Photos by Caitlin Abrams
Bar Cart decor
Instead of venturing out to get a taste of cocktail culture, learn how a little bit of savvy treasure hunting—and a keen eye—can help you curate your own party … on wheels. “A bar cart is a simple way to host an approachable little event at your house,” says Molly King, marketing manager of Arc’s Value Village. “It’s like a ‘ta-da!’ moment for when people come over.”
Fresh As A Daisy
What’s pink and yellow and pineapple-y all over? Why, it’s a bar cart dressed in its springtime best.
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fancy cart with flowers, pineapple, La Croix, and lemons
Fancy cart with flowers, pineapple, La Croix, and lemons
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bar car with lemons, pineapple, and mini cupcakes
Milk glass, the dishware darling of the Victorian era, makes for the perfect color-popping complement. This mix-and-match set gives the spotlight to the fresher items of the bunch, while lending a stately touch to the ‘scape. Consider using a tumbler as a prettified utensil holder or vase. Each glass item was found at Arc’s Value Village for about a dollar.
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bar cart with antique clock, pink glassware, and white dishes
Pineapple express: The fruit of summer plays a supporting role in this theme, popping up everywhere from its pure form, to a gold accent sculpture, kitchen towel, and this one-of-a-kind, bronzed tabletop clock. Add something a little quirky to the mix—it’s a good conversation starter (and gives you an excuse to own a tabletop pineapple clock. Not like you needed an excuse, anyway.)
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mason jars, pineapple, lemon, and mini cupcakes
Swap out your disposable cups for some timeless cool with these mason jars and glass beverage dispenser. Throw in some colorful, picnic-patterned cocktail napkins and you’ve got yourself a charming, grown-up lemonade station. A beaut of a beverage server, like this vintage-looking Hampton jar, can be just for show, too.
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bar cart with antique clock, pink glassware, and white dishes
No need to limit your bar cart inventory to booze and booze alone. Consider subbing it out for some coffee, tea, or soda. Colorful cans, like LaCroix, are a subtle way to round off the color scheme.
A Stand-Up Guy
It smells of leather-bound books and rich mahogany in here.
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fancy cart with liquor, cups, books and ice bucket
Fancy cart with liquor, cups, books and ice bucket
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bar cart with copper mugs, pretzels, and liquor bottles
So metal: Furniture accessories, like this brassy, old-school desk lamp, are an unexpected way to anchor a set. The moscow mule mugs are a stylish vessel for your crafted cocktail or that summer-quenching spot of whiskey.
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bar cart with bar utensils, glasses and bottle of liquor
Looking for a touch of opulence? Collectible-looking glassware, like these frosted culver ones, fit the bill. Bear in mind that matching isn’t a pre-req. And speaking of bears, this cocktail shaker means you’re classy but you don’t take yourself too seriously.
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Bar cart with glass decanter and shot glasses
This isn’t your ordinary classic car knickknack. It’s an actual aftershave decanter! Alongside of it, an etched glass decanter of the wine variety.
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Bar cart with gold ice bucket, glass decanter and shot glasses
From the coffee table to the cart: these books, a blend of the old and new, were individually marked under a dollar. To the right: a hammered antique copper canister that can house your bottles or utensils.
Old Hollywood
Harkening back to a time when black-and-white TV gave way to color.
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bar cart with champagne, yellow roses, lemons and books
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bar cart with antique crystal clock, glassware, and lemons
Oh, you’re looking for the time? It’s the perfect hour to bust out Grandma’s beloved crystal, or scavenge some yourself. Vary up the sizes and glassware style, like these mini-coupes, for good measure.
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bar cart with champagne, yellow roses, lemons, and glassware
And it was all yellow: Decorate with some citrus and see where it takes you. And can we talk about how cool those easy peasy, lemon squeezy tendrils look on chrome? A bottle of Veuve brings the tres chic.
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bar cart with antique telephone and cameras
Keep your eyes open and there’s a good chance you’ll be able to unearth some treasures of yesteryear, like this candlestick telephone or vintage box camera. Comb through the vinyl selection and get creative with how you display your classic 45’s.
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bar cart with antique telephone and cameras
Stack a few books on the lower portion to add a sophisticated air (pinkies up!), or use them as a base to elevate some of your smaller items, like Great Grandma’s picture frame.
Thrifty Tips from Arc’s Value Village
Stocking + Styling Your Bar Cart Like A Pro
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If you’re stuck on a theme, start with a color. “Look for everything in the categories of home entertaining, and find small accessories that fit your color theme,” says King. “The bachelor one was navy blue with notes of copper and brass that gave it a masculine look.”
The three must-haves when stocking your cart. “Glasses, some sort of a beverage vessel—like a carafe or pitcher—and then that one, wild-card thing that gives it a personality touch,” she says. Tabletop pineapple clock, anyone?
Start with what you have and add to it. “You know those things our moms or grandmas have given us that are stored away in a box because we don’t know how to use them?” says King. “Unbox that really cool sterling silver tea set, then go out and find a crystal vase that goes with it.”
Take a closer look at your beverage. “If you’re going to serve, say, some lemonade, think about what you’d want to serve it in,” says King. “Ask yourself if you need glasses, a vase, or a dispenser.”
Go to Arc’s Value Village with a list of ideas and concepts. “If you have an open mind, you’ll see so many things that start jumping in your cart,” she says. “Those Moscow mule mugs? They’d easily be retailed at about $25 each at a department store. Here, they were about 99 cents a pop. WIN.”
Peep the glassware. “Coupe glasses are so popular right now and we have those every day of the week,” says King. “Throwback styles like sterling silver and milk glasses are super ‘in’ right now as well, and we usually carry that, too.”
