What were you hoping to have here? Something on all three walls? What will the area be used for?

What room is this? Kitchen? Dining? Office? Great room?

Can the vent be moved sideways?

open cabinets, or a mesh front to the cabinets.

What is your preferred layout? Draw out the vision and see where the Return falls out.

It may not be as bad as you think.

Is there a reason you don't want to use the area as intended? This area is really intended for a round table and chairs.

Could an area adjacent be used for the bar you want to install?

It is down low on the wall and cannot be raised high, according to our AC guys.

I am skeptical about this statement. Did the AC guys explain why it can't be raised higher near the ceiling where you would typically see an return?

It's a cold air return. They are always low to capture the cold air that sinks to the floor.. Warm air rises.

Sorry, a built in bar

We have another area we are using for dining.

" It's a cold air return. They are always low to capture the cold air that sinks to the floor. "

Not "always" in my experience. Very typical in my area is that they're in the ceiling or high on a wall.

Do you anticipate having a sink in this area, which of course requires plumbing? Do you know where the plumbing would need to be (there might be limiting factors like concrete floors, nearby existing plumbing, etc)? I’m wondering if you would be able to get everything you need on the left side, thus leaving the vent alone. And you didn’t answer my question about moving the vent sideways.

I don’t know what benefit moving the vent sideways would bring. We would not incorporate plumbing so it would be a dry bar. We wanted to wrap the bar around all three walls with bar counter floating in the middle. That was our vision but that darn vent is in the way.

Oh, quite a large bar incorporating all 3 walls! And a freestanding belly-up-to-the-bar in front? (I had been picturing a coffee bar/station, no more than 5’ or 6’ long.)

In that case, just omit one of the lower cabinets where the vent is and set your trashcan there. If there’s a free-standing bar across the front, no one will ever notice it.

Or, build a wine rack in front of the vent.

I'd like to suggest that you use some blue painter's tape and tape out on the floor the size and shape of what you envision. When you start placing cabinets on walls in an angular space, the actual space begins to diminish rather rapidly.

I'm not sure what you envision for a 'bar' that people can sit at, but it doesn't leave you with much room without encroaching on the apparent walkway between this area and the dining table.

Build in the cabinets, place a door over the vent, and make sure the door is either louvered or contains metal a metal grille That way the air will continue to flow.

^ agree that it's helpful to tape out things - or use boxes of approximate size if you want to "feel" the dimensions a bit more -

it's a lot of storage, wonder if you could get aways with a nice floor to ceiling piece just on the 71" wall

I have a louvered door in my kitchen cabinetry for HVAC return. It's nicer looking than a regular big ol' vent on the wall. Yours will look better integrated into the cabinetry than being free like it is.

You just duct the vent through the cabinetry--Beverly gives some nice ideas for the exit spot.

We currently have a bar cabinet on the 71” wall and my husband isn’t happy with it. I do agree that when Beverly shows the blue outline of cabinets on all 3 walls it takes up a lot of space. I do like the idea of louvres or grill work on the cabinet door to hide it. I know it can’t be blocked and needs to allow for air flow. Will probably end up hiring a designer that has experience with sort of thing. Thank you all for the feedback.