the 1950s, era of the 3-martini lunch, liquor cabinets were big. Then basement wet bars (which included a sink for cleaning glasses and adding water to drinks) came into vogue but eventually were poo-pooed by the health conscious. Fast forward to 2014 and we have the new sleek wet bar that bears little resemblance to its forebears.  Many are built using custom cabinetry to blend in with rest of the house.  Proponents of the wet bar say it is the next evolution of the open kitchen.  Now, as high-end cocktails become more popular, people want to create them in the comfort of their own home – at their own well-stocked wet bar.  Cheers!