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Hillary Hoffower is a writer with more than six years of experience covering the wedding industry. Her work has also appeared on Bridal Guide and WeddingWire.

Kate is a senior editor covering home, registry, and wedding décor. She has been with Brides since 2015.

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Want to be the life of the party? It all starts with the right bar cart. If you love hosting friends over for pre-dinner cocktails or a wine night—or you just love a good happy hour at home—you’ll need a place to store all the celebratory goods. But a bar cart is much more than storage. It’s also a conversation starter, a welcoming spot for guests, and a place that brings everyone together during a party.

A bar cart offers up seemingly endless decorating and entertaining possibilities. "I style my bar carts with fresh flowers and super cool glassware,” says interior designer April Jensen. “You can add visual appeal with fresh limes, lemons, candy dishes, and grabbable snacks in attractive packages.

There are a lot of options out there, but the right bar cart comes down to personal taste and style. Of course, you’ll want to keep an eye out for features like stemware racks or wine bottle holders, and to keep size in mind depending on where you live. For example, a round tiny cart that fits in the corner is ideal for small apartment dwellers. But at the end of the day, the best bar cart is one that complements your home aesthetic and your personality. Have fun styling it with out with pretty bottles, incandescent martini glasses, and chic cocktail napkins that fit with your decor.

April Jensen is an interior designer and founder of ADJ Interiors in St. Louis, Missouri.

Read on for the best bar carts.

Sleek and classy, this bar console has got it all (minus the actual liquor, of course). A bottom glass shelf will hold all your bourbons, wines, and tequilas, while two smaller shelves will keep coasters and napkins handy. A top shelf of honed white marble is the main attraction, serving as a resting spot for a sparkly cocktail shaker set and crystal-cut ice bucket.

With a frame made of steel finished in either bronze or brass, this roomy console is 30 inches high and 34 inches wide—which means more than enough space to keep everything organized. A small rack is attached underneath, perfect for storing all your wine glasses, no matter the stem shape.

Coming in at a great budget price, this bar cart is both stylish and functional. Featuring gilded metal guardrails that prevent items from falling over, two gleaming floating shelves, and a wooden black frame, she’ll sit pretty in the corner of your living room or kitchen.

At just 19 inches in diameter and 30 inches high, the cart doesn't take up a whole lot of space (making it ideal for a small apartment), but there's enough room for wine glasses, liquor, and even wine bottles, which fit easily into three designated spots. Four rolling wheels for 360-degree steering make her easy to move around, too.

If you want ample room and a fully stocked bar, consider splurging on a large bar cabinet with lots of storage. The Fayette is a gorgeous option that's inspired by classic Parisian Art Deco design. Coupled with warm brass legs in an X-shape, it’s sure to become the statement piece in your home.

Crafted out of wood veneer, oak veneer, and various hardwoods, it opens up to four-door racks for liquor bottles, three adjustable racks that can store either barware or wine bottles, and stemware racks for the wine glasses themselves. You can save your largest and best-looking barware (think a fancy whiskey decanter set or wine aerator) to display on the sleek marble top.

Rolling bar carts are a great decor option if you value ease and flexibility in your entertaining. With two mirrored shelves, a handle, and a silver or bronze finish, this option features a classic, yet vintage look that will glam up any corner of your living room or kitchen. The cart features bottle holders and stemware racks for all that wine, plus locking casters to keep the bar cart in place. It's sturdy too: the top shelf supports up to 40 pounds, with another 30 pounds on the bottom shelf.

Wine connoisseurs, this one is for you. This rustic bar cart made of wood and cast iron is all about storage. A stemware rack holds up to 14 standard wine glasses, while a bottle rack underneath holds the same number of wine bottles. If that’s not accommodating enough for your vino collection, there’s plenty of room on the top shelf and bottom shelf to house the rest. With a set of four wheels, two of which can be locked for secure placement, and two handles that also act as towel racks, the bar cart is easy to move about the home, too.

Perfect for a smaller city apartment, this rolling oval bar cart is petite enough to fit that tiny spot of a wall in between your TV console and dining table, but large enough to hold all your essentials. At 30 inches high and 28 inches wide, it features a champagne gold frame and delicate circular details that lend a polished and chic vibe. A gleaming mirrored top can play home to your barware collection while a matching mirrored bottom can house all your favorite liquors and mixers.

With a criss-cross design in brass and black, the Larkin Bar Cart stands out from other bar carts. A stylish piece such as this one is meant for the host who loves to entertain, the perfect station for whipping up martinis and margaritas for a girl’s night. Subtly swanky, it has a set of four wheels for movability and two glass shelves that are best cleaned with a soft, dry cloth. At 35 inches high and 32 inches, it’s also pretty compact, able to easily fit in smaller spaces.

Mid-century design is dominating decor trends right now, so why not incorporate a little ‘60s flair in the bar area? This one delivers high style with a solid eucalyptus base, acacia wood veneer, and a rich walnut finish. Antique brass-finished rails add an elevated touch, as do two brass casters that help move the cart around. The best part? This cart is made in a Fair Trade Certified factory, meaning safe working conditions and sustainably sourced materials.

If you're going for 1920's-inspired, art deco style, you can't go wrong with classic circular bar bart, especially when it gleams with a metallic finish. With mirrored glass shelves, a useful handle, and four caster wheels, it delivers on aesthetics, maneuverability, and storage. At 33 inches high and 29 inches wide, it's spacious without being too bulky.

Sturdy and stylish, this oval bar cart checks off all the must-haves. It’s compact and sleek—and features a host of accessories, including a stemware rack and a white swivel shelf for extra storage. That means it’s great for both small spaces and a host who is up to date on the latest design trends. Mixed materials, a streamlined look, and stable legs set it apart from other bar carts.

Perfect for a beachy bungalow or plant-filled oasis, this rattan bar cart adds a natural, organic feel to any living space. It even works for an outdoor patio, if you love to entertain al fresco (just make sure you cover it up or roll it inside during bad weather).

Three shelves provide dedicated space for a full bar. Think bar accessories and napkins on top, some colorful glassware in the middle, and all the bottles and mixers along the bottom shelf.

Both metallic and transparent details gleam in this stunning lucite piece. Make it a focal point of the room, by placing it in an open corner or against a wide expanse of wall. Hang a colorful piece of abstract art over it and style the glass top with a gilded barware set, colorful glass decanters, and vintage cocktail books.

First and foremost, you want a bar cart that’s sturdy enough to support the weight of all your bottles, glassware, and more. A rolling bar cart will help you easily entertain in different areas of the house, but make sure it isn’t rickety. 

The next thing you should look for is storage. If you have a small space, or only a few barware essentials, this isn’t a must. But consider looking for a bar cart that features multiple shelves, a stemware rack, and wine bottle holders to keep everything organized. 

While function is important, so is aesthetics. A bar cart is a decor statement and the centerpiece when having people over for cocktails. There are plenty of styles out there, from mid-century modern to Art Deco, so consider which one will best complement your home style. Warm wood? Gold detailing? A modern structure? Find something that calls to you.

Of course, every bar cart should be well-stocked with liquor or wine as well as barware. But make sure to think beyond the staples. "When entertaining, I always include a tray with a specific drink and a crystal ice bucket and change out the theme with cute napkins and coasters," says Jensen. "I also like to include games and decks of cards on the cart for extra fun."

A bar cart doesn’t necessarily need to be just for the bar. Think about what other stations would be useful in your home, such as bathroom storage or a place for office supplies. Jensen has two bar carts in her home—one inside and one on the porch. “My outdoor cart is multifunctional," she says. "I keep fresh herbs on it along with cute buckets that contain sidewalk chalk and games, bug sprays, and citronella"

Brides contributor Hillary Hoffower has over seven years of experience writing for the wedding industry, covering everything from bridal fashion trends to wedding decor. After months of scouring the web, she finally just bought a bar cart for her tiny studio apartment. She styled it with bottles of her favorite red vino paired with colorful wine glasses.

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