How To Build A Hidden Cocktail Bar

Make the base

• I fashioned a base for my cocktail bar by tracing the section of countertop editor Mike Berner made in his “Workbench to Bar Top” article.
• I used the same butcher block material and cut out the shape with a jigsaw.

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Assemble the cabinet box

• Using one-inch pocket hole screws, attach the top and bottom parts to the sides.
• The back slips into the box instead of resting on it.
  • Pro tip: I used pocket hole joinery just in case I needed to disassemble the whole thing, and I’m glad I did. There was a miscalculation and I had to remove the box and cut it down by a few inches. If I had used a different joinery method, that would have been far more difficult.

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Install the LED lights

• The next step is to feed the power cable through a small notch in the back of the cabinet.
• Stick the LED light strip to the inside top of the cabinet, snug to the back.
• Hide the LED strip with a piece of oak quarter-round, directing light down, not out.

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Prepare the cabinet

• To retrofit a TV lift into the cabinet, cut away the cabinet’s top stretcher.
• A jigsaw didn’t let me get close enough, so I finished with an oscillating multi-tool.

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Level the lift

• With the lift fully extended, use a scrap piece of countertop to position the lift level with the rest of the work surface.

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Attach the lift to the cabinet

• Secure the lift to the back of the cabinet with one-inch screws.
  • Pro tip: A magnetic torpedo level helped me keep everything plumb.

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Install a hidden switch

• The lift came with a remote, but here’s an alternative way to operate it: Wire a round momentary switch ($12 online) to the control box, concealing it under the lip of the countertop.
• Rout a small channel on the underside of the countertop for the wires and drill a hole for the switch.
• Now the switch is perfectly concealed yet always within reach.

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Mount the power supply

• Mount the power supply near the front of the cabinet so the cables won’t impede the travel of the cocktail bar.
• Bundling the cables with hook-and-loop wire wraps keeps them clear of moving parts.

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Wire the light switch

• For a little extra pop, I installed a limit switch ($7 online) to automatically turn on the LED lights as the cocktail bar rises and turn them off again as it descends.
• The power runs to the LED strip through the black wire, so I spliced that wire to the switch. When the bar goes up, the circuit closes and power flows to the lights.
  • Pro tip: Before you install the limit switch, test the setup with a scrap piece of LED light and the switch hooked up to the power supply to make sure everything is wired properly.

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Position the base

• With the lift fully extended, set the base onto the lift cradle and attach it using one-inch screws.
  • Pro tip: I used playing cards to help maintain an even gap.

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Attach the box to the base

• To prevent the oak from splitting, drill 1/8-in. pilot holes in the top and bottom.
• Attach the box to the base with 1-1/4-in. trim screws.

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Position the “lid”

• With the lift in the lowered position, use double-sided tape to help position the lid.
• Set the countertop lid onto the box and attach it with trim screws.

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The lift

• The TV lift I used is available for $560 at tvliftcabinet.com. There were lots of sizes to choose from, and the staff was really helpful. If you can use a screwdriver, you can install one of these.

Final fitting

• The final installation was a little difficult because the cocktail bar was heavier and deeper than a skinny flat screen TV, exerting more leverage on this lift than it was designed for.
• But with a little shimming and trimming, I was able to get the base and the lid to sit perfectly flush with the countertop.

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