A bespoke drinks dresser/cocktail cabinet is becoming extremely popular in the modern home, and there are many reasons why. We have spent a lot of time at our homes in the last few years due to a global pandemic, and we have seen many people investing in their properties to make them a place to enjoy quality time as a family.
Gather your family and friends for a night of entertaining, making cocktails and spending time together in the comfort of your own home, because let’s face it… staying in is the new going out, right?
At Planet Furniture we have designed and built many drinks dressers and cocktail cabinets for our clients across the country. We love adding these unique features to the home, and they are truly bespoke, where they can be hand-painted in the colour of your choice, sized to the room and completed in a style to match your personality and décor.
In this blog, we will show you a varied selection of the bespoke designs we have created in our projects. We are sure there’s one for all!
We love designing these bespoke drink dresser/cocktail cabinets in homes, perfectly matching the client’s personality and style. If a drinks cabinet is on your kitchen’s wish list, contact us today, we would love to hear what you have in mind!
Every kitchen is handmade in our Hertfordshire workshop and installed across Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, London and the wider Home Counties. See more of our bespoke drinks cabinets and home bars, or book an appointment at our Hitchin showroom to start the conversation.
Originally written 05/04/22 updated 16/07/24.
The Short Answer
A bespoke drinks dresser, or cocktail cabinet, is fitted furniture built to store and serve drinks, usually behind bi-fold or pocket doors that close it away when not in use. Inside, the best designs combine an antiqued mirror backdrop, integrated lighting, wine glass holders and solid oak shelving, often with a slim wine cooler and a worktop matched to the kitchen. Because it is made to measure, it can be sized to the room and hand-painted in any colour.
Signature Home Bar
Planet Furniture’s home bar in Tewin. We completed this drinks cabinet with our handleless flat slab design and included large stainless steel handles. The whole unit is hand-painted in All White by Farrow & Ball and is a conversation starter with its bright appearance. This home bar features pocket doors and is met with integrated lighting, a mirrored backdrop, oak wine glass holders, a Caple wine cooler, an internal scalloped wine rack and matching quartz to the main kitchen.
Luxury Drinks Dresser
Located in the dining area, is a drinks dresser framed with scalloped wine racks made from solid wood. Expressing a floor-to-ceiling height and a double bi-fold opening, it’s a stylish bar area for our client and their guests. Upon opening, you will find an antiqued hand-silvered mirror that acts as the backdrop, the glasses are hung on solid wooden racks for convenience and the open-shelving is perfectly proportioned. This is found in our Letchworth project.
Double Luxurious Drinks Dresser
Spanning across the large open-plan space in Hinxworth, this double drinks dresser is something to get excited about. It becomes part of the living furniture where social gatherings can be that extra bit special. Bi-fold doors open up the cabinet and chunky wooden shelves frame the unit. It features a two-tone colour scheme and glass cabinet doors for a luxurious finish.
A Dark and Sultry Cocktail Cabinet
Found amongst the smart, extended project we created in Hitchin; this cocktail cabinet sits behind the handsome doors designed in the In-Frame Cockbead Shaker style. We hand-painted this in Off-Black by Farrow & Ball – a flattering soft black hue, milder in tone and a well-loved classic. When opening up the bi-fold doors you are instantly greeted with a classy design of a grey mirrored backdrop, Carrara quartz, open shelves to display each and every drink, and the favourites, and integrated strip lighting that illuminates the cabinet in both natural light and artificial light. The reason behind the bi-fold doors is it allows the cabinet to become part of the space and shut away when not in use. We can’t forget to mention the Satin Antiqued Lacquered beauties from Armac Martin. Personal, unique and the perfect finishing touch!
Push-to-open Drinks Cabinet
Check out this oh-so-glam modern drinks cabinet that sits down on one side of the kitchen furniture in the Walkern project. The handless style is the perfect choice for a busy family that likes to entertain. Filled with solid wooden shelves, an antiqued mirror backing glass and Black Fusion Satinato Granite, it all looks oh-so-sophisticated in this neat and tidy space.
A Deep Blue Cocktail Bar
Now here’s the perfect place to make cocktails with friends and family. This large cocktail dresser we designed in this Hertfordshire project has so much space, oozes style and becomes its own piece of furniture in the large open-plan handmade kitchen. What better way to make use of space in a new extension? We hand-painted this in Dock Blue by Little Greene – a deep indigo hue that is generous and indulgent in colour. Completing the look, we added an antiqued mirror splashback that gives a timeless appeal, wine glass holders, bespoke wine racks below to store the reds and stock, and a slim Caple wine cooler in the middle to provide our client with the freshest white wines and the odd bottle of champagne.
Living Room Drinks Dresser
We had quite a lot of space to play within the Welwyn Garden City project and we wanted the kitchen and living area to connect stylishly and individually so we designed a bespoke shelving unit and drinks dresser, that is practical yet beautiful. The whole unit fits unobtrusively in this open-plan living room and we hand-painted it in Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball – a chalky white that creates a very versatile shade. The interior is just as beautiful as the exterior – made from solid oak, features strip lighting and the Vanilla Corian worktop. When the doors are closed it blends perfectly with the run of storage cupboards. Below a scalloped oak wine rack is seen hiding in the cupboard hand-built by our skilled craftsmen. What a stylish and fun addition to the room.
An All-in-One Drinks Cabinet with Media Unit
Creating the ultimate feature in the living area of the open-plan space in Lower Stondon, these Lay-On shaker cabinets combine a drinks cabinet and media unit producing an all-in-one. Separated by open shelving and an integrated Caple wine cooler sitting snugly in the base cabinetry, this row of furniture demonstrates a good design. We hand-painted this in Pavilion Gray by Farrow & Ball – a classic mid-grey that adds a contemporary touch and sense of spaciousness. The interior of the drink cabinet is beautifully designed with integrated strip lighting, a hand-silvered antiqued mirror, wine glass holders, solid oak shelves and the Carrara Mist quartz that’s the same as in the kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a drinks dresser?
A drinks dresser is a piece of fitted furniture designed to store and serve drinks, glassware and bar accessories. It can stand as its own piece in an open-plan space or sit within a run of kitchen or living room cabinetry.
What should a bespoke drinks cabinet include?
Popular features include an antiqued or hand-silvered mirror backdrop, integrated strip lighting, wine glass holders, solid oak shelves, scalloped wine racks and a slim wine cooler, finished with a worktop such as quartz or granite to match the kitchen.
Why do drinks cabinets use bi-fold or pocket doors?
Bi-fold and pocket doors let the cabinet open fully and become part of the room when entertaining, then close it away neatly when not in use, so the space stays calm day to day.
Where can a drinks dresser go?
In a dining area, within the kitchen run, in a living room or a new extension. It can also be combined with a media unit, as in our Lower Stondon project, where open shelving and a wine cooler sit between the two.
What colour should a drinks cabinet be?
Any colour, because each one is hand-painted. Our projects include All White and Wimborne White for a light finish, Pavilion Gray for a contemporary mid-grey, Off-Black for a dark and sultry look and Little Greene Dock Blue for a deep indigo.
Does Planet Furniture make bespoke drinks cabinets?
Yes. We have designed and built many drinks dressers and cocktail cabinets, including projects in Tewin, Letchworth, Hinxworth, Hitchin, Walkern, Welwyn Garden City and Lower Stondon, each sized and finished to suit the home.
