Shea McGee's minimalist home bar offers a refreshingly simple solution for clutter-free storage
The celebrity interior designer makes the home bar an ultra-organized space


Post-pandemic, more and more people have built home bars into their houses. This light-hearted interior design trend is a fun way to elevate home entertainment and create an innovative space for socialization, and it can be oh-so-easy.
Celebrated interior designer Shea McGee took to Instagram to share photos of her living room, revealing an understated, concealed bar. Shea's home shows that using a cabinet or sideboard as a home bar can reduce clutter while offering the same benefits as a larger, bolder home bar.
Unsurprisingly, experts love the construction of Shea's arrangement. Soledad Alzaga, a San-Francisco-based interior designer, says: 'Using a home bar with a closed cabinet has several benefits. It provides a neat and organized storage solution for liquor, glassware, and bar tools, keeping a clutter-free space.' This is especially helpful if you have a small home bar.
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San Francisco-based Interior designer Soledad Alzaga has worked on design projects in San Francisco, Sonoma, Atherton, New York, Martha's Vineyard, Los Angeles, Mexico, and Argentina. Her firm has been named one of the top 15 Best Interior Design Companies in San Francisco.
She continues about organizing a bar in this way: 'The closed cabinet helps protect the contents from dust and sunlight, preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of your liquor. It is also a good idea if you have kids or teens in the house to keep your liquor in a closed cabinet.'
Artem Kropovinsky, NYC-based interior designer and founder of Arsight, adds:' A closed cabinet bar is like a magician's hat in the world of interior design, full of surprises and elegance.' He continues, 'What is beautiful about these bars is their chameleon-like ability to fit in with any decor whatsoever. Wherever they are used, they provide a clean aesthetic devoid of clutter.'

Based in New York, Artem Kropovinsky, founder of Arsight, has a decade of extensive and considerable global design experience. Prioritizing minimalism, sustainability, and authenticity, Artem, alongside his team of professionals, works on projects in the US and worldwide.
For those considering installing this kind of elevated bar cart in their homes, the interior designers advise considering the function of your space. Artem says: 'The closed bars are especially suited to spaces with multiple roles, such as home offices that turn into social areas. It ensures an elegant switchover without hassle.'
Soledad continues, 'Choose between an open or closed home bar based on what you like and how you live. Consider who will use the bar, whether you plan to store liquor long-term, and your aesthetic preferences. It's all about what suits your style and lifestyle best.'
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She adds: 'If you drink or entertain often, having an open bar in your living room or dining room adds to your decor and gives you easy access. If your overall style is minimalist, it's better to have your bar behind closed doors to avoid visual clutter.'
Equipped with a concealed home bar, hosting a cocktail party is just as easy as making sure your bar looks organized. It's as easy as closing (or opening) a door.

Sophie is a writer and News Editor on the Celebrity Style team at Homes & Gardens. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly passionate about researching trends and interior history. She is an avid pop culture fan and has interviewed Martha Stewart and Hillary Duff.
In her free time, Sophie freelances on design news for Westport Magazine and Livingetc. She also has a newsletter, My Friend's Art, in which she covers music, culture, and fine art through a personal lens. Her fiction has appeared in Love & Squalor and The Isis Magazine.
Before joining Future, Sophie worked in editorial at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens brand. She has an MSc from Oxford University and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.
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