Like many of you, I have been infatuated with the gorgeous, vintage-inspired bar carts that have been flooding the pages of Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and other design blogs. The recent revival of the bar cart has inspired a series of bar cart styling posts that I’ve devoured for the past year. After reading through a number of posts, I noticed an over-arching theme: the bar carts were almost all thrifted or snatched up at an estate sale or flea market. Realizing that it may take years to acquire such a piece (and that I had no immediate plans to attend the Rose Bowl Flea Market – an antique gold mine), I chalked it up to a pipe dream and went on my merry way.
You know the notion that you’ll find it when you stop looking for it? I literally stumbled upon this bar cart. For real. I walked right into it, covered in dust and altogether tarnished, at a local thrift shop. After a double take, I pushed its squeaky wheels across the store to the cash register and down the street to my car screaming “start the CAR!!” in my head.
Once I got it home I remembered I was in the process of planning two weddings so this project was put on hold for a couple months. This fall, Ben dissembled the cart and we took the shelves to a local glass shop, hoping to have two pieces of glass cut for the shelves. Due to the shape of the shelves neither glass nor mirror worked. Enter backup plan # 3: high gloss black spray paint. After a good polishing and a few coats of spray paint, I’m really happy with how it turned out.
Now reassembled, I’m tasked with the ever-daunting but exciting task of styling the cart. Although there are still a few items on my wish list, I’ve hoarded cultivated several key elements over the past few months which gives me a base to work with.
- champagne glasses + drink tray - vintage
- martini shakers and wine chiller - Homesense
- paper straws - gifted from a Wedding Belle
- pink flamingo olive picks - a local party store
I'm thrilled that our bar is fully stocked just in time for the holiday season.
Do you have a bar cart/ shelf/ or hutch? What are your essentials?
bar cart inspiration + tips on how to build a bar:
4 comments:
You lucky girl! I have been looking for one myself.
At the moment I have a small rectangle table that was given to me from my grandmothers friend along with vintage champagne glasses (her family owned a saloon in San Francisco in the late 1800- until prohibition
I hope to have my bar finished by by holiday party in December.
Xx
Callie
Loooooooove it!! It turned out awesome, has a very vintage classic vibe. I have serious bar cart envy.
Great work, Court!
It's beautiful and I can't wait for a drink :)
It looks so great, Courtney! I want one.
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