I think for many of us, there comes a time in our life when we start to value staying home with a glass of wine on the weekends rather than heading out to all the crowded, loud, oddly sticky bars and clubs. At home, you have your most comfy clothes, favorite snacks, and you don’t have to deal with overpriced drinks. Beyond enjoying a drink within the comfort of your own home, having friends over for a special night of drinks and dinner is a great way to socialize and catch up without the threat of strangers interrupting and spilling drinks all over you. Hosting can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but with the right kind of tricks, you can impress your friends and have a superb time together!

Find an Occasion

Hosting doesn’t have to be an every-weekend kind of thing (and it shouldn’t!). Planning for those special occasions throughout the year will give you plenty of time to throw together food, decorations, and of course, drinks. It’s probably fair to assume that the space in your apartment or house can seem cramped at times — and adding a guest list to that can seem nearly impossible. Luckily, there are some space-saving (and trendy) options. Enter the bar cart. As space-saving gurus at Life Storage explain, “[bar carts] can add a bit of glam to your decor. Use a bar cart as a stylish, convenient place to store fancy glasses and spirits, or for the perfect coffee station.” Bar carts can also be completely customized to fit your style and needs. So where do we start?

Booze, Besties, and Balloons!

It should come as no surprise that the main ingredient for any successful bar cart (and party) are the drinks. However, it’s important to keep in mind that we are going for style when assembling bar carts, and not just any old bottle will do. Finding a balance between those fancy, pretty-to-look-at bottles of liquor and the booze you actually enjoying drinking is key. Display those pretty bottles and either hide your preferred liquor behind them or invest in an elegant decanter that will hold your favorite whiskey or vodka. I also like to make sure I have Fever Tree Tonic Water on hand for my famous gin and tonics! Guests will likely also bring some drinks, so don’t forget to find some stylish glasses to serve everyone with.

Depending on the occasion, hanging up some decorations can help set the overall mood and vibe of your get-together. As the hosting experts at Bedly explain, “the tone of your party is set through the decorations. If you want to let your personality shine through the décor, go to Michael’s for some simple crafting ideas. If you don’t want decorating to become a chore, use what you already have or go to a party store.” So with that in mind, It’s also not a bad idea to shake up your bar cart’s theme every so often to keep things fresh and interesting. Even tying a few festive balloons around the top row can catch your guests’ attention and get them talking about your fantastic styling skills.

Accessorize and Personalize

This is where your bar cart will really come to life and display your personality. Finding those key pieces to accessorize your cart with might be tricky but is vital to giving your cart that unique, inviting look. To get started, ask yourself: What’s your aesthetic? Metallics? Country chic? Vintage? If you can settle on a vibe, you won’t waste time trying to force pieces to look good together.

My friend likes to add mood-boosting elements to her bar cart with crystals! She specifically gets crystals for absorbing negativity and “relieving stress” — like moonstone, rose quartz, and selenite. Personally, I don’t buy into that bunk, but I do think they are a beautiful accessory that can complement the various bottles on your cart.

By personalizing your bar cart as such, you’ll give your guests some insight into your personality and interests, whether that’s with crystals, some small potted plants, or cute black cat figurines. If you need some ideas to get you started, don’t shy away from turning to a few trusted and stylish websites, such as the online designers at Havenly , for some chic bar cart recommendations .

Bar carts are growing in popularity and with good reason. Not only do they spice up any room with personality and flair, they can help save space during those special occasions hosted at your place, which means more room to dance, swap stories, and take those perfect Instagram photos.  Good luck!

Bar Carts We Love

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