The drinks trolley: 15 stylish bar carts and 6 ways to style one
If you love entertaining at home (especially during Christmas and New Year), then a drinks trolley is an essential piece of furniture for your living space. Previously seen as a relic of the past, the drinks trolley (also called a bar cart or serving cart) has become a fashionable way to display your favourite spirits and glassware, all while having the functionality of a moving bar.
Buying a drinks trolley
Whether you want a trolley that doubles up as storage or you're looking to create your own DIY home bar, there are a few things to consider when buying a drinks trolley. Choose a size that won't take up too much space in your home, but one that will still enable you to serve in style, and think about how many shelves you want for bottles and glassware, or additional compartments to hold an ice bucket or garnishes, for example.
Also consider the material and design and how that correlates with your interior scheme. For example, a gold bar cart will probably look out of place in a rustic-inspired interior. While gold bar carts are all the rage (especially on Instagram) for adding the right amount of luxe to any space, don't rule out a more minimalist or vintage-inspired drinks trolley either. And, if you're hosting a garden party during summer, then invest in an outdoor drinks trolley.
Either way, we've rounded up some of the most stylish drinks trolleys for the home, most of which come with castor wheels so you can effortlessly move it around without the restriction of having it in one space.
How to style a bar cart
Whether you're a mixologist, a great host, or both, the most important thing to remember is that bar carts don't have to be used exclusively for drinks and glassware. They're great decorative pieces of furniture, and can also be ideal for storage, whether that's displaying your favourite coffee table books, vases, small sculptures, or a potted plant or flowers.
It's important that your drinks trolley looks good too, so to ensure it's just as stylish as the rest of your home, we speak to five interior design experts on how to style a bar cart.
1. Incorporate statement glassware
No drinks trolley is complete without glassware, but think carefully about what you will be serving, and stock accordingly.
'Bar carts create a sense of occasion in any sitting room, but no bar cart is complete without beautiful glassware. Choose a statement decanter or two for airing wines, and simple but practical wine glasses and tumblers. The longer and thinner the glassware, the nicer it is to hold, and the more elegant its appearance.
2. Use the top and bottom of the bar cart
If you have a multilevel bar cart, it's important to use both the top and bottom to balance its décor. Too many bottles on one side can make it appear cluttered, so place bottles of similar weights at opposite sides on different levels. Of course, this doesn't have to be a perfect symmetry.
'Always put bottles on the bottom and glassware at the top of a bar cart,' advises Eva Leone, studio director at Lawson Robb. 'This is both practical, as it is safer to put heavier items at the bottom.'
3. Prep your drinks station with tools and accessories
Don't forget all the accessories you'll need to help you host to perfection. From bar tools to straws and mixers to jugs, prep your drinks trolley with all the essentials to elevate your hosting skills.
4. Leave space for flowers
The easiest way to create a casual but charming bar cart is to incorporate natural elements into it. Leaving room for flowers can make the drink station seem approachable instead of intimidating – choose tall vases and smaller bouquets to conserve space.
'When you are styling your bar cart don’t just think nice whiskies and fancy glasses, plants and flowers bring character and life to your display and soften all that glass and shiny surfaces,' explains Alexandra Laird, design manager at Burbeck Interiors. 'You could use a hardy succulent or aloe vera for a long-life addition, or you can try a more feminine arrangement of your favourite colourful florals. Also, don't forget herbs as some fresh rosemary snipped from the garden in a nice short vase or even jam jar is not only pretty but adds the perfect flourish to your 6 O'clock G&T!'
5. Use cocktail ingredients as decor
'Cocktails have made a real comeback recently. People love to mix drinks at home, so it's important to have different garnishes to add that final touch to any drink,' says James Ashfield, studio director at Rigby & Rigby.
While cocktail garnishes will add the finishing touch to your drinks, why not use the ingredients as decor as well? A mint plant or a bowl of citrus can help to liven up the drinks trolley, both visually and through scent.
6. Match the season to the choice of drink
So that your bar cart always remains in fashion, match your choice of drink to the season. Not only will this keep your bar cart updated and fresh, but you can centre your designated colour scheme around the colour of the bottles. For example, the autumn season is defined by colourful shades of red, orange, yellow, purple and brown, so it would be good to style the bar cart with bottles of bourbon, fall spices and cranberries.
Alternatively, for spring you could accessorise and style your bar cart with pastel colours to match the alcohol on display. For example, rhubarb gin with pieces of rhubarb in the dispenser, would be ideal. For the warmer, summer season, you can style your trolley with Pimms, while autumn promotes enriching oranges, red and browns, like those found in a whisky or cognac.
For Christmas, where seasonal drinks like mulled wine in abundance, decorate with bowls of cranberries, mistletoe, orange segments and cinnamon sticks.'
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