This custom mini bar was designed to fit an awkward alcove in a NYC apartment.

Several years ago, Katy, my past design partner and I worked on a project in a NYC apartment that benefited from quite a few custom pieces.  One of those pieces was the mini bar we installed in this awkward niche.

The niche was awkward because it held the access panel to the HVAC system and its filter.  Whatever the space would be used for, it needed to be accessible, functional and useful.

We thought the space was a great location for a bar.  Although our client loved cigars, he was not much of a drinker.  He wasn’t sure he would utilize a bar.

After reminding him of how often he entertained and of the nice bottles of wine he carried home from his regular trips to Paris, he gave us the approval for a tiny wine fridge.

Katy potting a plant with awkward alcove in the background.

We wanted the fridge to be built into cabinetry, so that it would look purposeful and be multifunctional.  We also wanted to install an overhead cabinet for extra storage.

Our solution was to have an overhead cabinet built to blend with cabinets elsewhere in the room, and in order for the HVAC unit to easily be accessed, we enlisted our gifted furniture maker to create a base cabinet on wheels.  He balanced the narrow wine cooler by flanking it with two custom fabricated stainless steel doors.  He purchased two handles from Vinotemp, the wine cooler manufacturer, which gave the pleasing result that repetition and cohesiveness provides.  The countertop was constructed of exotic wood to complement the apartment’s Brazilian cherry wood floors.