Literally Just 29 of the Prettiest Bar Carts We’ve Ever Seen
While, by definition, bar carts are places to store liquor and glasses with easy access, they can also be as beautiful as they are useful—if you know how to style them. Luckily, for those of you in need of a little inspiration, we scoured the depths of Pinterest to find some seriously chic bar cart ideas. Every single one of these bar carts is a work of art, and can give a few ideas (29, to be exact) as to how to style your own. So go ahead and grab your most aesthetic bottles of alcohol and chicest glassware from your kitchen cabinets and place them where they really belong: on an effortlessly cool bar cart.
Before you begin throwing bottles, glasses and other accessories onto the shelves, though, remember that a bar cart serves as both a piece of functional furniture and an opportunity for amping up your home decor. Objects you may have never considered bar accessories can be used to elevate your bar cart in a unique way. Whether it’s by using plants, books, candles or even a record player, you can instantly change your bar cart from a place to simply store alcohol and glassware into a piece of art. Don’t be afraid to get creative, mix and match or go full achromatic with your bar cart style. Just stay true to yourself—and get inspired by the bar carts below, of course.
From party-ready bar carts to bar carts that double as side tables, the 29 bar cart decor ideas below are here to give you some incredibly cool inspiration for your own display. Fair warning, though: You may never look at bar carts the same way again. (And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.)
1. Add Your Plant Babies
Who said greenery, books and candles had no place on bar carts? Create your own bar cart oasis by adding some plant babies to the mix. If you don’t have much of a green thumb, just grab some faux plants. Odds are, no one will ever know.
2. Make It A Party Station
Wine glasses, Pellegrino, fruit-infused water—and more. This bar cart is basically a party on wheels. If you have guests over often, snag a cute drink dispenser and fill it with a delicious punch, iced tea or even a boozy lemonade.
3. Add A Fresh Bouquet
Your favorite bouquet would look great next to your favorite liquor—don’t ya think? Adding fresh flowers anywhere in a home instantly brightens a space, so why not add a bouquet or two to your bar cart while you’re at it.
4. Display Your Cutest Glassware
If you’ve got a lot of cute glassware hiding in your kitchen cabinets, take them out and display them on your bar cart. Consider it a piece of art in your home. And if you’ve been looking for an excuse to stock up on cute glasses, consider this a sign.
5. Use A Pretty Tray
In lieu of a cart, a portable bar tray will certainly get the job done. Keep it stocked with your favorite liquors, a few cute straws and maybe a decorative object or two. If you have room, you can even add a couple of your favorite glasses to have at-the-ready for when you need a quick drink.
6. Add Your Record Player
Because filling up two whole shelves with alcohol can be tough, and sometimes it makes sense to sub in a record player, instead. Now every time you go to grab a drink, you can remember to put on some old school tunes while you’re at it.
7. Make It Match
Coordinate all your bar cart accessories—plants included!—and create a seriously gorgeous and matching display. Pro tip: Your favorite plants will match your lime garnishes perfectly.
8. Make The Most Of Small Spaces
This bar cart set-up is excellent for corners that feel a little bare, but don’t offer much in the way of decor space. You can keep all the essentials at-hand while still filling that corner you never understood what to do with—until now, of course.
9. Blend It In
Coordinate your bar cart with other home accessories, like the huge statement mirror in your living room, your rug or art you have hanging on your walls. Your bar cart will soon become a useful art piece in your home.
10. Have It Double As A Side Table
That pineapple canister you weren’t sure what to do with will be the cherry (mm, pineapple?) on top of an already cute bar cart display. And you can get double the use out of your bar cart by putting it next to a couch or chair in your home and adding a cute lamp!
11. Add Some Art
Level up by placing your bar cart in front of a similarly themed painting. Your bar cart should be a reflection of your own personal home decor style, so go ahead and place a fun print or other piece of art on it or above it.
12. Display A Cool Bust
Honestly, busts are everywhere in trending home decor right now. Place one next to your favorite liquor, and it’ll take your bar cart from cute to memorably unique.
13. Add A Pop Of Color (Or Two)
Worried your favorite wine doesn’t fit your carefully curated home palette? Use your bar cart as an opportunity to infuse your space with a pop (or a few pops) of new color with bright books and other fun accessories.
14. Make It Beachy
Pro tip: When it comes to woven bar carts and trays, the beachier you go, the better. Add a little hula girl figurine or use pineapple accessories to hold straws. Use this opportunity to make your bart cart look how being at the beach feels.
15. Add A Tea Towel
Hanging a cute teal towel off the side of your bar cart will make you look impressively prescient in the case of an inevitable spill. Plus, it works as a pretty decor piece, too.
16. Color Coordinate
If your liquor comes in bottles of the same color, commit to an achromatic display and go all out. If you’re a total minimalist, try making the entire bar cart a gorgeous neutral collection.
17. Store Party Decor
This triple-decker bar cart is a great place to store all that party decor you wanted to keep just in case. And, it’ll make any bar cart look instantly festive in the case of unexpected company.
18. Spread It Out
This gorgeous pink and white display is proof that bar carts don’t have to be meticulously organized to look great. Feel free to spread out your glassware and alcohol in way that looks good to you.
19. Mix & Match
Flowers, plants, fruits, straws, art—this display has it all. Don’t be afraid to throw a little bit of everything on your bar cart. After all, it should be a reflection of your own personal style. If that means displaying a hodgepodge of items, so be it.
20. Add A Letter Board
If you own a letter board, now’s the time to whip it out. You can have it say anything from happy hour starts here to tequila made me do it. Get creative and have fun with it!
21. Make It Feel Like Paradise
Make your spread feel distinctly beachy with pineapples and pictures of paradise. Even if you don’t own a beach house, you can still make it feel like you’re on vacation whenever you go to get a drink.
22. Try A Tiered Cart
Getting a tiered cart, like this one, will offer easy access to both shelves. Plus, you won’t have to worry about making sure your decor looks vertically balanced. Don’t forget to use levels to your advantage, too! Coffee table books work well as chic risers.
23. Display A Neon Sign
Neon signs: Always a plus. Whether it’s a custom neon sign that boasts your name or a cute and classic neon sign that says drink, you’re sure to get some compliments on this cool decor option.
24. Add Some Books
In case you still weren’t convinced books look great on (and behind) bar carts, this perfect display should change your mind. Despite their name, coffee table books aren’t just for the coffee table, folks. Display your prettiest ones on your bar cart for a seriously chic look.
25. Make Use Of Every Shelf
When something looks a little unconventional, that’s the time to get creative and fun fun and cute workarounds. For instance, shorter glassware is the perfect thing to slide into uber-short shelves.
26. When In Doubt, Add More Flowers
We can’t emphasize this enough: Put flowers on your bar cart! Seriously, it changes everything, and the smell is sure to be a lovely addition to your home. The brighter, the better, too.
27. Add A Few Candles
Add a bit of a romantic vibe to your bar cart by adding some pretty candles. Even when they aren’t lit, they’re sure to look amazing and instantly elevate your bar cart’s look.
28. Display Your Glasses Upside Down
Make the most of your small bar cart’s space by storing some of your glasses upside down. They’ll look chic, and you’ll have more room for other important things—like more liquor, obviously.
29. Organize, Organize, Organize
Figuring out how to organize disparate elements can be tough. The genius behind this bar cart completely nailed it. It just goes to show that even items that are seemingly different in color and aesthetic can be made to look incredibly chic together.
A version of this article was originally published in 2018.
