Hey guys! I don’t know what day of the week it will be when you read this, but right now it’s Friday afternoon and I could not be more ready for the weekend! I can’t assume to know what a typical Friday evening for you looks like, but I fully enjoy being able to just kick back and relax at home with a glass of wine or a refreshing cocktail in hand. (Most likely a trash TV show and face mask on, as well.) That’s my idea of a perfect Friday night. However, a large part of the “legitimacy” of this whole routine comes from the fact that I’m able to prepare myself an adult beverage of my choosing from my very own (super-cute) bar cart setup. It makes me feel very sophisticated and fancy. #adulting. It’s also SO convenient to already have everything I need to make myself a drink laid-out and arranged right in front of me!
I won’t lie though, the task of trying to create a perfectly-styled, Pinterest-worthy bar cart wasn’t easy. I had to arrange and rearrange the objects on our bar cart more times than I care to count. I think I may have finally gotten it right, though. Since the styling process did not come easy to me (at all) I thought it might be helpful to share what I learned from my many trials and errors, just in case any of you are facing a similar dilemma. I’ve broken down my entire “styling process” from start to finish in a few easy-to-follow steps in the sections below. I will also share the “top-secret” formula I discovered for the exact elements necessary for achieving that “expertly-styled” look (in Step 2). Get excited for this one, you guys!
STEP 1: CHOOSE (& PURCHASE) YOUR BAR CART
If you don’t already have a bar cart, then the first step (obviously) is to purchase one. While this may seem pretty self-explanatory, there are a few factors worth considering before you begin.
A. Function – What exactly do you plan to use your bar cart for? Will you primarily use it for entertaining people in your home? Do you plan on concocting elaborate cocktails or do you prefer to just drink wine/beer? Whatever the case, determine exactly what the function of your bar cart will be. This will be tremendously helpful in dictating any future purchasing decisions.
B. Features – Next, determine the specific features you’d like your bar cart to have. Again, think back to the “function” of your bar cart to hone in on any specific attributes that might help to fulfill your desired usage of it. Possible features to consider include:
- Wheels – Do you want to be able to easily move your bar cart from room to room for entertaining purposes?
- Number of Shelves – Will your bar cart be used to store ALL of your drink-related items or just a select handful? If you plan to display a lot of items on your bar cart, you may want to consider one with more than two shelves.
- Size – How big is the space where you will be displaying your bar cart? What size bar cart would fit best there? (Take accurate measurements of the space where you will be locating your cart to ensure you choose one that’s appropriately-sized.)
C. Style – Lastly, choose a bar cart that speaks to your personal sense of style. Take into account the overall design style of your home, specifically, the room in which your bar cart will be located. The bar cart you choose should fit in well with the rest of the decor in that space. Whether you prefer a more modern style bar cart, a rustic farmhouse kind of vibe, or even an old Hollywood glam style of bar cart, your options are endless.
SHOP MY FAVORITE BAR CARTS:
(Click on the below arrows to scroll through some of my favorite bar carts from across the web. To shop, simply click on the image of any you like.)
STEP 2: DETERMINE YOUR BAR CART ESSENTIALS – USING MY “TOP-SECRET” STYLING FORMULA
Okay, so you’ve found your perfect bar cart. Now, it’s time to determine what you’d like to display on your bar cart. Before officially going out and purchasing anything (you’ll do that in steps 3 and 4), it’s helpful to actually sit down and make a list of all the items you would like to display on your cart. The easiest way to do this is to break your items down into two different lists:
List #1: “Necessities”
List #2: “Decorative Accents”
In the process of rearranging the items on my bar cart, I stumbled upon what I believe to be the perfect styling formula for any bar cart. I realized that certain items were key players in creating an “expertly-styled” look, while others were irrelevant. I discovered that specific items could be inserted and/or removed freely, without affecting my “expertly-styled” vibe. However, other elements/items were absolutely crucial to up-holding the put-together look I was after. Any time I tried to remove one of those essential items from my bar cart, my well-styled display seemed to fall apart.
So without further ado, I think it’s time I revealed my “top-secret” styling formula with all of you. I’ve broken each item down into the two respective lists that I established above.
1.) “Necessities”
(‘aka’ the bare minimum needed to serve the actual function of a bar cart, which is: making and serving drinks)
- Booze –
- I’d recommend displaying 2-3 different types of liquor.
- Mixers –
- You can keep them in their original packaging or transfer the liquids into pretty glass carafes/decanters.
- Drinkware –
- Think about the main type of drink(s) you tend to reach for and display the appropriate glassware for drinking that specific beverage. A few pretty glasses should be a given on any bar cart, both for the convenience and style that they add.
- Bar Tools –
- At the very least you’ll want to have a cocktail shaker on hand. Find one that speaks to your personal sense of style.
- Ice/Champagne Bucket –
- This is a “necessity” because, hello? Nobody likes a warm drink. Having an ice bucket on display, and ready to mingle at all times, shows you mean business. Also, your guests will appreciate having ice cubes easily accessible vs. having to dig around in your freezer for them.
2.) “Decorative Accents” –
(‘aka’ the bare minimum decor needed to achieve, at the very least, a modestly-styled appearance)
- Wall Art –
- A piece of artwork can add personality, style, and a bit of visual height to a bar cart. Without this decorative accent things will look totally “off”. Clearly, I chose to purchase an uber-gimmicky bar cart slogan as my piece of art, which I found on Etsy. However, a pretty painting or some abstract art would look really amazing. Also, a mirror would totally work here, too.
- Flowers/Plants –
- In order to appear well-styled, every bar cart needs something living on it. Without this organic element, your display might not look horrible, but it definitely won’t be at its best. And, as long as the flowers appear to be alive, they don’t actually have to be alive. A faux floral arrangement or succulent will work just as well to liven up a display.
- Glass Decanters/Carafes –
- A gorgeous glass decanter is a wonderful bar cart addition, specifically, if the liquor you’ve chosen to display happens to be in a less-than-appealing bottle. Transfer the liquor over to a very appealing-looking decanter and, voila! Problem solved. Glass carafes are also great for when you’ve mixed up a batch of something (like sangria) and need a container to display it in.
- Tray(s) –
- I can’t stress enough the importance of including a tray on your bar cart. Trays allow for the corralling together of items, creating a much more pulled-together, organized, “expertly-styled” look. Without a tray, all of the various items on your cart will look out-of-place, disorganized, and cluttered. I’d recommend choosing a tray that contrasts both the shape and the texture of your bar cart to keep things visually-interesting.
Before moving on, I think it’s important to emphasize the fact that this “styling formula” of mine is simply a blueprint to help you put together your list of bar cart items. It’s totally adaptable. Even though I strongly feel that each of the above items is essential to a properly-styled bar cart, if something doesn’t work for you, don’t include it. On the flip side, when it comes to adding items to my “styling formula”, I’m ALL for that! The above list is meant to be a starting point. Add as many items to it as you’d like. The more the merrier!
STEP 3: PURCHASE YOUR “NECESSITIES”
Once you have both your “Necessities” and “Decorative Accents” lists fully filled out, it’s time for the fun part… It’s time to go shopping! Start with just your “Necessities” list and begin purchasing each of the items you’ve included on it.
- Booze –
- (Think: vodka, gin, tequila, rum, whiskey, wine, champagne, etc.)
- Mixers –
- (Think: sparkling water, tonic water, bitters, juices, sodas, etc.)
- Drinkware/Stemware –
- (Think: wine glasses, low ball glasses, champagne glasses, martini glasses, shot glasses, etc.)
- (Where to shop: CB2, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, West Elm, Amazon, Wayfair, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE DRINKWARE OPTIONS BELOW:
- Bar Tools –
- (Think: cocktail shaker, jigger, muddler, strainer, bottle opener, citrus juicer, etc.)
- (Where to shop: Crate & Barrel, CB2, Williams-Sonoma, Wayfair, Amazon, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE BAR TOOLS BELOW:
- Ice/Champagne Bucket –
- (Where to shop for one: CB2, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Amazon, Wayfair, West Elm, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE ICE/CHAMPAGNE BUCKETS BELOW:
STEP 4: PURCHASE YOUR “DECORATIVE ACCENTS”
After you’ve purchased all of the items on your “Necessities” list, you can begin to tackle the items on your “Decorative Accents” list. It’s probably a good idea to set some sort of budget before starting this list. Take it from someone who has some experience with this. If you dive head-first into purchasing the decorative accents for your bar cart, you could easily wind-up spending more than you intended. Just be cognizant of what each item costs and you’ll be golden!
- Wall Art –
- I purchased a digital PDF print of a “Make Mine A Double” sign on Etsy for $5.99, had it printed off on card stock at FedEx for $.80, then purchased a frame from Micheal’s to display it in.
- (Think: gimmicky bar-related slogan prints, watercolor paintings, abstract artwork, mirrors, neon signs, etc.)
- (Where to shop for wall art: TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby, Etsy, Target, Wayfair, Amazon, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE BAR CART WALL ART OPTIONS BELOW:
- Flowers/Plants –
- (Think: real OR faux arrangements of orchids, hydrangeas, peonies, eucalyptus, pampas grass, olive branches, etc.)
- (Where to shop faux arrangements: Hobby Lobby, Amazon, Michael’s, Wayfair, Joss & Main, Williams-Sonoma, etc.)
- (Where to shop real florals/plants: Trader Joe’s, local florist, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE FAUX FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS/PLANTS BELOW:
- Tray(s) –
- (Think: circular, rectangular, rattan, mirrored, leather, wood, chrome, bamboo, etc.)
- (Where to shop: Target, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby, West Elm, Joss & Main, Wayfair, Amazon, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE TRAY OPTIONS BELOW:
- Glass Decanters/Carafes –
- (Think: wine decanters, whiskey decanters, skull-shaped decanters, antique crystal decanters, beverage dispensers, glass carafes, glass pitchers, etc.)
- (Where to shop them: CB2, Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma, Target, Amazon, Wayfair, West Elm, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE DECANTERS/CARAFES BELOW:
- Books –
- Stacking cocktail books and placing other objects like glassware, bar tools, and/or decor on top of them creates dimension and visual interest through varied heights.
- (Think: cocktail recipe books, bar-tending books, cookbooks, etc.)
- (Where to shop: Barnes & Nobles, Walmart, Amazon, Target, Williams-Sonoma, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE BAR CART BOOK OPTIONS BELOW:
- Decorative Bowls –
- These might be necessary for holding certain items like: lemons, limes, straws, drink markers, etc.
- (Where to shop: Target, HomeGoods, Wayfair, Amazon, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE DECORATIVE BOWL OPTIONS BELOW:
- Wine Racks/Wine Bottle Holders –
- (Think: hanging stemware racks/hanging wine bottle racks, free-standing wine bottle racks, etc.)
- (Where to shop: Target, West Elm, CB2, Crate & Barrel, Amazon, Wayfair, Williams-Sonoma, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE WINE RACK/WINE HOLDER OPTIONS BELOW:
- Add’l Entertaining Supplies –
- (Think: straws, coasters, napkins, drink markers, skewers, etc.)
- (Where to shop: Anthropologie, West Elm, CB2, Crate & Barrel, Party City, Etsy, Williams-Sonoma, Wayfair, Amazon, etc.)
SHOP MY FAVORITE ENTERTAINING SUPPLIES BELOW:
- Add’l Decorative Accents –
- (Think: cute pineapple decor, over-sized glassware accents, felt boards, & any other fun/quirky decor that strikes your fancy!)
(Where to shop: TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Target, AllModern, Amazon, Wayfair, Etsy, etc.
SHOP MY FAVORITE ADD’L DECORATIVE ACCENTS BELOW:
STEP 5: ARRANGE & STYLE YOUR BAR CART!
At long last, you’ve finally made it to the homestretch of your bar cart styling process. Don’t get started with this step, though, until you have purchased all (or at least most) of the items you will be housing/displaying on your bar cart. Once all of your bar cart elements are in your possession, pull everything out in front of you and begin arranging! Don’t stress about getting things perfect on the first (or even second) try. This is the time to play around with a multitude of different arrangements. Keep it up until you find the one that you really love.
I think the key here is to style your bar cart in zones. Dedicate certain zones of the bar cart to specific items, whether it’s liquor bottles, bar tools, glassware, etc. I also found it helpful to style my bar cart one-shelf at a time. Starting with the top shelf, I chose to dedicate the majority of that zone to any hard alcohol-related items. The bottom shelf of my bar cart I dedicated mostly to housing our wine and champagne-related items.
Lastly, it’s important to create balance throughout your bar cart. Balance in color, balance in shapes, balance in height, balance in size, balance in EVERYTHING. When both sides of your bar cart are equally in balance, in all aspects, it will be much more visually appealing and that “expertly-styled” look I keep going on and on about will finally be yours!
Wow, you guys, that one was a doozy! If you’ve stuck around long enough to make it to the end of this post, I sincerely hope that you found more than one thing that could be of use to you and your own personal bar cart styling journey. Please drop me a comment below and let me know if you found this post at all helpful. And thanks for reading!
XOXO,
Kenzie
