Homes

Trade Secrets: A Wall of Wonder At-Home Bar

Designer Louis Duncan-He elevates home entertaining with his dramatic bottle wall design.

By Western Living /
Eymeric Widling

Designed by our 2024 WL Design 25 winner Louis Duncan-He (of Louis Duncan-He Designs in Calgary)

“This home was designed for no children,” laughs Calgary designer Louis Duncan-He. But there’s a spirit of play here in this 1984 rancher bungalow nonetheless—particularly in the made-for-entertaining living room, where Duncan-He installed a full-on home bar for the cocktail-loving homeowners, complete with a dramatic wall of bottles that reaches right up to the sloped ceiling. Walnut millwork brings a whisky-hued warmth to the space, as do the backlit glass back panels, and a rolling ladder offers visitors easy access to their preferred spirits. Maybe children aren’t invited in, but kid-at-heart adults sure are, notes Duncan-He: “Everyone wants to go for a ride.”

This story was originally published in the July/August 2024 issue of Western Living magazine.

Western Living

Western Living

The editorial team at Western Living loves nothing more than a perfectly designed space, place or thing: and we’re here to tell you about it. Email us your pitches at [email protected].