How to Set Up a Home Bar: A Buying Guide
A pool table gets most of the attention when people plan a game room, but the bar is where the room actually comes together. It's where drinks get poured between games, where people perch to watch a shot, and where the whole space starts to feel less like a spare room and more like a destination. If you're putting one together for the first time, the number of options, full bars, pub tables, stools, themed sets, can be a lot to sort through. Here's how to think about it.
Full Bar or Pub Table? Start With Your Space
The biggest decision is scale. A full home bar, like the Ram Game Room Pub Series Bar, gives you a real back-bar with storage, a footrest rail, and enough counter space to actually set up drinks for a group. At 84 inches, it needs a dedicated wall, so it works best if your game room has the square footage to spare.
If you don't have room for a full bar (or you'd rather start smaller and build up) a pub table does a lot of the same job without needing a wall at all. The Ram Gameroom 30" Round Wood Pub Table is a good example: it stands at counter height, works as a spot to set drinks or food, and doubles as extra seating when you host a crowd. It's also a much easier way to test out whether a home bar setup is something you'll actually use before committing to a bigger piece.
What to Check Before You Buy
Whichever size you go with, a few practical details matter more than they seem to at first:
- Height. Bar-height tables (around 42") pair with bar stools; counter-height (around 36") pairs with counter stools. Mixing the two looks off and makes seating uncomfortable.
- Finish matching. If you already have a pool table, cue rack, or other wood furniture in the room, look for a finish that's close to it. Walnut, cappuccino, and black are the most common options across most product lines, which makes matching easier than you'd think.
- Clearance. Leave at least 30-36 inches behind any stool for someone to comfortably sit down and push back out.
- Storage needs. If you want to actually store bottles and glassware rather than just have a surface to stand at, you need a bar with a back cabinet, not just a table.
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Picking Seating That Holds Up
Stools take more abuse than almost any other piece of game room furniture, so it's worth spending a little more for construction that lasts. A backless stool is the cheapest and most space-efficient option, but for a spot where people are going to sit for an hour watching a game, a backed or swiveling stool is worth the upgrade. The Ram Gameroom Swivel Bar Stool with Arms is a solid middle ground. It swivels, has armrests, and is built from solid wood rather than a lighter composite frame that will wobble over time.
A good rule of thumb: buy stools in sets that match your table's finish, and buy at least one or two more than your table technically seats. Game rooms tend to attract more people than the furniture plan accounts for.
Adding Personality With Themed Sets
Once the basics are sorted, a lot of people like to bring some personality into the space; team colors, a favorite brand, a motorcycle theme, whatever fits the room. Licensed and branded sets are an easy way to do that without having to coordinate separate pieces yourself. The Harley Davidson Pub Table and Stools Set is a good example: the table and matching stools come as a set with the Bar and Shield logo built in, so you get a coordinated look in one purchase instead of hunting for pieces that match.
If you want to browse more broadly before deciding, the Wood Bars collection has the full range of bars and pub tables in one place, sorted by size and finish.
Quick Buying Checklist
- Measure your space, including clearance behind stools
- Decide: full bar with storage, or pub table for flexibility
- Match table height to stool height (bar vs. counter)
- Pick a finish that matches existing game room furniture
- Buy 1-2 extra stools beyond your table's stated seating
A home bar doesn't need to be elaborate to work. Even a single pub table and a couple of solid stools changes how a game room gets used. It gives people a reason to stick around between games instead of just passing through.
