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The <Unexpected> Speakeasy: A Hidden Bar in the Living Room
You have toddlers but you want a bar in the living room? We GOT YOU!
One of our favorite surprises in Project Beauty on the Lake is tucked just off the main living room: a small, moody speakeasy-style bar pocket hidden behind an arched opening.
From the living room, you see the pretty part—a romantic mural, sculptural black sideboard, layered lighting and brass shelving.
What you don't see? A fully functioning wet bar tucked around the corner with a mini sink, beverage refrigerator and fully stocked adult bar. Hidden in plain sight. And that was exactly the idea.
Why Put a Bar in the Living Room?
This is a family home with young kids, but it's also a home for adults to entertain, have friends over, and pour a drink after bedtime. Instead of dedicating an entire room to a bar, we turned this small pocket off the living room into its own little destination. Also kids can not see it and it is tucked away!
Project Beauty on the Lake - 3D Render 
Project Beauty on the Lake - 3D Render
The actual working side stays hidden from the main seating area. From the sofa, you don't see a sink, bottles, or a beverage fridge. You see art.
The Arch Changes Everything
We introduced five arches throughout this main-floor renovation, and this one does something special. It makes the bar feel like a tiny room within a room. I used to be a window and door opening style one.
You leave the bright, warm living room and step into something darker, moodier and more intimate—our Quiet Beauty | Deep Breeze concept packed into one little pocket.
Project Beauty on the Lake - Bar Before 
Project Beauty on the Lake - Bar After
Before vs After
Hide the Work. Make the View Beautiful.
This was the most important design decision.
We tucked the sink, beverage refrigerator and practical bar storage onto the wall you can't see from the living room. Then we treated the visible wall almost like an art installation.
The star is Phillip Jeffries Vista wallpaper in Sepia Tones on Manila Hemp. Its hazy landscape creates this romantic, foggy backdrop against the dark walls.
A dimensional black sideboard and Iron Abode Riviera shelving layer in glassware and bar accessories without making the room feel like a traditional built-in bar.
Don't Be Afraid to Go DARK
The living room is intentionally light—Sherwin-Williams Snowbound, creamy upholstery, natural oak and lots of daylight.
So we let this little pocket do the opposite. The dark walls also connect back to the black fireplace, lighting and deeper accents throughout the main floor.
Project Beauty on the Lake 
Project Beauty on the Lake Project Beauty on the Lake
A cohesive home doesn't mean every room needs to look the same. Sometimes the smallest room gets to have the biggest personality.
Steal This Idea: Look for the Forgotten Pocket
You don't necessarily need a basement or dedicated entertaining room to create a home bar.
Look for the space you're not really using—an awkward alcove, closet, pass-through or little pocket beside your living room.
Before assuming you need more square footage, ask:
Could this forgotten space become something FUN?
For this family, the answer was a hidden speakeasy—and this tiny pocket became one of the biggest WOW moments of the renovation.
Speakeasy Sources
Wallpaper: Phillip Jeffries Vista | Sepia Tones on Manila Hemp https://www.phillipjeffries.com/shop/CARD-280/28005
Sideboard: Corin Media Console | Dry Black Oak https://on.ltk.com/+4x2HuZKnHfVn8hgg8U8RLQ
Shelving: Iron Abode Riviera Shelving
Bar Niche Ceiling and other walls: Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore
Living Room Paint: Sherwin-Williams Snowbound
Hidden Bar Tile: Daltile Artefino Jewel Antiqued Brass https://on.ltk.com/+GiZzuGq6c0sZgXnKrp0vKw
See the Full Transformation
The speakeasy is just one piece of Project Beauty on the Lake. See how we transformed this three-generation lake house with five new arches, a reimagined kitchen, curved oak coffee bar and dramatic charcoal back kitchen.
Planning your own Atlanta renovation?
xo, BurJu
