Not every new home built in the Quad Cities area is completed with a finished lower level space

This can be for several reasons like budget, meeting a closing date goal, or simply not knowing yet what is needed from the space. That was the case with this Bettendorf, Iowa home built by Kerkhoff Homes. You may remember this amazing kitchen we featured in a past blog post. Stunning right? So, we were thrilled to hear back from this client soon after they moved in and got settled in the main level. We knew they would have great ideas for the lower level spaces.
Lower level game room and bar with pool table. Design and select materials and surfaces by Village Home Stores for Kerkhoff Homes of the Quad Cities.
“Open concept” layouts are not just for kitchens and great rooms. All entertaining and gathering spaces perform better with an open layout and flow. This lower level includes a private guest room and a dream bathroom space we shared last week. The open spaces include a family room with a large sectional and tv/fireplace area plus a pool table, hand-controlled hockey game, and home bar. This lower level walks out to a firepit and outdoor entertaining space so certain times of the year this entire space indoors and out will be hopping! Let us check out the bar shall we?
Home bar in a Bettendorf Iowa home with Koch Knotty Alder gray cabinetry and Cambria Quartz counters. Design and select materials by Village Home Stores for Kerkhoff Homes of the Quad Cities.
The main bar area includes a full size refrigerator, bar sink and a glass door cabinet for bar ware. Black slate ledger stone is installed from countertop to ceiling and an LED-lighted sign announces that “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere”. We love how the varied depths of the stone tile add texture and interest to the wall when the bar sign is lit up. Press play below to have a look around:

With a bar like this at home, the parties come to you! One of our favorite layers to this bar design is when all the lighting is turned on. The colored lighting of the bar signs, caged pendant lighting, and the back of the bar! How amazing are these surfaces lit up day or night? The polished quartz countertop surfaces help to bounce and reflect the lights in the bar.
Home bar in Bettendorf Iowa with whiskey barrel planks, Cambria Quartz counters, and Galveston pendant lights.
This is a Cambria Quartz countertop surface in the “Charlestown” design. The dark and dramatic charcoal gray surface is just near black but has some subtle gray and white veining on and below the surface. Cambria quartz is made in the USA in Minnesota and installed locally for us in the Quad Cities by an expert team from Blackstone Installation. From quartz slab production to countertop installation, every Cambria purchase invests over 95% of costs back into the U.S. economy. There are so many colors to choose from and this same quartz design can even be installed in a matte finish material for a softer, more leathery look.
Home bar in Bettendorf Iowa with Cambria Quartz counters in the Charlestown design.
Did that glass of whiskey grab your attention? Then you sure are going to love the planks beneath the bar. These are not barn wood planks… they are repurposed Templeton Rye whiskey barrels! Each plank is artfully installed to fill the entire half wall of the bar. LED lighting helps to illuminate amazing storied details like numbers and shadows of straps. Village Home Stores can source planks like these and even wine barrels. Message us today for details.
Close up of Templeton Rye Whiskey barrels used as planks for the back of a home bar in Bettendorf Iowa.
The best way to keep a great visual flow to any open concept space is with a consistent flooring surface throughout. In this Bettendorf Iowa home, we used a Luxury Vinyl Plank floating floor from our Engineered Floors Triumph line. The 7″ x 48″ planks are from the Adventure II series in the “Rain Forest” color. Vinyl plank is the perfect material choice for this lower level application. It is a durable surface that can handle the indoor/outdoor traffic of humans and pets. Luxury Vinyl is also waterproof and installs quick and easy.
Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring in a game room and home bar in Bettendorf Iowa. Adventure II series in Rain Forest color. Flooring by Village Home Stores
The cabinetry for the bar is a great finish compliment to the flooring. The Koch Classic Cabinetry is installed in the “Charleston” door (kind of cool how the door and the Cambria color share a name). The wood of the cabinetry is Knotty Alder in a warm gray “Driftwood” stain. Rustic woods are a great way to add texture and character to a design. Knots and woodgrain details that are unique just like the whiskey barrel planks in this home bar. Ask a cabinetry designer at Village Home Stores about all the rustic wood species we offer.

You know you are in a Quad Cities home when you see some classic QC Mallards memorabilia hanging out by the bar sink. Plenty of storage in an entertaining space like this is so important. The sink wall includes drawers and even a pull out trash cabinet. The front of the bar includes lots of full-height door base cabinet storage. Here you can stash liquor and more barware, but also other items like games and small appliances. The backsplash area between the countertop and the bar-height top includes outlets for appliances like crockpots or blenders and can also be used to plug in a device for a quick charge.
Knotty Alder Koch Cabinets in warm gray Driftwood stain paired with Cambria Quartz in the Charlestown design.
The lighting for the bar was inspired by the ceiling fans we used in other areas of the home. The Galveston series from our Quorum line comes in a ceiling fan style and these caged pendants. Check out how the ceiling heights change but the lighting has been hung at a consistent level. The length of this bar allowed for 4 of these 10 1/2″ wide pendants to be hung in a spaced out and symmetric line.
Home bar in Bettendorf Iowa with Quorum Galveston pendant lighting hung from varied height ceiling.
Wet bars in entertaining spaces don’t have to just be about the drinks you serve there. Having a working sink in a game room or home theater space can be such a great feature. If you need your home bar area to serve many functions for your household, just discuss your needs with a designer from Village Home Stores. Many spaces like this can also serve as crafting or hobby areas.
Bar cabinets and quartz counters in a Bettendorf Iowa home with black slate ledger stone on the wall and LED bar sign.
Across the room from the pool table is a fireplace feature wall with a giant TV and cool fireplace feature. The same black slate ledger stone from behind the bar sink has been installed surrounding the tv and fireplace. Looking for more inspiration for your own home bar? Check out this board on our Pinterest page. Looking for inspiration for your fireplace wall? Check out this ideabook on our Houzz page.
Black slate ledger stone surrounding a lower level fireplace and tv area.
To see more of this home bar space and save ideas to your own ideabooks, head here to our award-winning Houzz page. If you are ready to start your own project with Village Home Stores just reach out. We can help you create a space as unique as you are with quality products and expertly prepared designs. Connect with us by phone at (309) 944-1344 or by completing this short online form. We can’t wait to hear what you are working on and how we can help.



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