My bar cart is pretty much my pride and joy, when it comes to my home at least. I'd wanted one for soooo long, clogged numerous Pinterest boards with inspiration, and scoured the internet for countless hours until I found THE ONE. Now more than ever (if you're reading this from the future, we're in corona lockdown rn!), having my own little home "cocktail bar" is something I'm appreciating so much. In fact I'm challenging myself to learn a new cocktail each week throughout quarantine, until I come out the other side a pro. Or an alcoholic. Will keep you updated!
Anyway, I thought I'd share some tips on how to style a bar cart, if you're thinking of getting one, and don't know where to start. From picking the perfect cart (I can attest to the fact that it is HARD), to the finishing decoration touches, I'll talk through my bar cart styling ideas and share some of my favourite decor pieces.
1. The Cart
This is 100% the hardest part, or at least it was for me. Trying to find something that was exactly what I wanted, in my price range, was almost impossible. I loved the round gold Oliver Bonas one, but nearly £400 for a non-essential piece of furniture? Could not justify. However I was lucky enough to find a really similar style on eBay for a fraction of the price - and good news, it's still available! It's also now comes in an equally beaut rose gold, and there's a smaller round style too.
When picking a bar cart, keep in mind the size of the space you want it to fill. You don't want to order something to find it's far too big - I know it's a hassle, but get that measuring tape out! I can't tell you how many times I been too lazy to measure something, only to find it doesn't fit when it arrives.
Bar carts usually come with either one or two shelves - if you have a tonne of booze three might be best, but otherwise a two shelfer should do the trick. I really enjoyed the process of styling it with as much as possible, so three shelves made sense for me. Also most carts come in either a gold or wooden finish - I chose gold because I'm a total magpie, but if your decor is more boho or vintage wood might fit better.
I've linked a few of my favourites, but eBay is one of the best places to look for a bargain!
2. Booze
It's not much of a bar cart without booze, right? Without sounding like a total snob, a bar cart is not the place for your Tesco own-brand vodka. We keep our "cheap" liquor in the kitchen, and reserve the bar cart for the good stuff (which is why there's usually not much on it!). A bar cart is great for entertaining guests and looking fancy, so it makes sense to showcase the better booze on it!
I like to keep a selection of decent spirits on mine, as well as mixers and cocktail making ingredients such as angostura bitters. Admittedly it's a bit bare at the moment as it's been well plundered during the lockdown, but normally the top shelf is mostly full with alcohol.
Alcohol is usually best kept on the top shelf as the lower ones generally aren't tall enough. Plus it's the thing you're probably going to be reaching for the most! I like to keep all of mine together on one shelf, but you could always split bottles between shelves and coordinate by colour or type of drink.
3. Glassware
I'm such a sucker for nice glassware. I used to work at Anthropologie, and loved being placed in the homeware section so I could make mental shopping lists of all my favourite pieces. I slowly invested in a set of stemware from them, and I love them so much (although you wouldn't be able to tell given how often I break them...). Which glasses you want depend on what you tipple of choice is - I have wine glasses, coupes (for cocktails), flutes and rocks glasses, all of which I've linked below. You can also pop some shot glasses on there!
Tip: I've learnt to buy one extra of each style of glass, because I'm super clumsy. There's nothing worse than breaking one of your favourite glasses and finding the style has been discontinued!
4. Barware
You wanna look like a real cocktail pro? Invest in a set of tools so you're not stuck trying to make cocktails out of a makeshift shaker fashioned out of two plastic beakers (true story, it didn't end well). I got a basic cocktail making set off Amazon, which does the trick nicely. As well as a shaker, measuring jigger, and stirrer, it's worth getting some basic paper straws, an ice bucket if you're regularly drinking chilled drinks (I use and old vase!), and a bottle opener.
5. Decor
You've probably still got a couple of spots on your bar cart left empty (unless you're a real boozehound!), which can be filled with a few cute bar related decorations. I've got a marble chopping board (for chopping garnishes, or more often, deployed for wine and cheese nights), coasters, a candle, and some drinks related books. Oh, and a gold pineapple. I have no idea why but it's a rule that all bar carts must have a pineapple. I've also placed a plant on the bottom shelf - flowers look great too.
As bar carts tend to be quite short and can leave a lot of empty space above, it's a great place to hang a statement print. I've gone all out with one print resting on the top shelf, and one hung above. Just a nice little added touch to bring the whole thing together! My Prosecco print is from Juniqe, and the Manhattan Bridge print is Desenio.
Needs drinks inspiration? Check out my Summer Gin Spritz recipe!
