May 12, 2020 By Rachel Burrow Veranda
Heralded as one of the entertaining hubs of our homes, the bar is an area that deserves just as much attention as you lavish on your coffee table, bookshelves, or mantel when hosting family and friends. But not every home comes with that perfect spot for a home bar or an outdoor bar.
Enter the bar cart, which just may be the most versatile piece of furniture you can buy for your home.
Although a rolling cocktail cart may conjure Mad Men–era visions of drinks at the office well before five o’clock, the bar cart has far more sober origins. The rolling beverage caddy dates all the way back to the Victorian era, when it was known as a “tea trolley” and was wheeled out to serve tea and biscuits during tea time.
It wasn’t until after Prohibition ended in the 1930s — and really until the mid-1950s — that the bar cart began rolling out again, this time to serve boozy confections. The watering-hole-on-wheels soon became a staple in American popular culture, making its way onto movie sets, restaurants, and living rooms across America.
Today, the utility of the bar cart extends well beyond serving drinks. In fact, thanks to its mobility and small size, there’s almost no room — from living rooms and dining rooms to bedrooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms — in which the bar cart is not useful.
We’ve tapped some of the country’s most renowned interior designers for their tips, tricks, and ideas for how to use and style this essential piece. Here’s how to make the most of your bar cart (hello, multitasking!) when not mixing cocktails for the neighbors.
Make It Feel Collected
When styling your bar cart or table, San Francisco–based designer Ken Fulk puts the emphasis on the creating a mood and look – no matter whether cocktail hour is just for yourself or you are entertaining guests.
“I prefer to treat a bar cart as a tableau rather than simply a dispenser of drinks,” says Fulk. “I often include flowers, favorite objects, or a framed photo. This cart has this fantastic built-in ice bucket. Otherwise, I often utilize an interesting cachepot (with a plastic liner) for a collected look.”
This already-handsome wheeled bar cart gets an upgrade with malachite accessories and fresh flowers.