12 Bar Cart Ideas: How to Outfit a Glamorous Bar Cart
Use these tips and tricks to create your own gorgeous, portable bar.
A well-decorated bar cart can add an upscale touch to any space in your home. All it takes to create a glamorous bar cart of your own is a little styling and the addition of a few decorative elements to your cocktail-making collection. Create character with vintage glassware, decanters, and shakers, and finish the look with carefully curated items. Read on for our tips for creating a beautiful, functional bar cart as well as 12 unique bar cart ideas to help you get inspired.
Bar Cart Decorating Tips
12 Bar Cart Ideas
Bar Cart Decorating Tips
Learn how to decorate a bar cart with these simple tricks:
- Less is more! Bar carts should be visually appealing, so display just a few of your favorite glasses and bottles rather than putting everything out at once.
- If you're hosting a party with a signature cocktail, print out the recipe, slip it into a pretty picture frame, and set it on the cart. Your guests will love the extra touch.
- When not in use as a mobile bar, pull the cart up next to a sofa and utilize it as an end table or as extra tabletop space in a home office.
- For the holiday season, a well-stocked bar means lots of spirits on hand! Have at least one bottle of gin, bourbon, whiskey, vodka, and vermouth ready to create your favorite cocktails with.
- Pair your metal bar cart with a matching set of metal bar tools that can double as intriguing decor when not in use.
- Fill small bowls or ramekins with snacks such as olives, mixed nuts, and sweet treats for guests to munch on.
- Use decorative trays to group like items together (glasses, bar accessories, and more) for a neat and tidy cart!
- An elegant vase of lush flowers adds a fresh finishing touch for a bar cart of any style.
12 Bar Cart Ideas
Knowing how to decorate a bar cart can add elegance to your entertaining space. Find inspiration with these stylish bar cart decorating ideas.
1. Go With Golden Glam
There's nothing more glamorous than a gold bar cart. To create this opulent look decorate with pastel colors (like the pink flora seen here) and elegant glassware. Keep yours fresh by displaying the primary ingredients you'll use in seasonal drinks, like sparkling wine for spring and rich mead for winter. Don't forget to store the glasses on a tray to protect the surface from any spills and condensation.
When experimenting with different bar cart ideas, create visual unity by matching the color of your bar cart with your glassware and even the color of your favorite drinks. Dark alcohol in clear, textured decanters looks gorgeous on a copper or dark wood bar cart accented with other dark golden-brown accent pieces.
If you have a broad multi-level bar cart, placing too many items on one side can make it appear uneven. To create visual balance, place bottles and glassware of similar weights on different levels and at opposite sides of the bar cart. This doesn't have to be exact – it's okay to place a bottle or two on a side with glassware and vice versa, but try to maintain overall harmony.
The easiest way to make an elegant bar cart look more casual and charming is to decorate it with more natural elements. Pick one with a bamboo or rattan frame and add a bowl of fresh fruit as well as a vase with garden cuttings. Creating this more approachable aesthetic is a great way to fit a bar cart into a more casual home style, such as coastal, farmhouse, or rustic.
A gold bar cart is the perfect place to put your pink wines and sparkling drinks on display. The overall look is glittery and playful without being kitschy. The soft glow of this bar cart setup also provides a fantastic spot for fresh or artificial flowers.
When exploring different bar cart ideas, it can be a little more difficult placing them in a more quaint, toned-down farmhouse or country style room. To add just the right amount of elegance and modesty, go with a dark wood or black metal bar cart with rustic or industrial elements. Try to avoid decorating it with flashy, shiny metal accents and stick to the basics: drinks, glasses, and garnishes.
The best way to seamlessly incorporate a bar cart into your everyday dining setup is to match it to your table and chairs in material, color, and texture. Above, the dark wicker bar cart is paired with matching dining chairs and bamboo bar stool. You can go a step further and coordinate your bar cart's decorative elements with the rest of your room's decor – in this example, note how the citrus and bright green of the bottle complement the tropical colors of the curtains and fruit bowl.
If you want something ultra-modern, opt for a white tiered bar cart. The geometric pattern formed by the glass shelves provides a clean-cut look that will go well with minimalist styling. Display only the essential glasses, bottles, and bar tools you need to keep it pared back and neat.
Bar carts don't have to be flashy – in some spaces, the simpler the better. If your home decor is more rustic (think farmhouse), a neat wooden bar cart with simple decor can be the perfect finishing touch. An antique-inspired bar cart that shows off its utility with exposed wheels and prominent handles is perfect. Top it off with country-style glassware (mason jars, for example), vintage bottles, and fresh fruit.
Some bar carts are made to be showy and exuberant. If you envision your cart being at the center of many high-energy parties and gatherings, decorate it to reflect that. Use bright, framed prints as backdrops and decorate with vibrant flowers, dazzling metallics, and bar tools of all functions.
Whether you're hosting for the holidays or simply enjoying the indoors, a fully stocked bar cart can help warm up the winter. Swap out your usual glassware for festive glasses to add seasonal charm, or top your bar cart with a few pieces of holiday decor. Don't forget to add all of the ingredients for your favorite holiday cocktails.
If you love dining outdoors, become the host with the most with an outdoor bar cart. Opt for a bar cart with wheels so that it's easy to prep all of your beverages indoors and move the cart outside as guests start to arrive. Stock your bar cart with the ingredients for refreshing cocktails, or use a beverage dispenser to let everyone serve themselves.
Tip!
Looking for the right bar cart? Read our guide The Best Bar Carts for Your Drinks to find a list of top-rated bar carts.
Now you can use these bart cart ideas as inspiration to bring your drink station to the next level!
