How to Style a Beautiful and Elegant Bar Cart for your Home

Full disclosure…I have always wanted a bar cart. It feels so grown up to me in a sort of Mad Men kind of way. So with the pool house remodel, I have the perfect place for one. Here is how to style a beautiful and elegant bar cart for your home.

Where to Begin

Searching for the perfect bar cart is made rather easy on the internet. Some things to consider before purchasing:

• What style/look do you want?
• Size of space for the cart?
• Color and materials of the cart?
• How much storage is needed?
• What is your budget?
• Rolling or fixed?

Bar carts come in all styles, colors, sizes and prices. I am searching for a bit of glam (not too much), a brighter, reflective surface with a stylish design. Some great resources to try are Amazon, Target, Ballard Design, Pottery Barn, Wayfair and Overstock.

My Selection

Ultimately, I found the perfect cart from Target, the gold Cleopatra bar cart from Safavieh. This 3 tier cart has mirrored shelves, is a simple, yet elegant design with easy mobility. Here is the link. The cost is $369.99 which is a little higher than I want to spend, but it has all the elements I am looking for~style, strength and mobility.

The overall dimensions are 33.6 Inches (H) x 29.8 Inches (W) x 15.0 Inches (D) and this fits perfectly under the round window in a corner of the pool house living room.

Stocking the Cart

Non-alcoholic beverages and mixers

Selecting both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options allows everyone to use the bar cart. On a trip to World Market for something else, I am so delighted to find beautiful beverage bottle options. Being a visual person, I love interesting bottles and labels and World Market did not disappoint. They have an amazing selection of unique flavors of drinks ~ pear cardamom, blood orange, and strawberry basil French soda. Aren’t they pretty?

Core Spirits

We are fortunate to have a Total Wine locally as they have an enormous selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. It is a fun challenge to find basic spirits ~vodka, gin, whiskey/bourbon, tequila, and rum with pretty bottles and labels!

Here is a list of the spirits found:

• Esmé Gin
• Basil Hayden Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
• La Caña Grande Silver Rum
• Goslings Black Seal Bermuda Rum
• Belvedere Vodka
• Don Diego Santa Blanco Tequila
• Dolin Dry Vermouth

Non-Alcoholic Beverages~all from World Market and found here.

• Fentimans Gently Sparkling Elderflower
• Fentimans Tonic Water
• Fentimans Rose Lemonade
• Fever Tree Ginger Beer
• Pellegrino Sparkling Water
• Bloody Mary Mix

Tools

To make the use of the bar cart a bit self sufficient (not having to borrow items from the main house), a simple barware kit is added. Here is what every bartender should have in their bar kit:

• Cocktail Shaker. A bartender’s best friend
• Cocktail Strainer
• Muddler 
• Jigger or shot glass
• Flat top Bottle Opener
• Wine Key
• Pour spout

I found this pretty bar set on Wayfair. An acrylic ice bucket is added for bottles of wine or champagne. You can find one here on Amazon.

Wine, champagne, Prosecco and water are in the small refrigerator in the kitchenette.

Serveware

A drink is more pleasant in an attractive glass. Since this is the pool house, I have a combination of both glass and acrylic stemware. Wine, beer, martini and margarita glasses are provided. Depending on your guests, a good rock glass is recommended too.

Of course there are many places to find pretty serve ware but for easy shopping check out this link on Wayfair. Also, if you prefer acrylic serve ware, Wayfair has a very nice selection here.

Before Guests Arrive

Typically the pool house is used to accommodate our out of town guests. I try to determine what people like to drink beforehand so the bar cart and small refrigerator is stocked for their stay. Adding fruit like lemons and limes, plus a cup of fresh herbs or vegetables for garnishes (rosemary, celery slices) is a nice personal touch to the bar.

I’m a little giddy about this bar cart as it is something I have wanted to do for a long time….and I think it looks so pretty and inviting.

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

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