Garage Bar Ideas and Home Bar Wall Ideas: Beer, Soda and Gas Station Signs

A garage bar or home bar comes together fast: a counter, a fridge, a few stools. Then you look up and see a big blank wall. That wall is where the room gets its personality. Among garage bar ideas, porcelain signs are one of the easiest ways to fill it.

So this guide is all about the bar wall. First, we will show you a simple layout that works almost every time, one hero sign plus a neat grid, and which signs to use. Every sign in our shop is real porcelain (fired glass enamel on steel), so it holds up to the heat, cold and spills a garage bar sees. Here is how porcelain compares with tin.

Garage bar ideas: one hero sign plus a grid

The most common mistake on a bar wall is hanging a dozen signs of different sizes at random. As a result, it ends up looking like a yard sale. Instead, try this:

1. Pick one hero sign. This is your biggest or boldest sign. Center it above the middle of the bar or the back shelf.
2. Build a grid around it. Add four or six smaller signs of similar size, lined up in even rows and columns on each side or below the hero.
3. Keep the gaps equal. Two to three inches between signs looks tidy. However, bigger gaps look like you ran out of signs.
4. Leave breathing room. Hang the bottom row at least 12 inches above the counter or shelf so bottles and glasses do not block the signs.

Tip: Trace each sign on brown paper, cut the shapes out and tape them to the wall with painter’s tape. Next, move the paper around until it looks right. Then mark your screw holes right through the paper.

Choosing the hero sign for your garage bar

The hero sets the tone for the whole bar. So pick a brand you actually like to drink, or one that fits the space.

Beer signs

Beer signs are the obvious choice for a bar, but we only have a few in stock right now, so grab one while you can. The Budweiser On Tap Porcelain Sign with “King of Beers” makes a perfect hero over a keg fridge. Meanwhile, the Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer Porcelain Sign is a fun pick for a laid-back garage bar. See what is available in our beer signs.

Soda signs

Soda signs are a great hero for a home bar, especially if the bar also serves the kids, or if you are more of a mixer-and-cola crowd. Bright red Coca-Cola signs pop on dark wood or brick. For the story behind the script logo, see the Coca-Cola company history. Browse our Coca-Cola signs, or try the round Pepsi-Cola Ice Cold Porcelain Sign as a centerpiece.

Gas station signs

In a garage bar, a gas brand sign as the hero also ties the bar to the rest of the garage. A big Texaco, Shell, Mobil or Sinclair sign over the bar says “this used to be a service bay” in the best way. For the stories behind the Sinclair dinosaur and the Phillips 66 shield, see our gas station logo history. Shop our gas and motor oil signs.

Garage bar ideas for filling the grid

Once the hero is up, fill the grid with signs that share a color or a theme. Here are three grids that work well.

The soda fountain grid

Mix several soda brands for a colorful, old-time fountain look:

• Dr Pepper 10 2 4 Porcelain Sign
• A&W Root Beer Porcelain Sign
• A Squirt or Mountain Dew sign for a pop of green and yellow

Browse all of our soda signs, and read our roundup of favorite soda and beverage signs for more ideas.

The filling station grid

Line up four or six gas brand signs in a tight grid: a Shell sign, a Sinclair dinosaur, a Phillips 66 shield and an Esso tiger, for example. In fact, mixing round and rectangle shapes is fine as long as they are close in size. The Texaco Registered Rest Room Porcelain Sign also makes a funny finishing touch on the bathroom door.

The red, white and blue grid

Alternatively, pick signs by color instead of brand. Red Coca-Cola, a blue Pabst, a red-and-white Texaco and a blue Ford sign look sharp together because the colors repeat across the grid. It is one of the simplest garage bar ideas to pull off.

Little extras that finish the bar

• Over the ice bin or fridge: the Chillard Ice Porcelain Sign with Chilly Willy is a fun nod to the cooler.
• Lighting: among easy garage bar ideas, one small spotlight or LED strip aimed at the hero sign makes the gloss of the enamel shine at night. Angle it from the side so it does not glare.
• Shelves: keep bottle shelves below the grid, not between signs, so the wall reads as one display.

Hanging signs on a garage bar wall

Garage walls are often bare studs, drywall, plywood or block, and each needs different hardware. For that reason, screw into studs or use the right anchors for drywall and block. Also, put a rubber or nylon washer under each screw head and do not tighten the screws too hard, so you never crack the enamel. Our guide on how to hang porcelain signs covers each wall type.

FAQ: garage bar ideas

What do you put on a bar wall?

Start with one large hero sign centered over the bar, then add a grid of smaller signs, like beer, soda or gas station signs, with even spacing. Then keep shelves below the signs so the wall stays clean.

How do you decorate a home bar?

Pick a theme, such as a soda fountain, a filling station or a favorite beer, and repeat its colors across the wall. Add good lighting, a few bar stools and signs that match the theme.

What is the best way to hang signs in a garage?

Screw into studs when you can, or use anchors rated for the weight of the sign on drywall or block. Use a level, keep equal gaps between signs and add rubber washers to protect the enamel.

What are some good garage bar ideas?

Build a counter from an old workbench, add a fridge or keg fridge, and use a gas station sign as the hero to tie the bar to the garage. After that, soda signs and beer signs round out the grid.

Build your garage bar wall

A great bar wall only needs one strong hero and a handful of vintage porcelain signs lined up neatly around it. Browse our bar and game room picks and start planning your grid.

Shop man cave & game room signs