Why a bar cart is the ultimate way add sophistication to your home

17 August 2023

By Henry Khov

Old-fashioned entertaining takes on a modern twist when styled to your taste. Here’s how to create your own bar cart at home.

Just like fashion, interior trends are cyclical. One item that slowly seems to be making its way back into our homes is the trusty drinks trolley or bar cart. With in-home entertaining on the rise, a bar cart clinking with glassware and drinks serves as the perfect living-dining accessory.

Cool and compact

Given its size, the bar cart is an easy element to incorporate into a larger space – in a quiet corner perhaps, or at the edge of a room. As most are on wheels, they’re also conveniently mobile; if you get bored of seeing your cart in the same spot, you can easily move it to another. In summer, simply wheel your trolley onto the deck or into the courtyard for an instant outdoor bar.

Spirited away

A trolley is yet another surface to style up and a great place to display special glassware, bar accessories and, of course, your favourite tipple. Spirits look marvellous stored in glass or crystal decanters, and there are plenty of options available. Remember to include an ice bucket and tongs, a cocktail shaker, strainer and measurer, straws, drink stirrers and napkins. Having all the bar essentials in one place means you spend less time going back and forth to the kitchen and more time mixing with your guests as you dispense drinks. If there’s room on your cart you can always add a potted plant or bunch of flowers, too.

On display

Trolleys don’t have to be used solely as drinks stations. They can also serve as a place to store and display decorative items.

Green space

Including a touch of nature on your trolley will provide visual appeal and soften the effect of the other items on display. Whether it’s a vase of your favourite blooms or a collection of lush green pot plants, be sure to add a little life to your trolley.

Fine print

If you’re an avid book or magazine collector, trolleys offer a fine storage space for these items. To keep things orderly, stack your reading material in a tray as we have done here.

Photo finish

If you’re struggling to find somewhere to display framed photos, a trolley provides a great, low-key space for your favourite pictures. Depending on the size of the trolley and what else you have on it, a collection of framed prints grouped together can look fab – just remember to mix up the frame sizes for visual interest. If space doesn’t allow, then a single framed photo arranged with other small items can work just as well.

Group dynamics

Small decorative elements can all have a home on a trolley. On ours, we’ve grouped a vase, a candle and a shell on a tray. Consider varying the height and texture of items to achieve the greatest impact. This would look wonderful in an entryway, hall, guest bedroom or dining area.