Home Bars
Bespoke Cocktail Cabinets
A cocktail cabinet does its best work closed. Open the doors and it becomes a small, fully equipped bar; close them and the room returns to looking like a living room.
Cocktail Cabinets, designed around the room
The appeal of a cocktail cabinet is the moment of opening it. Doors that fold back, drop down or slide away to reveal a mixing surface, bottle storage and glassware turn a plain piece of furniture into something with a bit of theatre, and then close again to leave nothing on show. We design that mechanism and the interior together, since one only works if the other is planned properly.
Inside, space is tight compared with a full drinks cabinet, so every inch has to earn its place. A mixing surface is usually the first priority — often a fold-down or fixed shelf finished in a material that will not mark under a wet shaker or a squeezed lime. Around it, we fit racking for the bottles used most often, a spot for the tools of the trade, and glass storage sized to whatever glasses you actually use for cocktails rather than a full dinner service of stemware.
Ice is the practical detail people forget until the cabinet is built. A simple lined ice bucket or tray works for most households; where more is wanted, a small ice-making unit can be considered, though this depends on power and drainage being available at the cabinet's location, which we check before committing to the idea.
Because the cabinet is closed most of the time, the exterior can be treated as a genuine piece of furniture rather than something that has to announce what it is. Lighting fitted inside, triggered when the doors open, adds to the effect without needing to be visible when closed. The black-and-brass piece shown here demonstrates the approach well — a settled, quiet exterior with a fully working bar inside.
We build these as either a standalone cabinet or as part of a larger run of furniture, and can size the interior around a specific style of drink-making if that matters to you, from classic cocktails to simple spirit-and-mixer serving.
What can be included
01
Fold-down or hinged mixing surface
A dedicated surface for building drinks, finished to resist knocks, spills and citrus juice.
02
Tool storage
A fitted spot for shakers, strainers, jiggers and other bar tools, kept together and out of sight when closed.
03
Ice provision
A lined ice bucket or tray as standard, with a small ice-making unit possible where power and drainage allow.
04
Glass storage sized to use
Racking or shelving for the specific glasses used for cocktails, rather than general dinner glassware.
05
Bottle racking for regular spirits
Compact racking for the bottles used most often, positioned within easy reach of the mixing surface.
06
Doors that reveal a working bar
Folding, drop-down or sliding doors engineered to open smoothly and support the fittings behind them.
07
Interior lighting on opening
Lighting that activates when the cabinet is opened, adding presence to the interior without showing when closed.
08
Quiet exterior finish
A closed exterior treated as ordinary furniture, so the cabinet does not announce its function when shut.
09
Compact footprint
Sized to fit within a single alcove, wall gap or run of existing cabinetry, rather than needing a dedicated room.
From our work
Every commission begins with a conversation about the room, how it is used and what needs to be stored or shown.
Built for the architecture you already have
- Available wall or alcove width
- The cabinet is set out to fit a specific space, whether that is a single alcove, a gap between doorways, or a section of a longer run.
- Door swing and clearance
- Opening mechanisms are checked against nearby furniture and door swings so the cabinet can be opened fully without obstruction.
- Position relative to seating
- Placed within easy reach of where people gather, so drinks can be made without a long walk across the room.
- Power for lighting and ice
- Sockets are surveyed and positioned before manufacture if lighting or an ice-making unit is wanted inside.
- Existing room finishes
- Exterior finish, handles and proportions are matched to the room so the closed cabinet sits comfortably among existing furniture.
Materials & finishes
Specifications are developed with you during the design stage and sampled before anything is built. Not every option suits every commission, and we will say so where a material is the wrong choice for the room or the use.
Oak and walnut veneers
For the exterior carcass, matched for grain and left as a quiet piece of furniture when closed.
Hand-painted timber
A sprayed and finished exterior in a colour taken from the rest of the room.
Stone or resin mixing surface
A durable interior surface that resists staining from citrus and spirits.
Mirrored interior panels
To add depth and reflect interior lighting when the cabinet is opened.
Brushed brass and blackened steel
Handles, hinges and interior trim detailing.
Integrated LED lighting
Fitted to activate on opening, positioned to light the interior rather than glare outward.
Lined ice storage
An insulated, lined compartment for an ice bucket or tray.
Designed and built bespoke
We work out the opening mechanism and interior layout together at design stage, since the two depend on each other. The cabinet is built and fitted with its hardware in our Derbyshire workshop, then installed and adjusted on site so the doors open and close smoothly against the finished room.
Read our full processCocktail Cabinets — your questions answered
- How is a cocktail cabinet different from a drinks cabinet?
- A cocktail cabinet is built specifically around the moment of opening — doors that fold back or slide away to reveal a compact working bar, then close to leave a quiet piece of furniture. A drinks cabinet is typically more open, with bottles and glassware on permanent display. Our drinks cabinets page covers that alternative in more detail.
- What opening mechanisms do you offer?
- Folding doors, drop-down fronts and sliding panels are all possible, chosen according to the space available and how much clearance there is for the doors to swing or slide when opened. We will recommend the mechanism that suits your room and cabinet size.
- Can you include an ice maker in the cabinet?
- It is possible where power and drainage are available at the cabinet's location. Where they are not, a simple lined ice bucket or tray works well and needs no services at all. We assess this during the survey rather than assuming it will fit.
- How much space does a cocktail cabinet need?
- It is designed as a compact piece, typically fitting within a single alcove or a modest section of wall, considerably smaller than a full home bar. Exact dimensions depend on how much you want to fit inside.
- Can the cabinet be built to match existing furniture?
- Yes, the exterior can be finished to match existing joinery or furniture using a sample or the piece itself as reference, though an exact match to factory-finished furniture cannot always be guaranteed.
- What glassware storage is included?
- We size racking and shelving to the specific glasses you use for cocktails, rather than general dinner glassware, so coupes, rocks glasses or highballs each have a fitted spot rather than sharing a generic shelf.
- Is lighting included inside the cabinet?
- Lighting can be fitted to activate automatically when the doors open, adding presence to the interior. It stays hidden when the cabinet is closed, so the exterior gives nothing away.
- Can the cabinet be built into a run of existing cabinetry?
- Yes, a cocktail cabinet can be built as a standalone piece or as one section within a longer run of cabinetry, matched to the rest of the run in finish and proportion.
- How many bottles can be stored inside?
- Space is limited compared with a full drinks cabinet, so we typically plan for the spirits used most regularly rather than a large collection. If you keep a larger range of bottles, a drinks cabinet or full home bar may suit better.
- Will the doors need adjusting over time?
- Hinges and mechanisms are set up during installation to open and close smoothly, and like any well-used furniture may need occasional adjustment after some years of use, which we can advise on if needed.
- Can you build a cocktail cabinet for a small flat or apartment?
- Yes, its compact footprint makes it well suited to smaller rooms where a full home bar would not fit. We can also work with restricted access for delivery and installation where relevant.
- Do you offer a full home bar as well as a cocktail cabinet?
- Yes, for households wanting a larger, more permanent bar area with seating and a proper counter, our home bars page covers that scale of project in more detail.
- What areas do you cover for cocktail cabinets?
- We design, build and install from our workshop in Coton in the Elms, Swadlincote, covering Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and the surrounding Midlands.
- How long does a cocktail cabinet commission take?
- Design typically takes a few weeks, with manufacture and fitting following once the specification is agreed. We set out a written programme once the design is confirmed.
- What does a bespoke cocktail cabinet cost?
- Costs depend on the opening mechanism, materials, finishes, hardware and any lighting or ice provision included, so we quote only after seeing the room and discussing what you want inside. Contact us through the contact page to arrange a discussion.
- Can existing furniture be converted into a cocktail cabinet?
- Occasionally, where the piece has enough depth and structural soundness to take a new interior and mechanism. In most cases a purpose-built cabinet gives a better result, and we will advise honestly on which route suits the furniture in question.
Related bespoke services
Home Bars
Bottle display, glassware, refrigeration and lighting in one properly detailed piece.
Drinks Cabinets
A dedicated drinks cabinet, built around your bottles, glassware and the way you actually pour.
Sideboards
A freestanding or fitted sideboard built to the wall it will stand against, not a standard showroom width.
Bespoke Cabinetry
Alcoves, boot rooms, utilities, panelling and everything that does not fit a category.
Wine Rooms & Cellars
Racking, glazing and climate coordination for a collection that is stored properly.
Wine Display Cabinets
Cabinetry built to show a collection off, with glazing, lighting and shelving designed around the bottles themselves.
Areas we work in
Everything is designed and built at our Derbyshire workshop and installed by our own team across the Midlands, including Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield, Birmingham, Burton upon Trent, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, Leicestershire.
Areas we coverSpeak to us about your project on 07542 822456 or send us the details.
Planning Something Bespoke?
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