Crate and Barrel’s Libations cart, with a brass-plated frame and leather-wrapped handels.
Making a stir in home decor right now is the return of the bar cart. Once a fixture of your grandparents' living room, the welcome resurgence of this naff bit of furniture is due both to condo-size spaces needing a bit of luxury and the growing trend of having a cocktail at home.
"Entertaining at home is a trend that's evolving with an added level of glamour," says Canadian interior designer Brian Gluckstein. "Rolling the bar cart into the living room, to mix classic martinis and cocktails, adds a heightened sense of sophistication to a party." Gluckstein's contribution to the trend is a trolleystyle cart produced for the GlucksteinHome accessories brand available at Hudson's Bay stores across Canada. At $299, the model features two mirrored shelves and cut-out handles for easy steering.
Mobilia, the family-run home-furnishings company based in Montreal, recently came out with its own line of vintage-inspired carts after president Johannes Kau noted their increased appearance at the Las Vegas Home Show in August of last year. Introduced to Mobilia's locations in Quebec and Ontario in November and priced from $599, the Italian– made pieces have a 1970s vibe. The Womy, for instance, is a skinny three-tier unit made of white marble shelves and antique bronze rails, while the Nori is a rounded fourwheel trolley with a gun metal finish. And, American retailer West Elm has opted for a midcentury look with a walnut and brass cart (selling in Canada for under $350).
While attractive in their own right, the new bar cart needs the right accessories to really look at home, among them cocktail shakers and long spoons. Mélanie Aumais, bartender at La Société in Toronto, advises home mixologists to have on hand a few bottles of cocktailfriendly liquors like Cointreau and vermouth in addition to a cutting board, paring knife and hand press for preparing fresh juices. "The last ingredient that you will need is a bottle or two of aromatic bitters, the equivalent of salt and pepper in the bartending world," Aumais adds. Besides showcasing your bottle collection, use the trolley for showing off your crystal. Glasses don't have to match – they just have to sparkle.