13 Bar Cart Ideas That Will Make You Wish It Were 5 O'Clock

Vintage Touches

If your bar cart lives inside a traditional dining room, it should complement the entertaining space's style and offer some visual intrigue. To create this setup, Alexis Smith of Shoshin styled this gold Soane Britain trolley with vintage glassware and tea tins; both nodded to the formality of the room.

In addition to a few practical elements, the designer included freshly cut flowers for a touch of elegance and punctuated the nook with a lamp. "It provides extra lighting over the bar cart should the room need to transition to support evening entertaining duties," she says.

Grounding Metallics

Looking for a way to establish some grounding warmth into an already-dynamic room? Consider a subtle metallic cart that will act as an anchor. Interior designer Jill Croka of Jill Croka Designs selected this piece for its brass tone, noting that it tempered the colorful drapery. "We then chose functional bar items that also blended into the aesthetic of the room," she says. "Smaller elements, such as stone bottle stoppers, add to the overall look—and also draw from colors within the drapes.

Install Wine Shelves

Designate and further section off your bar area by installing wine shelves or a floating wine rack above a bar cart. Not only will this clearly direct guests to where to go for a drink, but it'll clear up space on the cart itself for more cocktail tools and spirts.

Pattern Play

To punch up a basic bar coat, give it a coat of fresh white paint and decoupage a sunny-hued Chinoiserie wallpaper onto its tiers. A few coordinating details (note the blue-and-white vessels used for plants and bar tools) ensures the final product is cohesive.

Engaging Backdrop

This mid-century piece may be tucked into the corner of the room, but the vibrant artwork hanging above ensures that it doesn't get lost. Recreate White Arrow's efforts by taking a similar approach—hang a favorite frame, tapestry, or sconce above your station for a little extra oomph.

Color Pop

We love how the walnut wood of this trolley speaks to the leather chairs surrounding the dining table. "We used glass, good vintage wines, and a pop of color on both the top and bottom to add a bit of life to the wood-and-steel bar cart," says Elizabeth Gill of Elizabeth Gill Interiors. The abstract art hanging just above the trolley (and the orange boxes on the second tier) speak to the room's bold blue paint.

Create Vignettes

Cluster groups of like items together—like barware, Pellegrino bottles, or flowers—to create a series of miniature vignettes across your barscape, says Kriste Michelini of Kriste Michelini Interiors.

Another detail-oriented tip? "Be cognizant of the labels on the bottles—they should complement and pair well together," she says. "Also, add items that are unexpected, such as interesting coasters, brass, and straws."

Beach Bar Cart

While a bar cart should reference the room, it can also illustrate your home's locale. In the butler's pantry of Martha's former house in the Hamptons, taxidermy fish—a nod to the scenic beach just beyond her four walls—were placed above this vintage piece, which was filled with bottles that matched the colorful creatures just above.

Bathroom Storage

Who says a bar cart has to be used for booze and bubbly? If you're looking for a playful storage solution in your bathroom, consider wheeling in a sturdy, two-tier trolley. Use the top for displaying beauty essentials, like perfume bottles and creams; and the bottom to neatly tuck away other water closet items, like toilet paper and towels.

Bar Cabinet

If you'd rather tuck away your libations, consider a bar cabinet. Here, a traditional armoire was upgraded and outfitted with a smoky mirror backsplash, shelves for goblets and cocktail tools, and beautiful decanters. Its doors were fitted with racks for towels, and, when closed, hid the entertaining station from view.

End Table

Do you have a room that doubles as a relaxation and entertaining space? Then consider creating a bar cart that pulls double duty as an end table. On the top tier, display a table lamp, books and magazines, and a few fitting decorative touches. The lower level is the perfect place to display glasses, alcohol, an ice bucket, and other bar cart essentials.

Repurpose Vintage Pieces

While its intended purpose may not have originally been a bar cart, that doesn't mean that it can't be one now. That wooden accent table you thrifted and haven't yet found a use for? It could make an excellent bar cart, lending the space vintage vibes thanks to its old-school apothecary aesthetic.

Make It Seasonal

Don't leave your bar cart out of the holiday fun. You can extend your seasonal décor to your bar cart by swapping out your more summery spirits for creamy dessert liquors and Christmas tabletop décor pieces. Come spring, you can similarly bring in bright, citrusy spirits and decorations like seasonal blooms or jars of lemons.