How to Build a Bar Cart

Bar carts are back in style, and I'm obsessed!

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Bar carts are EVERYWHERE! They can be styled in so ma fun ways that reflect your personality. No alcohol? You can do this as a coffee bar, during the holidays a hot chocolate station, even a snack cart or game cart. The possibilities are endless.

Bar Carts

Essential right? Probably need a bar cart, but luckily everyone makes them now and at so many price points. I personally own the Holly and Martin Zephs Bar Cart I would consider this a low price point option at under $150. (just google the name to find the cheapest option and different colors!) Pros: I love how sturdy it is with locking wheels, wine rack, and glassware rack, as well as it can hold a lot of weight. Cons: The smoked glass tint does scratch off as well as the white paint on the exterior. It's only scratched in two spots but still worth mentioning.

Other gorgeous options:

World Market Champagne Gold And Marble 2 Tier Bar Cart (under $100, and even on sale, would be great for a small space), Zhori 3-tier Mid-century Modern Bar Cart (under $250, but search for the lowest priced option, comes in brown, black and white with aged brass accents), West Elm Tiered Bar Console, Parchment ($550, but on sale now for $500, it has marble and wood tiers with gold accents *chef's kiss), Anthropologie Juneau Velvet Bar Cabinet ($2000, it's technically a bar cabinet, but luxury velvet, solid wood and marble, my dream bar).

Glassware

Glassware can not only be practical but a beautiful accessory too! I love glassware, especially collecting beautiful pieces, but you can build your collection as needed. I wish I wasn't in such a rush to build my collection and only bought pieces I loved. I personally own the World Market Art Deco Gable Highball & Double Old Fashioned Glasses, Crate & Barrel Hip Large Red Wine Glass, and the Dollar Tree Yucatan Margarita Glasses. I love my World Market glassware they are both under $15 (for a set of 2) and bring elegance when displayed. the cons are they are hand wash only and can lose the gold and colored finish when you used all the time. So be wary. My Crate & Barrel wine glasses are HUGE, they could probably fit an entire bottle of wine honestly. They are beautiful but if you have a specific spot in mind check oyu dimensions to make sure they will fit. ($7.95 each). Lastly, I own margarita glass from Dollar Tree, yes you read correctly the Dollar Tree. You'd be surprised how much glassware they have and how good the quality is. These are heavy-duty thick glass that were are great to have when I need them.

Other options:

Estelle Colored Coupe Stemware, Set of 6, Mixed Set ($205 for the set, you can also buy individually or all the same color set, so many glassware styles and colored options. Truly a work of art!), Urban Outfitters Luca Cocktail Glass, Martini ($14 each, love the design of these and they also come in a coupe style glass).

Bar Tools

You can make drinks without all the fancy gadgets but they do make life easier and can still enhance your bar cart style. Barillo Complete Bar Tool Set - Pro Edition is perfect for someone who either wants to upgrade to a fully matched set or just doesn't have anything at all. I personally do not have this set but we use this set at work. It literally has everything you need and is currently on sale for under $100! The only con is all the Barillo branding, but don't let it deter you from this amazing set. In my home bar, I have a lot of Barfly items, I love the look and functionality of the Julep, Fine Mesh, and Hawthorne strainer. Do you need 3 strainers, probably not but I use all three. The Julep strainer is for my mixing glass, the Hawthorne strainer fits into all cups for a standard shaken cocktail, and the fine mesh pair well with either to make sure no bits of fruit or shard of ice ruin the mouthfeel of your cocktail. These are all under $15 and come in a multitude of colors. I also have the Target 3L Stainless Steel Ice Bucket with Tongs Gold - Project 62 this piece looks great for $30, but to be completely honest I have never used it for its intended use. That being said I do think an ice bucket is good to have and creates height on your bar cart.

Other options:

Crate & Barrel Hatch Cocktail Shaker ($20, I have a similar one at home, can't go wrong with a pretty glass shaker), Briout Japanese Style Jigger with Measurements Inside ($7, an essential, I prefer Japanese style jiggers and love that this one has all the measurements you'd need labeled inside for perfectly balanced cocktails).

Bar Decor

Now for "non-essentials", but for me still super important. This is the cherry on top of styling your bar cart. This is where you add your personality, pizazz, and also fill space while you build a collection of everything else. My goal when adding my decor pieces is to create levels, Is create a color scheme and make the bar cart feel like its own designated space. World Market Marble And Gold Serving Tray I have this one in black and gold and unfortunately, that color has been discontinued, but this one is just as beautiful. I use this tray to separate out my bourbon and give an elevated look. It breaks up the sameness of the bar cart and creates dimension. And it's only $40! Amazon 3-Ingredient Cocktails: An Opinionated Guide to the Most Enduring Drinks in the Cocktail Canon ($15.99) this book is great for the recipes, especially for a beginner because it is only three ingredient cocktails, perfect for quick drinks and without having a massive bar stock. This book is also beautiful visually (you can judge this book by the cover), I love stacking books to create levels as well and for the knowledge. There are so many great bar books out there! (Leave a comment if you'd like to see my collection of bar books!) I also love the CB2 Gianna Dish with Lid for $35, it is so classy and looks so much more expensive than it is. I use this to store my corks so it is functional for me, but it would look great to store dehydrated garnishes too, or really anything!

Other options:

Atlas Round, LED neon sign by Jonathan Adler ($1,490, be bougie and get a moody neon sign, Jonathan Adler has such unique bar decor), Etsy Cocktail Drink Print Set, Set of 6 (prices starting at $28, Etsy is great resource for decor, especially prints, these are fun and colorful and would make an amazing gallery wall above you cart).

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Now put it all together and have fun with it and do what you like!

Need more ideas? Follow me on Pinterest I have a full board dedicated to bar carts, click here. Check out my Instagram to see my bar cart styled, here.

I hope you've gotten inspiration and ideas for your own home! Comment below what finds you love and any ideas you'd like for further bar cart posts.