When we finished our renovation of the back verandah, our intention was to create a bespoke bar, the plumbing for which was installed at the time. Seven years on, we had a window of opportunity around our other projects. We started with a vague idea

and a basic frame.

The framework for the sink section came next and before long, the skeleton was complete.

With a bit of inspiration,

the next step was the bar top. Michael had acquired a couple of magnificent slabs of California redwood and spent many hours sanding them to perfection. We needed to join the two sides and embarked on the nerve-racking task with a newly purchased dowel jig kit.

The timber was too thick to use the jig as designed so we modified our approach with great success.

Our collection of reclaimed fence palings were finally put to use for shelving.

More hours of preparation with the invaluable help of Michael’s new toy.

At this point, our trusty old drop saw gave up the ghost so we added another new toy to the ever growing arsenal.

With shelving installed on the base of the bar, we moved on to the sink fitting.

Some unidentified reclaimed timber we had lying around in the workshop made for the perfect sink bench.

With tiled splash back and plumbing complete, the worktop shelving was added.

A strip of Huon pine to edge the bar top and a few coats of Cabothane later, it was fixed in place without drama.

Now for the cladding. We had collected a few random pieces of timber over the years, starting with the King Billy planks from the old hydro water pipes, complete with marks from the strapping. We always intended them to be a feature on the bar.

A concoction of vinegar and bleach easily rusted some nails to use on the other elements of the cladding.

Our approach of “make it up as we go along” seemed to work well as we added an assortment of timbers, some feature panels and a couple of cigar boxes.

Cupboard curtains complemented the bar fridge as well as the soft furnishings in the room.

Another two coats of Cabothane on the bar top

and the addition of LED lights

and we have another project successfully concluded.