Making My Little Bar Cart Dreams Come True.
If you follow me on Pinterest, then you know that I have a little… obsession.
With bar carts.
Super trendy and hip means that I HAVE to have one. Of course.
Oh and yes, by the way, that is a preview of our accidental purple walls that I mentioned last week. I will talk about them a little more later, but they have grown on us and we really like them. I think it’s because the gray (I mean, purple) looks completely different in different light – for instance, my brother walked in the room and said “nice tan walls.” Interesting. ANYhoo. More about that at another time.
So I’ve wanted to make a little bar cart not only because I find them super cute, but because it would give us an excellent place to store some of our most used products. Currently, they are inside of a bar downstairs in the garage and, well… I’m lazy. And don’t want to walk down there all the time.
Here’s the deal. In my perfect world, I’m craving a gold bar cart. Something like this or this, which as you can… costs about a million dollars. Target has this one, but I wasn’t sold. Maybe if I painted it? I researched carts for two or three weeks before purchasing the one above, based on it’s super cheap price, fairly good reviews and size. I have a pretty small space that I want to fit it in (not against the wall above, but in the current state of my home (read: trashed) this area was best for the first few shots) and given my options, I figured this was the one I could do right now.
I like this cart well enough, but I don’t LOVE it. It’s getting the job done for what I want and if in the future I have a different space for a cart, you can bet I’m buying one of those nice gold ones. Eddie, on the other hand, hates this cart. He thinks it’s a cheap piece of junk (it’s honestly not super cheap up close, but the wheels are sort of cheap and it drives him crazy) and he doesn’t love the black glass. Luckily I covered it up with a ton of junk, as you can see.
On the top, I have our most used liquor. This includes my favorite local whiskey that I’ve mentioned before. Thanks to over four years of recipe development, we have maybe three times this amount so I can always switch out what we are using the most. I also included some of my favorite sodas and these cute little tonic waters I found on clearance at Homegoods.
The top rack also includes a bowl of limes and grapefruit stacked on coasters, this gold shaker bottle and these stirrers from anthro that I bought with my birthday discount, fun paper straws and cocktail napkins, also found at Homegoods. The little black and gold bottle opener was found at Target last week, again on the clearance rack (I swear this never happens to me) for $2.
The bottom rack holds a few bottles of red wine, a bottle of san pellegrino (my dad’s favorite) and a bottle of Trader Joe’s sparkling apple cider. The downside about this cart is that the bottoms of our large wine glasses don’t fit in the rack, so I threw a few champagne flutes up there. I have some stemless wine glasses down below and along the edges are some little cocktail glasses in blue and green. I have so many dang props that I could probably put many more things down there, but I wanted to make it somewhat useful.
As for entertaining, I’d probably add a wine bucket or two somewhere on the rack and fill it with ice and white wine or champagne. I’d like to make it as party friendly as possible. I have a gorgeous Waterford decanter that we got for our wedding, but I’m almost afraid to set it on this cart in case of it falling and shattering somehow. I gotta see.
It’s no secret that I am not crafty and am quite home decor challenged. I’d love to make it prettier with stacks of books and flowers and what not (and maybe I will someday?) but for right now it’s functional and practical. (Which is so not me. WEIRD.) I so envy people who have an interior design eye because just like fashion, I have no freaking style. It stresses me.
So that’s that! I might totally change it around and do some more stuff to it and chat about it again once it’s in place. If you have a bar cart, please show me pictures so I can be insanely jealous and steal your ideas. THANKS.
37 Comments on “Making My Little Bar Cart Dreams Come True.”
Omg I love it and want one too! The only problem is that I prefer all my booze cold and keep everything in the fridge or in my liquor cabinet but usually those are liquors I only use once in a blue moon. My main stash is all in the fridge. Which is a good thing otherwise I’d totally be ordering this, like today. I LOVE IT!!!!!!
YOU GOT FEVER TREE TONIC ON CLEARANCE AT HOME GOODS?!?!?! Gah!!!!! Do NOT tell me when you bought it so I can pretend it was yesterday and rush to my local Home Goods and pretend they will have some too.
Fever Tree tonic is THE best. Fever Tree with Hendricks? ohmygarshsooogood.
haha i hear ya. i have purchased it at whole foods once before, but we recently got a homegoods and i died when i found it on an end shelf.
Obsessed with this! You have probably helped to feed my own obsession for bar carts but I am in love with this & I love everything that you have on there! Too cute!
I saw this IKEA hack bar car that was painted gold recently!! http://www.blushandjelly.com/blog/2013/07/diy-ikea-hack-bar-cart.html The only bummer is that the shelves have no walls/bars around them so things could more easily fall. Cute though!!
Love this! My mom’s bar cart looks similar, albeit a little more crowded (the lady likes her margs, ya know?). She got hers at a vintage store- apparently they’re fairly easy to find if you’re looking hard enough!
I adore this! I have one too but I can never find the right combo of stuff on it!
I have been eyeing the Jill from Ballard for a while now… (like I said I’ve been coveting a bar cart for YEARS AND YEARS).
I think now I have changed my mind, and I now want a console type cabinet. you know, like on soap operas.
decisions decisions…
I have no need for a bar cart but I always want one because they’re always styled so cute!
http://wednesdayswewearblack.blogspot.com/
Bah! I can’t wait to see all the fun boozy things that will be popping up on your blog. YAY BAR CART!!
Well, now I need this in my future apartment, lol. It’s too cute!
Your bar cart looks so nice and organized and just pretty. I am jealous! I have a beautiful wood and marble bar that is basically a super expensive mail/notebook/textbook holder. I cannot, for the life me, keep it as a traditional bar. I try, but the liquor always ends up on top of the fridge and I schlep my crap on top of the bar.
Have you see this bar cart?
http://www.shopsocietysocial.com/products/the-mrs-lilien
It’s cheaper than the first gold cart you mentioned, but more expensive than the second :/
Good news is, it looks pretty compact! What you have there looks great to me though :D
I think your cart looks super cute! I’d make a drink at it! :)
I think this looks adorable! I have WAY too much liquor in my cabinet and need to do something like this!
A must-have for your bar cart: St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram. I had to special-order it from my local liquor store in DC, but it was so worthwhile. It is particularly super for fall/winter drinks, and it works in baking. You know, in case you felt like you had too much money sitting around and really needed to buy something else.
I think that bar cart is cute, though janky wheels would drive anyone mad. I actually added it to my wish list since I have very little space for a bar cart but would also love to have one. I don’t know if you would like this one gold with the black glass, but if you would (Gatsby look?) you might look into rub n buff (http://www.amazon.com/AMACO-Metallic-Finish-Antique-0-5-Fluid/dp/B00081HYDM). I’ve never personally used this, but I’ve seen Jen over at Iheartorganizing use it a bunch of times and she swears it’s super easy to use. In fact, she uses it on a cart here (http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/06/june-monthly-challenge-outdoor.html). I’m not affiliated with that blog; it just came to mind!
I rarely comment but just had to tell you how much I love this! It looks awesome and you have totally inspired me to do this!!
I am also obsessed with bar carts! My husband has what we’re calling a beer- and bourbon-tasting room in our new house (I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be a breakfast nook or what normally) and he has this old, not-cute dry bar situation in there and no bar cart. We have to get one soon! He just needs to decide which one he wants. Probably not a gold one, unfortunately.
Also, I think you may have gotten the same paint color that some friends of ours bought when they moved into a new place this summer. I can’t remember what it was called (stone gray or something, maybe?), but the entire first floor of their townhouse looked lavender and they had to repaint it. It was bad. It did look different in different lights, but mostly it looked purple.
i am OBSESSED with my bar cart. i’m basically asking for cute things to furnish it with this christmas, i love it that much. and so clearly yours speaks directly to my soul.
I think of all the ones you had listed, the one you bought is by far the cutest. What you’ve done to it is nothing short of amazing. I’m not a gifted decorator, but I think you may have missed your calling. The cart is “just right”.
Call the Ballard Backroom in Atlanta off Defoors Ferry Road and make friends with one of the ladies who works there. They have all sorts of inventory, some catalog returns, and might keep an eye out for that bar cart for you. They often have photo stock that goes on sale for deep discounts.
We WERE sold on the Target bar cart. Now that it has glasses on top and booze on the bottom, it’s my favorite thing in our living room. Really makes our midcentury modern vibe pop!
Downside, we’re drinking a lot more. :)
It looks so so great!! You make me want to completely rearrange my bar cart. :)
That is a pretty awesome booze cart, I wouldn’t mind having that in my house! Very cool :)
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
I’m making this liquor cart now and it’s really easy and cheap to do. Might be worth a look if anyone likes that industrial look: http://www.primermagazine.com/2013/learn/diy-harbor-freight-bar-cart
I’m obsessed with bar carts too! Here is a Craigslist makeover I did…
http://www.thesalvagedboutique.com/2013/10/24/the-modern-bar-cart/
It recently sold and now I want to find more. A gold one would be great! Good luck. I’m looking forward to seeing what you end up with!
I’m moving soon, and am looking for this sort of thing! Thanks for all the research!
A must-have for your bar cart is St.Germain. The bottle will be a great looking accessory and what’s inside is delicious!
I just bought a cart from the thrift store that we’re now using as a bar cart and I love it! (best news: it was $6!!! seriously, that was the Lord’s kindness! I never get deals that good) anywho, it’s disorganized and chaotic, so I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
I have a pinterest board called “my non-existent bar cart” because I really want one, but can’t swing it because of limited space! I really like yours, but I do agree gold bar carts are the bees knees! Have you thought about spray painting it? And what about replacing/removing the wheels?
oh my gosh, i didn’t know i needed a bar cart until now! total love. x
Um, 1. jealous. 2. where’s the BLOOD ORANGE San Pellegrino soda?! Mixed with vodka?! I die.
i too, have been on a quest for a bar cart. i felt like i should do the true trendy thing and find one in a flea market/antique store/estate sale and then make it over with paint etc into the cart of my dreams…in reality, this translated into a couple days of craigslist watching, no finds, and then giving myself permission to buy the target one you linked. more expensive than i’d have liked, but, i LOVE it in our house. if you decide you really don’t like the one you got, give the target one another chance!
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I have also been searching for the right bar cart. Yours is sooooo pretty, and I highly considered it, but I thought with the glass shelves it would be a little harder to keep clean (things are a little dusty here in Colorado). I found this one that’d I’d like to share. I plan to put in the wooden shelves to make it look a little classier.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/cheap-easy-diy-project-stylish-modern-bar-cart-hack-for-under-40-primer-magazine-196941
good one.