How to Style a Bar Cart
Style your bar cart and make it stand out beautifully in your home. Here are 11 tips for styling the very best bar cart!
The big question is, was Mad Men the reason why bar carts started to become popular again?!
Bar carts are very in vogue. Every furniture store seems to carry a selection of bar carts. There are so many styles and colors of bar carts available, and you can pay a lot for a great bar cart!
Whatever your preferred style for your home, and for your bar cart, styling it the right way is the way to really create a beautiful stand out piece for your home, that is not only functional but stylish and attention-grabbing.
With a bar cart don’t just shove your bottles of drink onto it, and consider it done. A bar cart still needs to be styled and planned, just like you would any part of your home that is on display.
These 11 tips will help you style the most attractive bar cart, perfect for entertaining, or just enjoying for yourself!
>If you want to DIY your own bar cart I show you how right here!<<
What will you use your Bar Cart for?
When you choose a bar cart, take into account exactly what you will be using it for, and your individual needs.
If you are mainly a wine drinker you will need space for wine bottles and glasses. If you are a bourbon drinker you may want a decanter and whiskey glasses. If you like to make cocktails you will need a lot of space for all the assorted bottles and ingredients you will need to have.
Choose the size of bar cart that you need, and that you have space for. If you have a tiny corner in your room a smaller bar cart would fit better.
If you have a large space to fill, a larger more decorative bar cart may be just what you need for that space.
If your bar cart will get a lot of daily use, you may want to choose easier to clean materials for your cart, such as surfaces that wipe down easily and are not prone to staining.
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Have a Theme
Theme your bar cart for interest and style. You may want a gold themed bar cart, an Art Deco style cart, a Mid Century Modern style cart.
You can theme your cart for every day, or theme it around the time of year, season, and holiday too.
Depending on the room your bar cart will be in you can also theme it to your room also. A dining room bar cart may contain more after dinner drinks. A living room bar cart may have a large selection of different drinks. An outdoor bar cart may focus more on beer and more outdoorsy drinks.
Style Seasonally
One of the most fun ways to style a bar cart is to reflect the season in its decor.
Seasonally appropriate drinks are always a good choice. For Thanksgiving you could select cranberry drinks and even have fresh cranberries to hand for garnishes.
For a summer bar cart have fresh lemons and limes on display. Choose a summer decor theme, such as watermelons, lemons etc.
Styling your bar cart for the season is so much fun, and makes it a real centerpiece for your home, or even outdoors.
Don’t Forget Flowers & Plants
Fresh flowers always look great on a bar cart. Plants look great too – they add a touch of greenery that always perks up any decor.
A touch of green can make a bar cart really pop. Beautiful colored flowers can add much needed color and interest to your cart.
You probably don’t want to place a huge plant on your bar cart, it needs to fit in with the size of the cart. I place a succulent on my bar cart – it adds needed color and interest and it is a very easy plant to take care of too!
Choose Statement Glassware
Statement glassware, such as decorative martini glasses, can really jazz up and make your bar cart look really special.
Choose colored glassware and drinking glasses. You can also pick different materials for your drinking glasses, such as stainless steel.
You could place glass decanters on your cart, which always add a touch of elegance and glamor too.
Choose Matching Pieces and Colors
Choose a color scheme for your bar cart, and stick to that with all the pieces on your cart.
If your bar cart is gold colored, choose matching gold bar ware. Or use a color such as black to add another complementing color to your cart set up.
Ingredients can add Color
Ingredients for cocktails and drinks can add color to a bar cart. Lemons for instance add a pop of color. If you keep snacks on your bar cart they can also add color and interest to your cart.
If you like to make cocktails, all those different mixers and ingredients needed can add a lot of color too.
Minimal can be Good
Sometimes a minimal set up on your cart, without any crowding and numerous pieces can look far better than a full packed bar cart.
If you go minimal in decoration of your cart, be sure to choose a few pieces to highlight – such as a couple of pretty glasses, some flowers or a plant, and a few nice decorative bottles of drink.
Add Books
Books can be a great touch to a bar cart. Either stacked on their sides or standing upright, books can add decoration and purpose to a cart.
A bar cart is the perfect place to store your cocktail books, ready for use. You could also display some treasured and interesting coffee table books.
Choose Pretty Bottles
Some bottles of drink are works of art. Many distilleries really go all out for different and unique packaging, bottles and labels. Select pretty looking bottles and display them prominently on your cart.
You can also get some beautiful non-alcoholic bottles of drink, such as this one, and this one!
Keep it Organized
Keep items on your bar cart organized into zones. If you are storing bottles, keep all the bottles on one shelf, if space allows. Keep your glassware on another shelf, and other items together in another area.
A bar cart where items are kept all over the place, just where they are placed, looks messy and unattractive.
Have a strategy for organization and easy access to everything on your bar cart.
Add Accessories
Accessories can add color and interest to your bar cart. These can be pretty vases of flowers and attractive plants. They can be things such a gold pineapple ornaments, dishes of fruit and more.
Add pretty ice buckets and cocktail shakers to your cart. Pretty Bartender sets can add much needed drink tools and decor to your cart.
You could also add cocktail napkins to your cart, to have on hand for guests, and also to add color and interest.
Related: DIY These Pretty Linen Fringed Cocktail Napkins
Style your bar cart and make it stand out beautifully in your home. Here are 11 tips for styling the very best bar cart!