A bar is a piece of joinery with a job to do. It has to be the right height to lean on, the right depth to work behind, and strong enough to take a lifetime of people putting their elbows on it.
We build bars from scratch in our workshop in Mansfield. Home bars in a garden room or a garage conversion. Cellar bars in the space under the house. Bar counters and back-fittings for pubs, clubs and commercial premises. Whatever the setting, the approach is the same: measure the space, work out how it will be used, then make it properly.
Home bars
A home bar can be a small corner unit or a full run with a back-fitting behind it. What matters is that it suits the room you are putting it in.
We will talk through the practical stuff before we draw anything. How many people are going to sit at it. Whether you need a sink and where the waste can go. Whether you want an under-counter fridge, a bottle cooler or a glass washer, and how much ventilation each of those needs. Where the sockets go. Whether you want a bar back with mirrored panels and shelves, or something simpler.
Then there is the fun bit. Panelled fronts, a moulded bar top with a proper nosing, a brass foot rail, corbels under the overhang, optic mounts, a hinged or lift-up counter flap so you are not crawling under it to get in and out.
Cellar bars
Cellars are awkward, and awkward is what we are good at.
Low headroom, stone or brick walls that are nowhere near flat, a floor that is not level, stairs coming down into the middle of the space. All of that has to be worked around rather than ignored. We scribe to what is actually there instead of pretending the walls are straight.
Cellars are also damp environments compared to the rest of the house. That affects the materials we specify and how the back of the unit is built. We will talk to you about ventilation and about keeping timber off cold walls. If you have a damp issue, deal with it before the joinery goes in, not after. We will tell you honestly if we think that is the case.
Access matters too. If the only way in is a narrow cellar stair with a turn in it, the bar has to be built in sections that will physically get down there and be assembled in place. We plan for that from the start.
Commercial bar counters
We do commercial work as well as domestic, including at East Midlands Designer Outlet.
A trade counter has different demands. It gets heavy use, it has to be built to take knocks, and it has to work for the staff behind it as well as look right from the front. Bar tops need to be hard-wearing and easy to wipe down. Servery heights, under-counter equipment, drainage and cabling all need to be designed in rather than added later.
We can work around your trading hours and fit out in stages if closing for a week is not an option. Tell us the constraints at the enquiry stage and we will build the programme around them.
Timber and finish
Oak is the popular choice for bar tops. It is hard, it looks the part, and it can be sanded back and refinished when it eventually gets tired.
Painted panelled fronts with a natural timber top is a combination that works in almost any setting. Dark stained timber suits a traditional pub look. We can also work with reclaimed and character timber if that is the feel you want.
The top needs a finish that copes with spilled drinks and wet glasses. We will talk through the options and what each one means for maintenance, because a bar top gets treated harder than any other surface in a house.
How the job runs
Survey first. We come and look at the actual space, including how we are going to get things into it.
Then a written quote with the spec on it, so you know what is included.
Then we make it in our workshop. You get progress photos over WhatsApp as it comes together, which is worth having on a bar because there is usually more detail than people expect.
Then we fit it, scribe it in and finish it on site.
Odd requests welcome
Bars are one of the jobs where people tend to have a strong idea in their head. That is fine. We would rather build your idea than sell you ours.
We have made some genuinely unusual things over the years, including movie props and boats. A curved counter, a strange corner, a reclaimed top that has to be worked around, a bar built to look like something else entirely. Describe it or sketch it and we will tell you what is possible.
TC Joinery has been going since 2004. Tez is City & Guilds qualified and still on the tools. Everything is made by us in Mansfield.
What you get
- Bars designed round how you will actually use the space
- Home bars, cellar bars, garden room bars and commercial counters
- Fronts, tops, bar backs, counter flaps and foot rails made to your design
- Space planned in for fridges, sinks, glass washers, sockets and ventilation
- Built in sections where access is tight, and assembled on site
- Scribed to uneven cellar walls and floors rather than fought against
- Painted, stained or natural timber, with a finish chosen for wet use
- Progress photos over WhatsApp while it is being made
Bars across Mansfield and Ashfield
Proudly local, proudly independent
Based in Mansfield, TC Joinery enjoys a reputation across Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Huthwaite, and the wider East Midlands for honesty, reliability, and first-class joinery. We are large enough to take on multi-site roll-outs but small enough that the person answering your call is the same craftsman overseeing your project.
Frequently asked questions
Can you build a bar in a cellar with low headroom and uneven walls?
Yes, and that describes most cellars we look at. We survey the space properly, including headroom at the lowest point and how much the walls and floor are out. The unit is then scribed to what is really there. We also plan the build so the sections will physically fit down the cellar stairs, which is often the real constraint.
Do I need to sort out damp before you fit a cellar bar?
If there is an active damp problem, yes. Timber does not do well against a cold, wet wall, and covering a problem up makes it harder to spot later. We will tell you honestly what we see when we survey. Where the cellar is dry but naturally cool, there are sensible things we can do in the way the unit is built and ventilated.
Can you build in a sink, fridge or glass washer?
Yes. Tell us at the survey stage what equipment you want and, if you already have it, the model, because dimensions and clearances vary a lot. Appliances need ventilation as well as space, and sinks need a waste run, which is worth checking early in a cellar or garage. Plumbing and electrics are done by your own trades, and we will coordinate with them.
What drives the cost of a bespoke bar?
Length, the amount of detail on the front, the timber and thickness of the top, whether there is a back-fitting, and how much built-in equipment there is. A plain straight counter is far less work than a curved one with a panelled front, corbels, a foot rail and a mirrored back-fitting. Difficult access adds time too.
How long does a bar take?
It depends on the size, the finish and how busy the workshop is. Bars often have more detail in them than people expect, so they are not a quick job if you want it done properly. We will give you a realistic timescale with your quote and keep you updated with photos while it is being built.
How do I look after a timber bar top?
Wipe spills rather than leaving them, and use mats under anything wet or hot. The finish makes the difference. A solid oak top can be sanded and refinished when it gets tired, which is one of its advantages over a man-made surface. We will tell you which finish we have used and exactly what to do to keep it right.
Do you fit out commercial bars as well as home ones?
Yes. We do commercial joinery, including work at East Midlands Designer Outlet. We can build to a shopfitter's or designer's drawings, or design and make it ourselves. If you cannot close for long, tell us and we will look at working out of hours or fitting in stages.
Get in touch
Got a space in mind for a bar?
Ring 01623 530838 or send a couple of photos of the room or cellar with rough measurements. We will tell you what will fit, what to think about, and what it involves. We are in Mansfield and we work across Mansfield, Ashfield and the wider East Midlands.
We work across Mansfield, Ashfield and the wider East Midlands from our workshop in Mansfield. See the areas we cover.