Bar carts are the new black. Well, as far as home decor goes. Everyone is just dying to get their hands on one. Target put one on their shelves and it seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye. Then within a week it was all over Pinterest being all gold and girly.
Bar carts aren’t a new thing of course. They were a fixture in a lot of American homes during the mid 20th century. Your grandparents probably had one, Mad Men style. My husbands great grandparents had one but they called it a “tea cart”. Sure thing Granny. In the late 1960’s, new homes were being designed with built-in dry bars or wet bars so there was no longer a huge demand for bar carts. My grandparents had a built-in wet bar so we played a lot of “bartender” during my adolescence. Explains so much…
The bar cart is back and, like most people, I’m loving it. Search Pinterest and you’ll find thousands of images of cute styled bar carts, a lot of them gold with pink accents, kind of girly. If I lived in a bachelorette pad, you bet your ass I would have a gold and girly bar set up, but I don’t. My husband would roll it right out the front door if he came home to that. So, here are a few of my favorite bar cart styles that could work in everyday homes. Some of them aren’t actually bar carts, the kind with wheels, but bar “areas” outside of the kitchen.
1.
photo cred: theglitterguide.comI love the elegance of this bar set-up. It’s white so it blends nicely with the neutral colored walls and carpet and the gold mugs and cocktail shaker add a nice pop but not too much. I happen to have that same cocktail shaker; get it here.
2.
photo cred: westelmThis mid-century style beverage area is great. It blends in perfectly with the rest of the area so if you removed the decanters and glasses, no one would guess they were ever there or that there was booze in the wall mounted cabinet.
3.
photo cred: refinery29Ridiculous cute, right? I love when people use industrial style items in their home. Maybe because my parents house had a living room wall covered entirely in corrugated metal when I was growing up. I just have a fondness for metal used in unusual ways, especially when it’s painted a bright color.
4.
photo cred: ellandemmstylestoryBar cart on top, magazine holder on bottle. Multi-purpose.
5.
photo cred: eclecticallyvintageNot actually a bar cart, just a vintage suitcase on top of a dresser and filled with booze. Genius!
6.
photo cred: stylemeprettyI dig the dual ice bucket/wine chiller on the side. I also love that even though the cart is mobile, it feels more like a permanent piece of furniture with wall hangings above it.
7.
photo cred: onekingslane.comGold and kinda girly, I know! But if you just remove the pink flowers then it’s gold and awesome with that giant mirror and Lucite bottle holder below.
8.
photo credit: delightbydesignAnother bar set up with a giant mirror. I love it! Place a tray on an awesome piece of furniture, antique, vintage or new and you can turn anything into a bar.
9.
photo cred: muffytakesmanhattan.tumblrNow I think I’m just really into mirrors. And neutral colors. Nice, clean and sophisticated.
10.
photo cred: designspongeHere is another one that isn’t actually a bar cart. I’ve always had commitment issues when putting things on top of my sideboard. I love this because most of the cocktail glasses are hidden inside, leaving a lot of room up top to stay clutter free.
11.
photo cred: honestlywtfI pinned this about forever ago and still haven’t gotten around to making it. Just a tray on a stand. You can move this around every time your grandparents visit just to confuse them. But then you might be a jerk….
12.
photo cred: waitinginmarthaAnother metal cart! I love! The area around it seems a bit sparse but it works perfectly with the bulky items on the cart.
13.
photo cred: ruemag.comSo cute…mostly that geode knob but the gold with the black too. That knob though….
14.
photo cred: elizabethanndesignsThe best part about a bar cart (with wheels) is that you can take it anywhere with you. The dining room, the bathroom, the backyard…perfect entertaining piece.