Having a full bar at home is a very stylish addition where you can relax and sip your favourite beverage while having casual conversations with your closest ones. However, home bars can be a pricey investment, and not all of us are blessed with wide homes to dedicate sufficient space for incorporating one.

Whatever the reason, you can still arrange your favourite fine bottles and give your living space a stylish upgrade with a unique bar trolley. Tempted? Let’s get to the basics of these stylish, yet practical pieces of furniture.

Why Investing in a Bar Cart

Indeed, a bar trolley is a glamorous addition to your living space that can elevate the entire home décor. But however, a bar trolley is much more than just a piece of décor that “glamorously” sits in your living room corner, as they’re way handier and more purposeful than you probably think.

First of all, handy and practical bar carts are very useful for storing beverages, supplies and tools used for making different cocktails. As these “mini” bars are portable, they can also be used as a full-service mobile bar or a serving stand during dinner parties with your guests. Topped up with the efficient and effective storage space they offer, they can be the perfect addition to any living room or dining area, and a great assistant to serve your guests during house parties and dinners.

But portable bar trolleys are way beyond just being an aesthetic addition with a functional purpose. In fact, these little trolleys are very versatile and can be used for a variety of other purposes beyond a portable bar if you’re creative enough.

For instance, a portable bar cart can serve as an end-table, and the best thing is that you can transform it into anything you want, from a mini floral garden where you can keep your plants and flowers to a little zen corner where you can place a couple of scented candles, essential oil diffusers or ornaments of choice. The range of opportunities with these portable bar trolleys is endless, as long as you wake up your creative side and use it in the most purposeful way.

How to Pick the Right Bar Cart?

Before you decide to explore gorgeous bar carts and choose something elegant for your living space, it’s essential to get to know a couple of the most important aspects for picking the best model.

Materials

First of all, it’s best to pay attention to the material the cart is made of, as it’ll determine the durability and longevity. For instance, metal and stainless-steel frames are among the most recommended options as they’re tough, stable, and capable of withstanding the weight. On top of that, stainless steel bar trolleys look very sleek and make for the perfect addition to any contemporary or industrial styled living space.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more elegant, a tempered glass cart is perfect to create an illusion of space. On top of that, this type looks very chic and creates a reflection of the facets of your glasses and bottles to show off you’re fine collection in its best light.

Size

Whether you’re choosing a bar cart Australia wide homeware shops offer, or you’re exploring online, don’t forget that the right size will keep a balance between your storage needs and the aesthetic appearance in your available space.

And to make sure you’re getting the right size, it’s best to evaluate the cart’s purpose first. For instance, if you’re about to serve drinks and snacks with your cart’s assistance, then you’re probably going to need a larger model. But on the other hand, if it’s going to have a decorative rather than a functional purpose, a larger model may only overwhelm your space.

If you’re still going to use your bar cart for its primary purpose, make sure you determine the size of your glassware and beverage collection, so you can conveniently store everything without overstuffing and cluttering the cart.

Finally, don’t forget to consider your living space. Remember, you should always be able to move the trolley comfortably without any major struggles. Hence, it’s always best to measure your space’s width, depth and height and leave a couple of extra centimetres of clearance around the cart for better access.

How to Set Up a Bar Cart?

Once you pick the best design for your space out of a range of bar carts, it’s time to set it up for yourself and your guests. For this purpose, it’s recommended to start with your favourite spirits and beverages. If you still want to pick something for everyone to enjoy, a selection of classic beverages such as wine, vodka, whiskey, and gin will do the job. On the other hand, you can always expand and upgrade your fine selection to experiment with different flavours and textures.

Except for spirits, don’t forget to stock your cart with glassware so you don’t have to run to your kitchen every time you need one. Rocks, highball and wine glasses are always essential, even though cocktail and shot ones can also come in handy when preparing drinks for guests.

Finally, don’t forget about tools for shaking, stirring, and straining cocktails, such as a two-peace shaker, bar spoon, jigger, and strainer. And even though these are the most essential tools, you can also benefit from a proper mixing glass, a muddler for mashing fruit and herbs, and a strainer for filtering out ice and ingredients you don’t want in your cocktail.

If there’s still some space, you can decorate your cart with a couple of accessories such as a crystal decanter or a small stack of recipe books, and you’re done. Once you pick and set up the perfect cart, you can rest assured that you’re getting a functional and aesthetic feature for your home both you and your guests will adore.