Danielcc/Shutterstock
63 Bar Cart Ideas
Adding a bar cart to your home decor is more than just adding functionality and additional storage. It’s a decorative piece that will add a sense of style and elegance to your home. Traditional bar carts are large and expensive. However, modern trends have adapted this furniture piece into one that will fit into any sized home.
Place your bar cart in any room in your home. Use it for alcohol or anything else that you want to turn into a station spot. These bar cart ideas will prove that you can incorporate this grown-up idea into any home decor theme.
See more about - 61 Wet Bar Ideas
Table of Contents
1. Coffee-Inspired Bar Cart Ideas
Modern trends have embraced the idea of turning alcohol bar carts into coffee bar carts. Place one in your kitchen and free up some of your cabinet and counter space. If you don’t drink coffee, you could opt for a tea trolley instead.
Outfit your kitchen cart with everything you need to make a delicious cup of your favorite beverage. You could have mugs on the bottom shelf.
Arrange a selection of different coffees or teas on the top shelf. Place your coffee or tea maker on the upper shelf. Then include an assortment of additions, such as milk, creamer, sugar, or honey. You could even turn it into a gourmet coffee station with caramel and chocolate sauces.
2. Elevate Your Entertaining
Give your home decor a feeling of luxury and elegance with a fancy bar cart. You could use it to display your elegant glassware collection. If you’re a wine lover, you could arrange your wine collection on it and turn it into a wine rack. Place the bottle on the upper shelves and the wine glasses on the lower ones.
This kind of bar cart is more than a home bar; it’s a decorative accent. Look for a cart that has intricate detailing, uses fine metals, or has an expensive stone for the shelves. Brass and gold are popular finishes.
3. Embrace Elegance
A glass bar cart will have glass shelves that are carefully rested on a metal, wood, or acrylic frame. These are perfect for smaller spaces because they help to keep the space feeling lighter. Because you can see through the shelves, the eye is tricked into thinking the space is larger than it is.
A metal frame looks best with glass shelves. Look for one with a sleek frame with either sharp corners or gentle curves for a modern look. Because you can see through the shelves, you could pick a cart with more than the standard two shelves. This gives you more storage space.
4. Industrial-Inspired Bar Carts
Industrial interior design is a beautiful mix of utilitarian and beauty. A bar cart is a perfect addition as both tend to have a more masculine feel. Look for a cart that follows traditional industrial design rules, such as mixing commercial building materials.
A perfect bar cart would have concrete shelves on a metal and wood frame. It could also have leather accents.
Place a decorative tray on the top shelve that adds layers. The tray should accent the cart to bring a lightness to it. This will balance the heaviness of the industrial cart. Once set up, you’ll be hosting cocktail hour like a pro.
5. Incorporate Metal Accents
You have your choice of metals when it comes to buying a metal bar cart. It could be black, brass, gold, silver, or nickel. It could then have a soft satin or a shiny finish to the metal. Choose a metal that will match the look of the rest of your interior.
See more about - 20 Best Bottles To Kick Start Your Home Bar
6. Sleek and Contemporary
Modern bar carts embrace futuristic materials and designs. These chic bar carts stand out for their creative designs. They’ll feature geometric shapes or delicate counterbalances. They’re also made in bold colors, making them perfect for adding a pop of color to your room.
Get creative with your bar cart and use it to display a bowl of fresh fruit. Or use it in your bedroom as a makeup or hair care station. Place a bar cart in your bathroom and use it to store your toiletries.
7. Explore Chic Bar Cart Inspirations
Rattan and wicker are trending in current interior design trends. If you aren’t crazy about rattan furniture, incorporating it into your room with a bar cart is a great compromise. This turns it into bar cart decor. Try placing it in your dining room for a touch of nature in your formal room.
Most rattan or wicker bar carts have solid frames and woven shelves. These carts will look beautiful in a coastal, bohemian, or eclectic style. If you enjoy the vintage look, you can find several rattan bar carts that are authentic and give your home a creative touch with intricately woven designs.
8. Space-Saving Solutions
While traditional bar carts tend to be quite large, this isn’t the case with modern styles. These smaller carts are perfect for placing in an empty corner or at the end of your sofa. They’re just big enough for crafting your favorite cocktail recipe.
You could also use them as a fancier side table. Place a lamp, vase full of flowers, small statute, or any other decorative item on it.
The multiple shelves make it perfect for creating a multi-level display. Small carts also work well in a small entryway where space is limited. Place a bowl for keys and use the lower shelf as shoe storage for your guests.
9. Unleash Your Creativity
A bar cart is a perfect place to embrace the season without feeling like decorations have taken over your entire home. Decorate your bar cart and serve themed cocktails. This is perfect for holiday entertaining.
In October, you can have a Halloween bar cart. Place mini pumpkins on the cart and serve pumpkin spice cocktails. Then turn it into a holiday bar cart with peppermint or some other holiday-flavored drink. Decorate the cart for the holiday season with a mini Christmas tree, reindeer statues, or a Santa statue.
10. Vintage Charm
Embrace a bit of old-world elegance with a vintage bar cart, or at least one that looks vintage-inspired. It should have a pair of small wheels on one side and larger wheels on the other. Then it should have a handle that runs the length of the short end with the smaller wheels. Some are rectangular in shape. Others have fold-out sides that turn it into a round table.
Add a touch of feminine elegance to your vintage cart by placing fresh flowers in a small vase on it. Then add a touch of color with colorful glassware or bottles for holding the different types of alcohol.
11. Enhance Your Space With Wood
Wood adds a natural feel to your room and brings a sense of warmth. Choose a cart that is made of a type of wood that will complement the space. Lighter woods look beautiful in Scandinavian-inspired and modern rooms. Darker woods fit right into formal rooms.
A wood bar cart can be made in any style. Match the style of the cart to the style of the room. A rustic room calls for a more rustic bar cart. An elegant or formal room needs a wood bar cart to match. You can even find a wood bar cart that fits in with a mid-century-inspired design.
A wood bar cart can be made in any style. Match the style of the cart to the style of the room. A rustic room calls for a more rustic bar cart. An elegant or formal room needs a wood bar cart to match. You can even find a wood bar cart that fits in with a mid-century-inspired design.
See more about - The 10 Best Scotch & Whiskey Glass Styles For Your Home Bar
Bar Cart FAQs
What should be on a bar cart?
If you plan to use your bar cart for alcohol, you need the necessary tools and supplies. Have the basic liquors of vodka, rum, whiskey, and tequila. Then create a barware tool kit with a jigger, cocktail mixer, strainer, bottle opener, corkscrew, and ice bucket. Add mixers such as juice, soda, tonic water, and bitters. Finally, you’ll need a collection of glassware to serve your drinks in.
What can I use instead of a bar cart?
All you need is a flat work surface and another space for storage. You could mount a couple of floating shelves on the wall. Or you could have a side or console table. Stick with options that have a smooth and easily cleanable surface. This will keep the space sanitary and looking nice.
How do you style a bar cart without alcohol?
You don’t have to put alcohol on your bar cart. You could turn it into a coffee or tea station. You could have mugs, hot water, or a coffee maker, and the necessary accompaniments. Consider turning your bar cart into a movie night station with candy, a popcorn maker, and vintage soda bottles. If you’re entertaining, you could turn it into a party favors display. Offer your guests their choice of decorative candles, mugs, or some other small parting gift.
