How to Style a Bar Cart
Just add drinks.
If you're wondering how to style a bar cart and looking for ideas, you've come to the right place. We love bar carts because they're practical and easy to style, leaving you with an efficient and elevated final look. First, choose a bar cart in an aesthetic that you love, then check out our favorite bar cart ideas below.
The key to curating a great bar cart? Start with the essentials.
Create a Strong Foundation
For whatever cocktails you and your guests prefer, start with a strong foundation of quality spirits. Think: vodka, gin, whiskey, and tequila. If you're an aspiring bartender, add mezcal, bitters, and amaro. Keep mixers like seltzer, tonic, and ginger beer nearby to create mixed drinks.
Set Out Necessary Cocktail Tools
We always have a lime squeezer, muddler, shaker, and strainer on hand. If you're an iced-drink fiend, keep an ice bucket on hand. The easiest place to start? A bar tool set. It includes all the necessities for whipping up cocktails.
Display Interesting Glassware
You can't go wrong with a set of highballs, tumblers, or martini glasses. We love mixing vintage glassware with current pieces. A set of beer glasses is perfect for enjoying a wintertime stout.
Show Your Wine Some Love
If you're more of a wine lover than a cocktail mixer, opt for a bar cart with a wine bottle rack. Fill your cart with a few bottles of wine and add wine glasses, a decanter, and a corkscrew.
Store the Excess
If you have lots of wine and liquor on hand, choose the prettiest looking bottles to display. Store the rest in the pantry or in a wine fridge. Psst: The same goes for glassware. If you have enough glasses to serve the entire neighborhood, keep extras in your kitchen or a credenza.
Once you have the foundations down, styling a bar cart becomes a fun and artful experience.
Make Happy Hour Happier
Set out decorative jars or bowls for snacks like candied walnuts and garnishes like blue cheese-stuffed olives. We love to keep a big bowl of citrus fruits on our bar carts so we're always ready to make a cosmo or margarita on the fly.
Stick to Simplicity
But don't be afraid to choose one bold piece that leans toward maximalism, like a vintage-inspired table lamp or lucite accent tray. One of our favorite bar cart ideas is to use an accent tray to show off unique decanters – and they make serving drinks so easy.
Make Cleanup Easy
Stock the shelf of your bar cart with coasters and cloth cocktail napkins. If your bar cart has a towel rack, hang a tea towel off the side to make a statement and clean up accidental spills.
Keep It Fresh
Arrange flowers or greenery on top of your bar cart. There's nothing better than a mojito with fresh mint or gin basil smash.
Hang Wall Art
If your bar cart can live against one wall, hang art behind it to draw the eye upward. This will make the space feel bigger, which is definitely a plus for smaller homes and condos.
Place Baskets Down Below
To keep your bar cart organized, place baskets on the bottom shelf for concealed storage. You can keep spare beverage napkins and other loose bar accessories from taking up space on the top of your cart.
Style with the Seasons
Styling a bar cart doesn't have to be a one-time thing. Switch things up with the seasons. Think: decorative leaves, cranberries, and rum for a spicy autumn setup. Create an endless summer by setting out rosé, fairy lights, and a large drink dispenser for serving copious amounts of chilled cucumber water.
Looking for a few creative bar cart ideas that aren't limited to a cocktail station? Check out our favorite ways to make over a bar cart below.
Sub One in for a Side Table
Park a smaller bar cart next to your sofa for a makeshift side table. Place books on top and define them with a bookend. Set up a record player. Display family photos. (But not all those things at once!)
Gift Yourself Bonus Storage
If you have room in your kitchen for a cart, use it to store serving platters and specialty glassware. You can also stack dishes on your bar cart after dinner and wheel them straight to the dishwasher.
Create a Coffee Cart
Show off your gorgeous pour-over coffee maker and organize your beans in decorative jars. Keep a cream pitcher and a jar of spoons handy and you'll be ready for a last-minute coffee date.
Make a Brunch Station
The evening before you host brunch, place flutes and stacked serving plates on your bar cart. In the morning, set out prosecco and a pitcher of orange juice for a mimosa station. Tuck a basket of scones and bowls of granola, yogurt, and more on the shelves for an easy walk-up brunch bar.
Elevate Your Home Office
Keep your stapler, tape, and a glass jar of pens on top of your cart. Place your printer and extra cords on the lower shelves. The exposed shelves and ease of portability make styling a bar cart a quick and efficient office upgrade.
Roll a Cart Into Your Bedroom or Bathroom
Create a luxe space to get ready by using a bar cart to store makeup, nail polish, and skin care in your bathroom. Set a mirror on top and use the bottom shelf for rolled up towels. Or use a bar cart as your bedside table. Your books and chargers never looked so good.
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