Decor is the easy part to buy and the hard part to get right. A garden bar fills up fast with gifts, novelty plaques and souvenirs, and after a year it can look like a car boot sale with a fridge. Fewer, better pieces make a bar feel like somebody's local rather than a theme.
Pick a story
Choose one idea and let it guide everything: a Victorian snug, a seaside shack, a sports den, a cricket pavilion, a 1970s lounge. Decor that serves the story stays; anything else goes in a drawer.
Decor that copes with damp
Garden buildings get cold and damp, especially in winter. Choose decor that tolerates it:
- Metal signs and enamel plates, fixed with rust-resistant screws.
- Painted timber, sealed on all sides.
- Glass and ceramics, such as old bottles, jugs and tankards.
- Outdoor-rated textiles for cushions and curtains.
Bring paper prints, framed photos, books and upholstered pieces indoors for winter, or keep them away from outside walls. See damp and ventilation.
The classic pub touches
- A mirror behind the bar.
- A brass foot rail.
- A board for the bar's name; see garden bar signs.
- Bar towels and drip mats.
- Shelves of glasses and bottles lit from below; see back bar shelving.
- A chalkboard for the night's plans.
Personal touches
The best garden bars are personal. Frame a map of the town you grew up in, a team photo, postcards from holidays or a print of the street. One wall of personal items works better than every wall crowded.
Plants
Plants link the bar to the garden. Use climbers on trellis outside, herbs in pots by the counter and a few hardy plants in containers. Inside, choose plants that tolerate cool, variable conditions or move them indoors in winter.
Lighting is decor
Warm lights, lamps and lit shelves change a room more than any object. See garden bar lighting and festoon lights.
Avoid hazards
- Keep fabrics and paper away from heaters and candles.
- Fix heavy items securely, especially above seating.
- Don't hang anything where tall guests will walk into it.
Edit regularly
Each spring, take everything down, clean it and only put back what still earns its place. The bar will look better and stay cleaner.
Write down the story of your bar in a sentence, then look at every piece of decor and ask if it belongs in that sentence.