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Have you ever seen those gorgeous bar carts on Pinterest and wondered how the heck they made them look THAT pretty?! Well, I always have 🙋 and I made it my mission to find out exactly how to style them.
At first, styling a bar cart can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually pretty simple. While it might look like people are just placing bar cart essentials wherever they please, there is an actual method to the madness. Trust me! 😉
Whether you are going for an aesthetically pleasing bar cart to walk past every day or a functional bar cart to store all of your alcohol, I’m here to spill all the secrets on how to make your bar cart the most beautiful, Pinterest-inspired bar cart around.
In this post, I’ll lay out my tried and true advice for bar cart styling that never fails. And at the end of this post, you’ll know how to style a bar cart so beautifully that your guests will wonder if you were a bartender in your past life lol.
How to Style a Bar Cart Like a Pro!
I’m going to break down my process into 4 easy-to-follow steps for you. That way you aren’t spending an entire weekend moving a cocktail shaker from left to right a million times trying to find the perfect placement.
Step 1: Find an Absolutely Adorable Bar Car
Before you can think about styling your bar cart, you first need the main ingredient – the bar cart itself. This step is actually one of the most fun steps because it sets the tone for the rest of the styling.
The bar cart that you end up buying should match the aesthetic of your room and be something you truly love!
If you’re wondering, my bar cart is the Fae 2-Tier Bar Cart from Crate and Barrel. Yes, this is on the pricey side, and yes, I used a lot of Crate and Barrel gift cards from my wedding registry years ago haha. But it’s absolutely stunning and I LOVE it!
What SHould you look for in a bar cart?
Prior to styling a bar cart, there are several things to consider when picking out the perfect bar cart.
Style
Choose a bar cart that works in your space. While this may seem obvious, it’s important to look around the room this cart will live in.
Will this be an accent to the room? We love brass accents here!
Is your decor style modern, vintage, or something else? Go with a bar cart that’s going to complement the rest of your room!
Size
One of the more important factors in your bar cart decision-making is the size and dimensions of the cart. Break out the tape measure and measure the space where you want your bar cart!
Pay attention to the width and depth of the bar cart. It should fit comfortably in the desired location. If the bar cart sticks out too far in the room, then that’s the only thing you’re going to notice!
The last thing you want is to be bumping into it on a day-to-day basis. And styling your bar cart will be the last of your worries!
Features
If you want mobility, be sure to get a bar cart with wheels so you can move it around as you host.
Want additional storage? Look for a bar cart that has wine glass holders or a built-in wine rack.
The features you go after are all up to you! Just be sure to go after features that make sense for how you’ll be using your bar cart.
Step 2: Piece Together Your Bar Cart Essentials
This step is going to require some shopping, pinning, and browsing for those must-have bar cart items. It’s all about those functional bar cart items – we’ll get to the decor in the next step.
Cocktail shaker | Lamp | Bar cart | Vase
I LOVE this step, and if there was a reason to have two bar carts, sign me up because it’s so fun getting to piece everything together. So believe me when I say, I’m happy to help you with these tips!
In the end, this is going to come down to the style that you want to incorporate into your bar cart. However, there are some bar cart essentials that every true bar cart MUST have when thinking about how to style a bar cart.
You don’t need ALL of these – but you can pick a few that will put the “bar” in bar cart.
Bar Cart Must-Haves
- Glassware (wine glasses, bourbon glasses, etc)
- Cocktail shaker
- Jigger
- Bar spoons
- Strainer
- Muddler
- Alcohol – I tend to keep the “pretty” ones on my bar cart
- Ice bucket w/ tongs
- Decanter
- Hand towel
Check out my post on the cutest glassware if you want some adorable ideas!
The great thing is that a lot of smaller tools come in sets that look b-e-a-utiful on top of a stylish bar cart if you want an all-in-one solution.
Choose accessories that complement or accent your bar cart. Brass is a really popular look when styling a bar cart because it looks high-end and luxurious. I can’t knock it because I accent with brass throughout my entire house. 😏
My favorite stores to find bar cart accessories are Crate and Barrel, McGee & Co., Pottery Barn, HomeGoods, and Amazon. Don’t forget to thrift! I have found some unbelievably eye-catching barware like decanters at my local thrift store. You never know what you’ll find but it’s the best way to be unique!
Step 3: Stunning Bar Cart Decor
When you’re wondering how to style a bar cart, the accessories are just part of the equation.
While the shaker, glassware, and other essentials can be stunning on their own, decor helps round out your bar cart.
Not only that, but bar cart decor helps it look purposefully styled.
So when I say bar cart decor, what exactly does that entail?
Bar Cart Decor Ideas
- Art – to sit on top of the cart or hang on the wall behind the bar cart
- Flowers or plants in vases
- Bar cart books
- Decorative trays
- Lamps! (yes, lamps are the perfect, yet overlooked piece of decor for your bar cart)
Art
When browsing Pinterest for all of the bar cart ideas out there, you’ll notice so many people have bar-related art and I LOVE it! You can find some amazing options on Etsy.
I think it’s the perfect cherry-on-top to a bar cart. It’s like “Hey, I’m a bar cart and I’m here to have fun!”
I’m typically not a fan of word art, but I think the bar cart is a place where it can be done tastefully! There are so many cute phrases out there that make it hard not to choose this option.
I decided to make my own art for behind my cart and I personally am OBSESSED with how it turned out. I wanted something that felt unique, reflected the color palette color in my dining room, and had a “wow” factor. I think the striped muted sage green painting did just that!
If you are searching around for the perfect piece of art and just can’t seem to find what you are looking for, I would highly encourage you to get creative and make your own art! It’s not only fun but can make your space feel completely custom and unique.
Flowers and plants in vases
Flowers and plants in vases are a bar cart staple – you’ll see this on almost every styled bar cart. Why? Flowers bring a sense of freshness and make any setting feel homey. Plus, they add height to the bar cart, which is important when visually creating levels.
I always love to use the “Triangle Method” when styling any shelf and a bar cart would definitely fall into that category!
For this styling tip, you simply want to group decor in threes with each piece of decor having varying heights. This will help your eye visually group items together and make for a very pleasing arrangement! I absolutely love this tip and swear by it!
Bar cart books
Bar cart books can help elevate other bar cart decor or accessories. Put a spotlight on your decanter, glassware, ice bucket, or pitcher by sitting them on top of a stack of books. Here are my favorite coffee table books that can double as bar cart books.
You can also find some absolute gems in HomeGoods.
Decorative trays
Decorative trays can help group items together for a more cohesive look. Plus they just look nice! And if you see yourself serving the drinks, it can be just as functional as it is cute!
Lamps
Last, but certainly not least, lamps! Lamps make for great bar cart decor because they help with height and they’re adorable. You can tell that mine helps balance out the top shelf.
Plus, they help to create some amazing mood lighting especially if your bar cart lives in your kitchen or dining room.
Step 4: Style Your Bar Cart
You now have your adorable bar cart, fancy bar cart essentials, and cuter-than-cute bar cart decor. It’s time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for, how to style your bar cart!
How do you organize a bar cart with all of this stuff? It’s all about balancing out each shelf of your bar cart.
Top shelf bar cart styling
While “top shelf” is the highest quality when it comes to bar talk, it doesn’t change when it comes to styling a bar cart.
Ruffle bowl | Vase | Lamp | Cocktail shaker
The top shelf is the place to showcase the best of your bar cart!
- On one side, add height with a tall vase and some florals.
- On the other side, add height with a lamp, decanter, or other taller decor.
- In the middle, show off your bar tools or 2-4 glasses. Depending on space, you can place one of these items or both. The middle section always tends to be a shorter height which also helps with the “triangle method” for styling like I mentioned earlier in this post.
- You can also include a small cup with cute cocktail sticks or style a bowl with limes for a pop of color.
Bar cart | Cocktail shaker | Ruffle bowl | Vase | Lamp
The most important thing to remember is to create layers and levels on the top shelf. Shorter items in the front and taller in the back.
Remember, sometimes less is more. There’s no need to crowd your top shelf with every single thing you possibly can. If you start to feel things are getting a little cramped, that’s why we have a bottom shelf! 😉
As an alternative for creating height, as mentioned earlier, you can use a stack of bar cart books to elevate a short decanter, cocktail shaker, or any other piece of decor. You can even place your bar art in a small frame on top of your bar cart books for height.
P.S. You don’t need alcohol to live on your bar cart. If it’s just not working, leave it out!
Bottom shelf bar cart styling
Ah, the bottom shelf. When you’re thinking about how to style a bar cart, this is where you ground your bar cart.
The bottom shelf is a place where less immediate items live.
- On one side, place your ice bucket. This will make your bar cart feel like it has some weight and it’s proportional to all of the good stuff on top.
- On the rest of the shelf, you can include things like mixers, more bottles, or more glassware. If you showcase bourbon glasses on the top shelf, you can put wine glasses, champagne flutes, or other specialty glassware on the bottom shelf.
- If you have a glass drink pitcher, you can place this on the bottom shelf for height!
I recommend not including an entire set of glasses (more than 4 of the same kind) on your bar cart. This may look a bit repetitive and less purposefully styled. Four is a nice number without drawing too much attention away from your other beautiful bar car items!
Again, you don’t need a ton happening on this shelf. The bar cart can look styled with very few items.
Behind the cart
To round out your bar cart, you can hang art on the wall behind it!
Buy one large piece of art that is a little less in width than your bar cart to make a small space impactful.
Instead of hanging wall art, you can also sit 1-2 pieces of art on the top shelf of the cart and lean it against the wall.
My Styled Bar Cart for Inspiration
The best thing about decorating a bar cart is that it’s all up to YOU! Style it based on your own personal tastes. If it looks good to you and you love it, that’s all that matters in the end!
In case you want a little bit of bar cart inspiration, here’s exactly how I styled my bar cart, following the same tried and true process from above. 😊
If you’re looking for bar cart ideas for small spaces, mine is a prime example because I had very little room to work with here, but I still managed to pull it off!
The most important thing about bar cart styling is just picking out the items to style the bar cart with. Once you have that, your bar cart will start coming together quickly. After reading through this no-fail bar cart styling method, you’ll know how to style your bar cart like a pro!
I found your bar cart ideas to be very helpful, and I’ll be putting the triangle concept to use today! Heading to Home Goods for books and glassware. Thank you so much for this valuable information. Looking forward to reviewing other ideas on your site.