Ebonized Oak Bar Cart
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Carts and Bar Carts
Glass, Oak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass, Aluminum, Copper
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Laminate, Birch, Oak
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1930s Dutch Art Deco Side Tables
Metal
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Sheepskin, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary German Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Plywood
2010s American Modern Dry Bars
Cut Steel
2010s Canadian Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Walnut
2010s Turkish Modern Side Tables
Travertine, Metal
2010s Mexican Art Deco Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
2010s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Stools
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Paper
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
2010s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Nickel, Aluminum, Brass, Bronze, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile, Wood
2010s Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Metal, Brass
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Mid-20th Century Hollywood Regency Carts and Bar Carts
Mid-20th Century Hollywood Regency Carts and Bar Carts
Marble
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Oak, Ceramic
Vintage 1960s Italian Carts and Bar Carts
Oak
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Chrome
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1960s French Carts and Bar Carts
Mirror, Oak
Early 20th Century Dutch Carts and Bar Carts
Oak
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Carts and Bar Carts
Wood, Oak, Fruitwood
Finding the Right bar-carts for You
Forever a sleek and elegant furnishing that evokes luxury and sophistication, a vintage bar cart will prove both functional and fabulous in your living room.
Bar carts as we know them were originally conceived as tea trolleys — a modest-sized table on wheels, sometimes featuring both an upper and lower shelf — to help facilitate tea service during the Victorian era in England. Modern bar carts weren’t really a common fixture in American interiors until after the end of Prohibition in the 1930s, when they were rolled onto the sets of Hollywood films. There, they suggested wealth and status in the dining rooms of affluent characters.
As tough as the 1930s had been on the average working American, the postwar era yielded economic stability and growth in homeownership. Increasingly, bar carts designed by the likes of Edward Wormley and other furniture makers became an integral part of sunken living rooms across the United States in the 1950s.
Bar carts were a must-have addition to the sensuous and sleek low-profile furnishings that we now call mid-century modern, each outfitted with the finest spirits and savory snacks that people had to offer. And partially owing to critical darlings like Mad Men, vintage cocktail carts have since seen a resurgence and have even become a selling point in restaurants.
Bar carts not only boast tremendous utilitarian value but also introduce a fun, nostalgic dynamic to the layout of your space, be it in the bar area or elsewhere. In addition to showcasing your favorite bottles of rye and local small-batch gin — or juices and mocktail ingredients — there is an undeniable allure to stacking statement glassware, vintage martini cocktail shakers and Art Deco decanter sets atop your fully stocked mid-century modern bar cart. And one size or style doesn’t fit all — an evolution of cocktail cart design throughout history has yielded all manner of metal bar carts, rattan carts and more.
We invite you to add a few more dashes of class to cocktail hour — peruse the vast collection of antique and vintage carts and bar carts on 1stDibs today.
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