Shagreen Bar Cart
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
2010s Irish Dry Bars
Stainless Steel
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Steel
Vintage 1970s American Carts and Bar Carts
2010s Philippine Carts and Bar Carts
Animal Skin, Wood
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Scottish Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Scottish Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Lanterns
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1970s French French Provincial Garniture
Ceramic
2010s Brazilian Modern Stools
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Teak
2010s South African Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Copper
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Paper
2010s Mexican Modern Vases
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Wall Lights and Sconces
Rock Crystal
2010s Canadian Post-Modern Dry Bars
Leather, Glass, Ash
Early 20th Century Congolese Tribal Tribal Art
Natural Fiber
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Coat Racks and Stands
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Lamps
Brass
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.
- How do you stock a bar cart?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
A bar cart should be stocked with a jigger, shaker, strainer, bottle opener, corkscrew, ice bucket, tongs and various alcoholic beverages.
Read More
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