Before & After: Bar Cart Update

BEFORE

Pathetic-ville, I know. To be honest, I went back & forth on whether or not I wanted to keep this bar cart all together. I’ve had it since my studio apartment days (circa 2015) after finding it at a Homegoods store. Needless to say, I felt it leaned a tad on the feminine side in terms of style. But after considering getting a new bar cart all together, that too didn’t seem like it would be a legitimate purchase. In reality, I drink mostly white wine and beer, both of which stay in the fridge 95% of the time, and Thomas prefers whiskey & red wine options, which get stored on the cart on the occasion we even have it in the apartment (as you can see from the lack thereof of bottles above.)

So we figured it was better to make use of what we already have; just needed to beef it up a little in the masculine department. In order to keep it relevant with our existing living room theme, opting for rustic wood & metal in the decor and accessories felt like the right way to go.

AFTER

Here’s the result! A few accessory touches here & there, along with making better use of available space within these 3 shelves, led us to a brand new bar cart vibe. I absolutely love how it turned out (as does Thomas) and now feel at peace having our entire living space now looking complete. Funny how it only took 70+ days indoors to trigger me into actually completing my home improvement projects lol. But hey if there’s anything to be proud of accomplishing in Quarantine, it’s checking things like this off the never-ending list!

I’ve linked all the available items you see below (or something very similar to it if no longer in stock) as you scroll down & check out the new bar cart up-close. I hope you enjoy as much as we do!

TOP SHELF

The Art of Mixology Book

Probably the most useful find I could get (for myself), as each page is filled with easy-to-follow cocktail recipes from well-known concoctions to out-of-this-world suggestions

Whiskey Rocket Decanter
Old Fashioned Whiskey Glasses (Set of 4)

I know you see only 2 in these shots, but they came in a set of 4; the others are in the dishwasher. Highly recommend getting these 2.5″ ice cube ball trays too to really elevate the at-home experience

5pc Gold Bar Tool Set
Malaysian Bamboo Reed Diffuser

Quality like the Nest Fragrances, but half the price! Plus, all purchases help support the amazing small business behind it

Wood Serving Tray

MIDDLE SHELF

Countertop Wine Rack

Although you don’t see many bottles here, this rack is the perfect small space solution to hold the 2 we usually have in-stock. The champagne & moscato bottle you see here are clearly there for display purposes; they returned right back to the fridge following this photo shoot, in case you were concerned lol

Tip: Be sure to store any wine bottles you have outside the fridge on their sides, as doing so allows the cork to stay moist and your wine tasting great longer than it would be if you kept it upright. Otherwise, the cork will begin to dry up & it will start to let air inside, causing premature oxidation and therefore ruining your wine


BOTTOM SHELF

Gold Ice Bucket
Open Bar Wood Sign

Propping it up with this mini frame stand (same for the Mixology book above)

Gold Tray
Wood Nesting Boxes

Using these to store all our coozies & wine stoppers out of sight

WHAT HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE QUARANTINE?

Let me know in the comments below!