My Bar Reveal + The Brass Bistro Shelves That Saved Me $1,000

Looking for brass bistro bar shelves without the custom price tag? Today I’m sharing my kitchen bar reveal along with the affordable brass shelves that helped me achieve a high-end, European-inspired look for a fraction of the cost.

Note: Sources and affiliate links for all products mentioned can be found at the bottom of this post.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from renovating this house, it’s that sometimes the design gods know what they’re doing long before we do.

When my family and I moved into this lake cottage five summers ago, I was such a different freakin’ woman (and so was my style)…

Fully expecting myself to lean into the midcentury architecture of this place and stick with my signature light, fresh, and minimalist aesthetic, I never would have guessed this house would end up pulling me in a completely different direction.

But somewhere between my completely irrational insistence on keeping the original brick fireplace in my kitchen exposed (no matter how many freakin’ times I heard, “When are you going to paint that white?”) and spending every weekend seeking refuge in old European home tours on YouTube during what felt like a four-year dark night of the soul, my design style (and honestly myself in general) started having a full-blown identity crisis.

Thank God, around that same time, I noticed some of my favorite designers from my former design identity were embracing warmer palettes and richer layers in their own work. Seeing them move in the same direction made me feel significantly less insane and gave me permission to trust my instincts. Then, when brass bistro shelves started popping up in both modern and traditional homes alike, I knew damn well I was going to find a place to have that moment in my own home.

Time passed, surprise home expenses happened, and my bar dreams were temporarily placed on the back burner. But eventually, I decided on the perfect location for a French bistro moment of my own on this little wall right off the kitchen.

Not only did it present the perfect aesthetic opportunity, but a functional one as well. I had been wanting a self-serve zone where guests could help themselves to a cocktail instead of hovering around my perpetually congested kitchen during the holidays while I frantically try to remember how to make my late Gigi’s giblet gravy (pretending to have everything under control of course).

The only problem? As I took measurements and got quotes, I discovered the custom unlacquered brass shelving systems I loved were going to cost well over $1,500.

I had almost convinced myself to compromise and go with floating wood shelves instead, but the stars aligned one mystical morning while I was scrolling Pinterest. An ad popped up in my feed featuring the most beautiful aged brass bistro shelves, and when I clicked over to the product page, I was delighted to see a price tag closer to $500.

Now don’t get me wrong…that’s still a lot of damn dough. But compared to some of the custom quotes I had received from Etsy makers, it felt like a downright bargain.

While my original plan had been to build custom cabinetry across the lower wall, after calculating costs for cabinet materials and countertops to go on top of them, I ultimately decided the brass bistro shelves would be my splurge and scored this fluted credenza for a fraction of the cost. The piece conceals a small beverage refrigerator within it- allowing the bar area to maintain its old-world feel without an appliance stealing the spotlight.

Please don’t look too closely at all the nailheads in the wall from the previous owners’ artwork, or that will steal the damn spotlight. What can I say? Cedar board and batten is a pain in the a$$ to patch.

Speaking of which, between the ceiling beams and the board and batten, installing the bistro shelves proved trickier than expected. We were forced to offset them slightly, and I even had to remove the top glass shelf to accommodate the ceiling beam. But honestly, I think the asymmetry gives the whole setup a more collected, less cookie-cutter feel (or at least that’s what I tell myself).

In addition to concealing the beverage fridge, I also kept most of the glassware and liquor hidden inside the credenza. While I absolutely wanted a functional bar area, I was after more of a collected Euro moment and less of a college-frat-meets-man-cave situation (much to my husband’s dismay).

Maybe one day I’ll get around to removing all the damn nail holes from the cedar walls (hell…I may even win the lottery and finally build the custom cabinetry and marble countertops I originally envisioned). But for now, I’m pretty darn happy with this budget-friendly take on a European cocktail lounge meets hospitality bar nook.

For your shopping convenience, I had included affiliate links to select pieces from my bar design directly below…

*As an Amazon and and LTK Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  *

Shop My Bar:

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending time with me this week!

I hope today’s post inspired you to follow your creative pings (even if they seemingly make no sense in the moment). You may just surprise yourself!

If you found this post helpful, it would mean so much to this small business of mine if you could “pin it” on Pinterest or share with a friend…

Until next time, keep on designing a life that feels as good as it looks!