Moody lighting and deep, dark tones set the stage for a bourbon bar and a music room.

hen Pat Ryan wanted to find a space in his Fairway home to display his whiskey and bourbon collection, he reached out to Nina Schmidt of Schloegel Design Remodel.

“At the time, his collection was all in a basement closet stored on some wire shelving, which was likely not rated to hold that amount of weight!” Nina says.

The resulting project transformed several areas in Pat’s home, creating a custom and cohesive environment for showcasing his collection and for entertaining.

Starting with the wet bar, Nina added function and style with appliance panels for an ice maker, an under-counter wine fridge and a new sink base cabinet. The countertop, backsplash and shelves were made from honed marble-esque Piatra Grey quartz, and a channel was routed inside the mitered stone shelves to allow for some diffused LED lighting.

For the dry bar in the dining area, Nina had the idea to create a secret compartment.

“I’d wanted to do this since 2020 after seeing a hardware display at KBIS in Vegas,” she says. “I finally found the perfect spot to do it.”

The team ran into some technical issues after finding that the hardware mechanism could not hold the weight of the wooden door panel, but project director Shannon Washam came up with the idea to use a motorized TV lift. The base cabinets were then modified so that the panel lowers to reveal wine bottles.

Nina chose to light the bottles from the bottom because of the glow it added to the room.

When it came to the music room, she saw an opportunity to add more personality to the space.

“This room seemed like it had the potential to be a cool space for him,” Nina says. “He likes to play the piano, and it was a spot for him to unwind at the end of the day. I immediately saw this room in more of a moody vibe. Before, it was white and cavernous.”

To display Pat’s whiskey and bourbon collection, the team designed a walnut cabinet with brass accents. Each upper compartment features one bottle and is illuminated from below with an LED puck light.

“This client was open to new ideas, which was refreshing!” Nina says. “We were able to incorporate some unique design elements, which really made this a special project.”

Design/Build: Schloegel Design Remodel, @remodelagain

Resources

Interior Designer/Contractor: Schloegel Design Build
Appliances: Factory Direct/Ferguson
Cabinets: Crestwood
Hardware: Top Knobs; Rejuvenation
Plumbing: Tschirhart Plumbing
Drywall: Lee Drywall, Plaster & Stucco
Marble: Carthage Stoneworks

Paint: Randy Oxley Painting
Mirror: Olathe Glass
Lighting Fixtures: Relative Lighting; Visual Comfort
Music Room Beams: Barron Designs
Wine Bottle Pegs: Wine Pegs
Couch Collaboration: Kali Buchanan Interior Design; Schloegel Design Remodel