Category Archives: Home Bars

Premier Custom Homes- Fall Parade of Homes 2016

We love that twice a year we get to attend the Q.C.B.R. Parade of homes. Every Spring and Fall you have the chance to tour beautiful new homes built right here in the Quad Cities. Having our products in these homes is an honor. We wanted to share with you this beautiful home from the 2016 Fall Parade built by Premier Custom Homes in Bettendorf, IA. “White” painted Maple cabinets from our Koch Classic line are paired with “Chilkoot” Engineered Quartz counters. The kitchen island has been painted with Koch’s new “Taupe” paint. This warm choice offers a subtle two-tone option to the kitchen space without forcing a bold dark cabinet or stain as a contrast. The finished look: bright and inviting.

Beautiful painted white kitchen in a new home built by Premier Custom Homes in Bettendorf, IA. Design and materials from Village Home Stores. | VillageHomeStores.com

Photo courtesy of Premier Custom Homes , Bettendorf, IA

Tucked away in a raised area just off of the kitchen is a versatile workstation area. Within sight of the great room, this desk keeps any desk clutter hidden from view. What a great feature for busy families! Imagine someone seated at this homework station while you finish up dinner prep. Or perhaps you work from home and want a work option close to the kitchen to keep an eye on projects during the day? When entertaining, this area could be set up as a beverage station. There are so many options.

Kichler “Basford” pendant light.

Two appropriately sized pendant lights hang above the island. Premier Homes and the lighting team at Village Home Stores took one step further and selected lighting that adds character and texture to the space. Kichler Lighting’s “Basford” pendant mixes clean lines and transitional styles with rustic details. Distressed antique weathered wood frames in the fixture and adds a unique look. These pendant lights add so much personality to the kitchen. It is now easy to picture the opposite end of this Great Room to be furnished with on-trend Rustic Transitional details just like the lights. Same is the case in the Lower Level Bar:

Lower Level Bar in "Stone" stain in a new home built by Premier Custom Homes in Bettendorf, IA. Design and materials from Village Home Stores. | VillageHomeStores.com

Photo courtesy of Premier Custom Homes , Bettendorf, IA

Koch Express cabinets in the “Camden” door and Birch “Stone” stain installed wall-to-wall for a Lower Level Bar area. A sink in the center and space to accommodate a beverage cooler or dishwasher next to it. An open shelf with a lower drawer has been included with a space for a microwave to help keep the countertop clear for entertaining. Including floating shelves in your bar design helps to give you a unique way to display glassware or decorative items. It is easy to picture this wet bar ready to serve a crowd in this home. Get more inspiration for your bar area from this ideabook we have curated on Houzz.com.

Gray stained vanity in a new home built by Premier Custom Homes in Bettendorf, IA. Design and materials from Village Home Stores. | VillageHomeStores.com

Photo courtesy of Premier Custom Homes , Bettendorf, IA

The same Birch “Stone” stain is repeated in the bathroom cabinetry of the home. We love how this warm gray stain allows the woodgrain to show through. Faux granite cultured marble vanity tops by the Onyx Collection give an upscale look and come in a wide variety of colors and bowl styles. The Lower Level bathroom (shown above) is Onyx Collections’ new “Tiramisu” color and the “Wave” bowl style.

Kitchen in Bettendorf, IA home built by Premier Custom Homes. | VillageHomeStores.com

Photo courtesy of Premier Custom Homes , Bettendorf, IA

We are so thrilled to have provided design and materials for this Q.C.B.R. Fall Parade of Homes project built by Premier Custom Homes. To learn more about Premier Custom Homes visit their website here. They are also very active on social media. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to see what they are working on. If you are planning on building a home but don’t know where to start, contact us today! We offer cabinetry, lighting, appliances, floorcovering, and even blinds and shades all in one location. This helps to make the designing and selecting process of building a home easy and fun. Call us at (309) 944-1344 or contact us by completing this online form and someone from our New Construction team will reach out. We can’t wait to hear about your dream home.

Product Profile: Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Village Home Stores has searched high and wide for a concrete countertop source that aligns with the quality you have come to expect from our store since 1984. We are so lucky to have such an innovative new option local to us made right here in the Quad Cities Region! Garrett Concepts in Davenport, IA has teamed up with Village Home Stores to offer their unique and innovative Ultra-High Performance Concrete to our customers and the possibilities are limitless.

Concrete counters have been a sought-after look for many years and are often associated with strictly Modern or Contemporary spaces… not anymore! With the continued rise in popularity of a more Transitional consumer taste and the love of the rustic, concrete now can span many styles. Available in four textures and countless color options, this is a superior product customized just for you and your home.

This Ultra-High Performance product is made dense and durable. So much so that you can install the same product indoors and outdoors even in our extreme Midwest climate. How durable? The dense molecular makeup of this Ultra-High Performance Concrete is gained by using a material that is a molecular rhombus instead of a cube found in traditional concrete. This results in smaller pores and gets you greater impact resistance, impermeability, corrosive resistance, even freeze/thaw resistance. That means that something like this custom concrete fire table in Geneseo, IL can be outdoors year-round:

The acrylic topical sealant applied to the concrete is incredible and also UV Stable eliminating sun-fading. Once sealed, this product is also VOC compliant and foodsafe. This sealer is heat resistant up to 400 degrees and provides superior stain protection. Your concrete will look great and last for generations to come. You are in no way limited to the standard concrete gray color you have come to associate with the word either. So many colors are available and even custom colors can be mixed specifically for your project.

This wetbar concrete top was recently installed in a LeClaire, IA home. We think the finished space looks perfect and concrete was a unique and durable choice for this project. How lucky are we that this product is manufactured locally in the Quad Cities. That helps us know that specifying and installing this Ultra-High Performance Concrete for our projects helps support our local communities and allows for quick attention and service for our customers. Ultra-High Perfromance Concrete is environmentally friendly as well because of the reduction of “portland cement” used. Portland cement is a major cause in environmental damage due to habitat scarring and carbon emissions created when making it. The reduced amount of this type of cement in this special blend give you a great product without creating negative impacts on our community.

Keep in mind you are not just limited to using this product for countertops. Imagine the other possibilities for this material! Bathroom vanity tops and even groutless shower surrounds and wall panels can make your space look great and give you amazing benefits once installed. This maintenance free product is perfect for areas like outdoor kitchens or even fireplace surrounds. Your concrete is custom made so that also means you can add great elements like integrated sinks, custom inlays, even dish strainer channels. Check out this A.D.A. compliant ramp sink over on Houzz. What a unique and functional statement piece!

This custom fire table feature that was built with Ultra-High Performance Concrete is a perfect example of how this unique product paired with the creative team at Garrett Concepts gets you awesome results. The ability to build a statement furniture piece customized exactly for your size and space is so incredible! You can’t walk into a big-box store and grab an end result like this. This table is roughly the size of a conference table and it is easy to picture a large group of friends and family laughing and sharing stories around it.

Ultra-High Performance Concrete starts at just $49 a sq. ft. installed and with the team at Garrett Concepts and your designer from Village Home Stores, your dream countertop or custom furniture piece can easily become a reality! If concrete is something you have been wanting for years or if it has recently grabbed your attention, we want to hear from you. Contact a designer at Village Home Stores today so we can answer you questions and quote you a price on this excellent new product. We first met up with the Garrett team because of the awesome stuff they were doing on social media. Be sure to check out their portfolio and follow Garrett Concepts on social media to see what incredible new and unique projects they are working on.

Bettendorf, IA: Rustic Beech Lower Level Wet Bar

Home is not just where your hang your own hat. Your home is a place for entertaining guests. Don’t miss out on opportunities to make an impression on those guests in the areas you know they will visit. When you entertain large groups, two areas are always guaranteed a visit: the bar and the guest bathrooms. We wanted to show you around a wet bar located in the lower level of a Bettendorf, IA home built by Kerkhoff Homes. This wet bar is a great example of how just a few basic design details can step up a space to become functional AND memorable.

Sometimes the last spaces designed in your home can become the most visited once they are complete. Building a new home or taking on an extensive remodel can leave you exhausted when it comes to making decisions. By the time you are finished making selections for the kitchen and main bathrooms you can easily run out of opinions. Your expert team at Village Home Stores is here to make sure every space in your project has that designer touch. A great wet bar design doesn’t have to break your budget or strain your decision-making patience. Give your space just a few distinct features and then sit back and enjoy it!

The easiest way to complete the look of any wet bar is to include matching wood paneling. This gives the bar a more solid look. Imagine if the wall underneath the wooden bar top was just painted the same color as the walls. This same bar would look half the size. Including wood panels in this design helps to anchor the outside of the built-in bar space and makes a firms statement that there is not just a back bar but as front bar as well. This paneled look was acheived with a smooth panel, finished flat stock pieces, and furniture base molding.

The wet bar includes a refrigerator recessed into the joining wall of the U-shaped space. Creating a customized recessed area here allows for a standard-depth refrigerator model to be selected. A customized look is achieved using standard materials. Counter-depth refrigerator models do typically cost more than standard models. The difference in storage space within is just as important to note. This same space could accommodate a counter depth model with just 20 cu. ft. of storage. Instead, a standard Whirlpool side by side with 25 cu. ft. of storage rests in its designated area. Recessing the refrigerator also helped the back bar get a great look.

A more symmetrical layout was achieved by centering a sink base on the back wall and framing in the space with two glass-front wall cabinets. A mosaic tile has been installed below the wall cabinetry and spreads into the center section. In place of a valance or a center cabinet, the crown molding stretches across the top from wall to wall. This gives the perfect way to “cap” off the tile. Deciding how or where to end a backsplash tile installation can often be difficult above sinks. There are commonly unique cabinets or a windows above the sink and that can create odd exposed areas of wall. We love the look of this filled in space. This area is now perfect for hanging a large wall clock, mirror, or framed artwork.

The base cabinetry of the back bar includes a space for a microwave drawer and pull-out trash bin. The cabinets used in this wet bar design are a Rustic Beech wood finished in a “Mocha” stain from our Koch Classic line. Rustic Beech is an economically priced wood species and takes stain similar to a Birch wood. The rustic features (like knots) add character and detail to the space. The rich “Mocha” stain paired with Oil-Rubbed Bronze hardware and faucet help make this “rustic” wood look high-end and dramatic.

The wall cabinets on each end of the back bar have been ordered with the center panel cut for glass. A textured glass has been custom fit and sealed into place to allow the cabinets to become display areas. Textured glass is a great selection for this type of display cabinet. It allows you to see that items are being stored within but it can be difficult to make out what the items are. That way if you have a stack of paper plates behind the glass, it looks no different than if it were a vase or a bowl. A detail that looks great but can be forgiving in a multi-purpose space like a wet bar.

Because of their location, many times wet bars are home to a lot of “overflow” bulk items or seasonal items. Use this opportunity to include as much storage as possible. The important thing is to have a great space to join your guests when entertaining. The bar top itself should be large and well lit.

Our lighting expert selected these three “Kent” pendant lights by Artcraft Lighting to hang above the bar top area. The Oil-Rubbed Bronze finish paired perfectly with the other selections. The light that comes from these pendants isn’t just impressive on the bar top. Take a look at the display of light that the “hammered” glass casts on the ceiling above. Selecting the right lighting for a wet bar design can truly set the tone for the entire space.

The pendants are the perfect size and scale. The added textured detail to the glass gives a playful showcase of light. Details like these help take a basic space and make it breathtaking. See the full album of photos from this Bettendorf, IA bar here on our Houzz.com page. Do want to make sure that all of the areas of your new home or remodeled space look perfect? Every detail considered as important as the one before it. Let us help build a team of experts to start the conversation with you about your project. We will be with you guiding you every step of the process. Take the first step by contacting us for an appointment. Call us at (309) 944-1344 or click here to complete the online form. We can’t wait to hear what you are working on.

Geneseo, IL- Basement Bar

We don’t just create amazing kitchen and bathroom designs at Village Home Stores. There are many other types of spaces in your home that a custom design might be needed for. The home bar is a fantastic example of one of these spaces. Sometimes you really do want to go where everybody knows your name. If you are lucky enough to have a bar this amazing in your own basement…. you had better believe a LOT of folks will want to know your name! Grab a drink and let’s take a look around.

This Geneseo, IL basement bar remodel brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “nah. I think I’ll just have some friends over and watch the game here”. Why would you ever have to go out when you have this at home? Truth is… you rarely even see real taverns with as beautiful of a custom bar anymore. The barkeep here happens to be a bit of a Georgia Bulldogs fan but with a little bit of imagination you can picture it done up with your own team’s swag. Custom Rustic Cherry cabinetry has been distressed and a “Mocha” stain with “Black” accent glaze has been applied. The “Seneca” raised-panel doorstyle was used on the bar cabinetry. This raised-panel look is perfect for a Traditional styled bar created with the Koch Classic cabinetry.

The main cabinets included in this home bar are only visible to the bartender himself. The most important view of this space is as a guest. The bar can comfortably seat 6 at the bar-height top and two more at the counter height top (shown above). behind those barstools are custom wainscot panels that perfectly compliment the cabinetry on the interior and back bar of the space.

Shown in the image above, these wainscot panels are divided up with fluted column details and decorative wood corbel supports. As we share time and time again on this blog, details always make the design. Details you can see and appreciate plus details you can use and appreciate. Having a bar rail on the lower section of this bar helps make it really look complete. Including a bar rail on your project looks great and is so fantastic as a seated guest! Having a place to rest your feet when sitting at that height for extended amounts of time is important in making visitors feel comfortable.

Traditional polished brass bar rail is still available but and updated look is created here by using a Stainless Steel bar rail system. Another detail that most female guests can appreciate are the purse hooks that were added just below the countertop overhang.

These hooks are very necessary in public establishments as a way to keep your handbag within reach and away from sticky floors. This home bar is very well kept so sticky floors are not a problem. Instead,the purse hooks are a thoughtful detail. Lets take a look at the back bar area that bar patrons can see. The wall has been fit with open shelves for bar accessories and memorabilia plus glass shelves for bottles and glassware. A 15″ wide built-in ice maker from KitchenAid provides uniform 3/4″ x 3/4″ x 1/2″ sized cubes. What looks like a tall pantry cabinet to the left of the ice maker is actually access to the real “back of the house”. Press play below to see this walk-through pantry front that is an entrance to the storage area of the lower level.

As you turn the corner, a 27″ wide built-in combination microwave and wall oven has been included in the design. With a lot of guests you will need to feed them. This microwave and oven are perfect for helping with that task. Directly across from the oven on the counter-height bar is a small 2-burner electric cooktop perfect for prepping food and serving guests. This smooth cooktop takes up a small amount of space but adds a lot of function to this area of the home bar. The countertops installed on the bar are a granite named “Saturnia”. In place of a polished look to the stone, a “brushed” finish has been used. This creates a more matte look and enhances the texture and patterns of the stone. Of course with all the food and drinks getting served at this bar you will need a bar sink. A single well Stainless Steel undermount sink is fit with a faucet and pullout sprayer. A garbage disposal button has been included to the left of the faucet. A tilt-out tray on the false drawer below the sink keeps sponges and dishrags out of sight when not in use. Of course cleaning up after entertaining is always made easier with a dishwasher. This 24″ KitchenAid is so quiet you could even have it running while entertaining. A mirrored back wall and glass shelves make for an impressive display for memorabilia and bottles. Glassware can also look great in this application. A colorful light system was installed behind the glass shelves to illuminate the wall in the evening. Adding mirror is a great way to open up any space. A glass-front beverage cooler is accessed near the cooktop area below the lower counter height top. This cooler from KitchenAid can be used as a built-in (shown here in our design) or freestanding. The same is true of the 15″ ice maker.There is an impressive amount of space behind the bar. Great storage including sliding shelves, pullout trash bins, and drawers for tools and towels. For a large crowd there is even extra seating on the interior of the bar. All this seating plus pool, shuffleboard, a game table, and a walk-out to the backyard fire pit. Why would you ever need to go anyplace else but home? Another great element are the fluted columns that stretch from the bartop to the tray ceiling.

This same fluting detail can be found dividing the wainscot panels on the back of the bar. The carved wood corbel supports and fluted details are enhanced with the accent glaze that has been layered over the stain. This rich cherry wood, gorgeous granite tops, and all of the design details create a home bar that outshines many of the public spaces opening up nowadays. We really love helping our customers make the most of their experiences at home. We love helping provide the perfect setting and creating spaces that bring people together. Cheers to these clients for welcoming us in to show you around this unforgettable home bar. Looking for other great ideas for your home bar? Be sure to check out our ideabook on Houzz and our board on Pinterest for inspiration. Plus see the full album of photos from this home bar here on our Houzz page. We also want to raise a glass to Evergreen Custom Homes who installed this design and did a fantastic job. Are you ready to start the conversation about your own home bar design? Contact us today for an appointment. You can call us at (309) 944-1344 or reach out on our website and one of our designers will be in touch to start the process.