By Bea Lambos
I like to think of bar carts as the party in the room. Together with the admission that lockdown Friday nights in my house have been re-named Cocktail Night, I am now unofficially calling myself the expert in all things Bar Cart Style. Welcome to my first How To After 5 edition.
Forget having your beautiful bottles and drink making paraphernalia in the closest cupboard. The bar is always the fun part of any restaurant, so pull them out and get clever to making your own spot at home to create that same theatre!
By day, add pieces that make your cart eye catching whilst being another extension of your fabulous style. Table lamps, books and vases can all live here. Think of it as a side table, but one that has a fun side too! I love using trays like Fenton’s gorgeous semi-precious trays to make a statement and look pretty even when empty. These can store the small and fun things for drink making; the essential cocktail tools or fresh accessories that smell good like lemons and limes.
And by night, your lamp will add the glow to the beauty of your cocktail hour. Remember to allow some space up top for the mixologist to work their magic. Remember to add the fun element to your cart so colour is super important. Add things like ornaments, swizzle sticks, cloth napkins and bottles with fun labels - the not so pretty ones, but still needed at times, can be kept in a cupboard or pantry close by.
Make a space for greenery or flowers to make your cart feel like it is another considered spot in the room. For me, a room is complete with added green. A bunch of fresh mint will always be a winner here (not to mention perfect for the fresh addition to your g and t), but also consider the fabulous Fenton faux foliage and flowers (try repeating that after a night cap or two!), to add to the long lasting and every day beauty.
Consider great coloured glass like the incredible pieces that Amanda Dziedzic has created for Fenton, as an essential to create the serious ‘I know how to put a party together’ vibe to your cart. Match these with beautiful glassware keeping in mind that a drink that looks beautiful will always be hard to say no to.
The super practical half of me screams giddy up to another storage surface which is super compact to fit in any dining or living room; but it’s the playful side of me which wins, thinking of warm summer nights outside complete with a cute looking cart close by. Hostess with the mostess will be added to your repertoire in no time as you wheel this beauty to where the party is heading.
Cheers to you and yours!
X Bea Lambos
