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Ways to Style Your Bar Cart
Your guide to the perfect party accessory and everyday accent piece.
By Lyndsay Fogarty
S
o you have a bar cart and you don’t know what to do with it. Here are three easy ideas for styling it to perfection.
Make it Practical
As trendy as they are, a bar cart is one of the many ways to display the personality of your home. But you don’t just want it sitting in the corner all the time. “To create an amazing bar cart, you first need to build it to be usable,” says Francia Fusik, owner of All in One Decorating Solutions in Windermere. She suggests investing in a three-tier, oversized bar cart on wheels. Keep the essentials on the top tier, such as an ice bucket with tongs, glassware, a cork screw, a strainer, a bottle opener, a cocktail shaker, coasters and an elongated spoon, so you’re prepared to make any cocktail. Store all of your favorite liquors and liqueurs on the bottom tier, keeping in mind to curate a collection that will appeal to a variety of tastes. During a dinner party, the second tier can be used to place hors d’oeuvres, small plates, napkins and utensils. When the party is over, store your serving dishes there.
Give it a Theme
Another way to decorate your bar cart is choosing a theme that caters to your taste in beverages. Whether you prefer margaritas, old-timey cocktails or wine, you can build a bar cart to match, complete with alcohol, all the essentials and pretty decorations.
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Central Florida Lifestyle | May 2021
Fusik leans toward the timelessness of a beautifully themed wine cart. She notes that the first tier can hold the wine decanter, corkscrew and wine glass accessories that will help you figure out which glass is yours. The second tier can hold a selection of fruits and cheeses, and the bottom tier is where the wine bottles can be stored. Or consider purchasing a cart that is designed specifically for the wine theme with a built-in wine rack, glass rack and a top for all the essentials.
Make it Pretty
Even with a practical bar cart, it’s important to style it so that it’s appealing as a dinner party accessory but also as an everyday accent piece in your living or dining rooms. Add understated flair with your favorite flowers, scented candles or bar books with cocktail recipes. Create your own décor by doing a craft project with recycled wine corks or flattening old wine or liquor bottles to be used as art to hang behind the cart or as a serving plate. All of these accents can be removed when needed to allow for more room to make your cocktails.
