Retro Tea Cart
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Glass, Maple
1960s Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Nickel
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Wood, Formica
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Glass, Wood
1970s Italian Retro Tea Cart
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Retro Tea Cart
Cane, Oak, Teak
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Bamboo, Rattan
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Wood, Teak
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
Mid-20th Century North American Federal Retro Tea Cart
Glass, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Retro Tea Cart
Birch
1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Bamboo
1950s Italian Retro Tea Cart
Brass
1960s Philippine Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Rattan, Wood
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Mirror, Lucite
Late 20th Century Finnish Scandinavian Modern Retro Tea Cart
Birch, Plywood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Art Nouveau Retro Tea Cart
Wrought Iron
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Retro Tea Cart
Ceramic, Rattan, Birch
1950s Italian Neoclassical Revival Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1970s Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1970s Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Wrought Iron
1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Iron
1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Retro Tea Cart
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
1950s American Modern Retro Tea Cart
Steel
1950s Finnish Modern Retro Tea Cart
Rattan, Birch
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
1960s Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Glass
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Teak
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Retro Tea Cart
Rattan, Birch
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Walnut
1970s Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Retro Tea Cart
Wicker, Rattan
Late 20th Century British Modern Retro Tea Cart
Chrome
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Georgian Retro Tea Cart
Copper
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
1950s Swedish Retro Tea Cart
Brass, Sheet Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Teak
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Chrome
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Walnut
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Bamboo, Wicker
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Retro Tea Cart
Brass
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Retro Tea Cart For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Retro Tea Cart?
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.
- When were tea carts popular?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 17, 2023Tea carts were popular from the early 19th century through the 1930s. However, some people still use tea carts for serving or as decorative accents in their homes. Shop a range of tea carts on 1stDibs.
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