After putting together the midmod kitchen with salvaged cabinets, we had one extra lower cabinet that didn’t have a home in the kitchen. As it turns out, there had always been a backup vintage refrigerator in the porch. So we moved the extra cabinet to sit next to the fridge, and voila! A bar.

Lake life is all about slowing down and not being a slave to the clock--or the phone. That means the bar fridge needs to be well stocked with both adult and kid-friendly beverages. And whether you’re a wine snob, a beer lover, a mixologist, or a pop guzzler, you not only need the chilled beverages, you need the supplies.

First and foremost, our bar includes the wall-mounted bottle opener. I remember this vintage beauty from my childhood, when the men would be drinking beer from returnable brown bottles. Th oh-so-witty saying on it is: “CHEERS...I have a few great thoughts, and one just came in my head. If a man can’t drink when he’s living, how the HECK can he drink when he’s dead?” I’m sure this clever poem received many a guffaw and chuckle from the all the Hyldens and their guests.

Truth be told, the bottle opener and the kitchen floor were the inspiration for the color theme in the kitchen. That turquoise color got me started down the path of understanding mid-century modern design, and I’m still smitten with it.

Long before we started the kitchen reno, I found a turquoise ice bucket at a vintage market and snapped it up. The metal station wagon, which stores wine corks, came from Carlos Creek Winery in Alexandria, MN. It’s not close by, but worth a visit if you’re ever in that part of the state.

The cabinet also includes a wine opener, a shot glass, wine glasses, and beer glasses large and small. And what Minnesota cabin would be complete without the Hamm’s beer serving tray.

We are still in the market for a mid-mod wine rack to hang on the wall, and a more vintage-themed trash can to catch the bottle caps under the opener. Please post your suggestions here!

Cocktails at 3!