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Garden pubs are booming in the UK as more people turn their sheds and outdoor spaces into personal pubs. Blending DIY creativity with classic British pub charm, a garden bar offers the perfect place to relax or entertain without leaving home. In this guide, discover stylish and practical garden bar ideas to give you inspiration for your new leisurely zone.
Why Build a Pub Shed?
Your own bar at home is a great way to have the relaxed pub experience by yourself or with friends, without the bother of travelling and sharing space with the public. Your drink selection, your music playlist – everything is controller by you. Plus, there’s no need for a designated driver when you’re already at home.
Whether you’re converting a shed, or making use of another type of building such as a summerhouse or garden room, a wooden building kit is what to look for. Timber not only creates a more comfortable and traditional pub vibe, it’s also more customisable and insulated than metal or plastic buildings. It’s more difficult to even hang pictures if you were to try and use a metal shed as a pub space.
A quick search for garden bars online will show you a lot of shed-like buildings that feature an integrated counter in the front wall for serving drinks to guests outdoors. However, these come with a few problems:
- Since the above type of bar shed only offers an outdoor counter, you are limited by the weather. They are great for enhancing a barbecue party, but not for the rest of the year. A proper bar room means your guests can be sheltered while they drink.
- Some models don’t come with any kind of window shutters over the counter area, meaning the interior is always exposed to the weather and to animals.
- You can’t use the building for anything else, since it’s designed exclusively as a bar.
We have found that many pub enthusiasts prefer proper garden rooms for their garden bar experience. This means you get a roof over your head so you can drink in any weather, and the space can be used for other activities as well.
While some providers of wooden buildings will offer an installation service, building it yourself is a fun and rewarding experience that doesn’t require advanced DIY skills.
Garden Bar Ideas: Popular Styles
Traditional British Pub Shed
Bring the charm of your local straight to your garden with a traditional pub shed. This calls for timber that has been stained dark, brass fixtures, pub signs, and a sturdy bar counter. Add a dartboard, a few pint glasses, and warm lighting to recreate that authentic British pub atmosphere. Perfect for fans of real ale and Sunday roasts, this garden bar idea is a tribute to classic pub culture, just a few steps from your back door.
Modern Minimalist Bar
For those who prefer clean lines and a sleek finish, a modern minimalist garden bar offers a sophisticated twist. Use neutral tones, streamlined furniture, and LED strip lighting for a contemporary look. Pair it with raised decking and glass balustrades for a polished space that blends style and function — great for evening drinks and garden parties alike.
Garden Pub and Games Room
What’s a pub without a pool table? Well, it’s still a pub, but you can only make your garden room more fun. Whether you prefer snooker, darts, or even video games, these are a fantastic way to create a proper place to party or just chill out.
Sports Bar Theme with TV
For sports lovers, transform your garden pub into a match-day hub. Mount a TV, add comfortable seating, and stock the fridge with cold drinks. Decorate with team colours or memorabilia to complete the look. This is one of the most social garden bar ideas, ideal for hosting big games or even movie night with friends.
Tropical Tiki Bar Vibes
Escape to the islands with a tropical tiki-style garden bar. Use bamboo cladding, thatched roofing, and colourful accessories for a beach-bar feel. Serve fruity cocktails, hang string lights, and maybe even install a palm or two in planters. It’s a laid-back, summer-ready option — great for those who want their garden to feel like a holiday.
Bars for Small Gardens
Got a small garden? Corner buildings are some of the best options for space saving, partly because of the sheared-off corner design. Not only does this enable you to place this in the corner (but not too snugly – it needs airflow around all sides), but they generally have windows on 2 sides to give you a great multi-angled view of the garden while you’re enjoying your drinks. Corner summerhouses are your best options here.
Pub shed lighting ideas
The above themes might have already given you some ideas, but here are some specific types of lighting you can use for your garden bar.
Remember, you might need to install electricity in your garden room for your chosen lighting option to work. But battery-operated lights that fix to the walls and ceilings can work, too.
- Ceiling lights – keep them small, as most garden rooms don’t have particularly high ceilings. Spread them out to get a good coverage of lighting, and pick a style that matches your pub vibe.
- Wall lights – often more noticeable than ceiling lights, these can be classical sconce style or modern cylinder shapes to create soft ambient lighting.
- LED strips – these are really popular as they create that lovely, soft lighting that lets you change colours to fit the mood. Place along the ceiling corners to illuminate the room, or under the bar top as a highlight. Bear in mind that separate light zones usually require multiple kits.
Garden Bar Furniture Ideas
Of course, your bar shed needs a bar counter to start with. You might even be able to find a bar tap attachment to be able to serve fresh cold pints from the keg. Here are some other furnishings you’ll need:
- Bar stools
- Chairs or armchairs
- A sofa
- Coffee, dinner or bistro table
- TV stand or wall mount
Garden Pub Essentials
These must-haves will make your garden bar even better.
- Mini fridge and freezer for ice cubes
- Music speakers for adding to the mood
- Shelving for your bottle collection
- Glassware supply
- A box for carrying away the glasses to be washed
- Wall signs, posters and photos
FAQs
What size shed do I need for a garden bar?
Well, it doesn’t have to be a shed. You could also use a log cabin or a summerhouse. But to answer the question: at least 8x6t feet is a good rule of thumb for a minimum size. Of course, it depends on how else you want to use the space. We’ve explored the possibilities from more options here: What size of shed or cabin for a garden pub?
How do I make a pub shed weatherproof?
All wooden garden buildings require some maintenance to protect against the weather, although this can be reduced with pressure treated options. As a general rule, the wood should be given a fresh coat of paint or stain every year as treatment, which protects it against the weather. Additionally, it can be tempting to construct your garden room right up against a wall or fence to save space, but this will likely backfire as it reduces airflow to the timber, preventing rain from drying, and means you can’t easily get back there to do work on it. You can find out more about this in our Summerhouse Maintenance Checklist.
If you have a garden bar that has a built-on counter in the front wall, you might need to add some shutters to cover the front opening, otherwise a strong wind could blow the rain straight inside. Not to mention you’ll get birds flying in there.
