The Bar
excerpt from "The Rise of the Lower Level" from Kansas City Homes & Gardens (Jan/Feb 2008)

Photo by James Maidhof

Ron Sobanek, owner of HISCO Design/Build, has seen the lower level emerge as a central entertainment area of the home. “People want it to be a place for pre-teen kids to hang out in or a place for adults to enjoy cocktails and a game on the large-screen television,” he notes. “It’s a room that has something for everyone in the family.”

Ron also says homeowners are cognizant of maintaining the caliber of their lower level to be in sync with the home’s main level. When he started working with Tim Abbott and his partner, Bernardo, on their lower-level redesign, the criteria was upscale for everything from materials to finishes to furnishings. The sleek, gorgeous bar is the centerpiece of this lower level and boasts cherry cabinetry and granite countertops.

“When we moved into this house, the finished lower level had an unattractive, builder-grade oak bar,” Tim recalls. “Since we entertain often, we wanted a bar with a fully equipped kitchen and a subtle European style.” He says Ron fulfilled their vision perfectly, and then some.

Many homeowners coincide a main-level kitchen remodel with a lower-level overhaul and relocate major appliances, which Tim and Bernardo did. “Sometimes the bar area becomes a secondary kitchen for homeowners, allowing them to have extra cooking space for large parties or holidays,” Ron observes.

The bar is one that channels adult flair and appeal, with chic seating, lighting and a plasma television. There are glass shelves with sparkling glassware, illuminated by track lighting. The lower level also features a pool table and dart board, another large-screen television and comfortable seating, but the focal point is the bar, where Tim’s and Bernardo’s guests are just as comfortable sipping martinis or drinking beer and throwing darts.

Ron is designing the couple’s outdoor living space — which includes a kitchen — but Tim anticipates the existing lower-level bar will receive a workout, too, with spillover from parties. “This is a diverse part of our living space, adapting to elegant parties or family dinners,” Tim says.