Spence Bar Cart
20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Walnut
People Also Browsed
2010s American Modern Table Lamps
Steel, Brass, Silver Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Night Stands
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Bottles
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Wool, Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Walnut
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
Metal
2010s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Composition
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Metal, Brass
2010s Italian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
2010s Brazilian Modern Chairs
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Laminate, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Jars
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Vases
Ceramic
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Brass
2010s North American Modern Bookcases
Wood
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Chestnut
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Teak
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Bronze
Vintage 1950s Mexican Carts and Bar Carts
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Serving Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Mahogany
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Cane, Wood
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.
Read More
The Ultimate Guide to Types of Tables for the Home
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
May’s Most Popular Interiors on Instagram
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the rooms our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
Remembering Design Visionary Florence Knoll Bassett (1917-2019)
A loving look back at the life and career of a doyenne of mid-century-modern style, who died last week at the age of 101.
From the Hamptons to Palm Springs, FormArch’s Homes Embody Both Comfort and Cool
The houses from this New York studio cloak modernist tendencies within what are often more traditional trappings.