5 tips to making your bar cart stylish and functional, according to a design pro

• A bar cart can showcase your style and display your favorite spirits and bar tools.
• Featuring local liquor bottles is an easy way to add personality.
• Well-placed plants, knick-knacks, and cocktail books can tie it all together.

Consider the bar cart. As a furnishing, it's the perfect combination of design and function.

While they are designed to store liquor, bar tools and accessories, and glassware, they are also a piece of decor that can draw the eye in an aesthetically pleasing way.

"It's important to style a bar cart because it lends itself to being full of practical, helpful and beautiful accessories," says Marie Flanigan, interior designer and founder of Marie Flanigan Interiors. "It can make such a gorgeous focal point in a room."

To help budding mixologists and seasoned entertainers alike, Flanigan shares her tips on how to organize and style a bar cart so it matches your style and drinking habits.

Think practical and make the bar cart the focal point

If you don't already have a bar cart, choosing one that fits your space and taste is essential. Start by deciding where in your space you want to put the bar cart. Choose a spot that is easily accessible, typically in the kitchen, dining room, or living room.

"A bar cart is the perfect way to combine form, function, and fun, especially if you enjoy entertaining," says Flanigan. "It's also a great way to showcase your style."

If you're in the market for a bar cart, go with one that will match your room and home's overall aesthetic. For a cottage-core or natural look, a rattan bar cart can add a whimsical touch. A wooden bar cart with rich, brown hues and clean lines is perfect for a mid-century aesthetic. For a more modern look with an art deco touch, a metal and glass bar cart with a gold finish is the perfect addition.

Make sure your cart has the space to hold all the accessories, glassware, and bottles you'd like to display. Decluttering certain items might be necessary to achieve the perfect blend of storage and composition.

Get funky with accessories and tools

Certain bar tools are a must for any cart, including: a cocktail shaker, bar spoon, muddler, jigger, strainer, peeler, corkscrew, bottle opener, and bar knife.

Other optional items such as fruit picks and metal cocktail straws can be attractive and useful additions if there is space to store them. All of these tools and accessories should express your personal sense of style and design, while also ensuring they are functional and long-lasting.

"The finish colors of shakers, tongs and other necessary tools can add gorgeous patina, interest, and character to the overall vignette," says Flanigan.

For those with a maximalist or unconventional aesthetic, an oil slick bar set can add a funky vibe, a brass finished bar set can add a vintage and elegant look, and a hand-hammered stainless steel set can add a bright, modern look. Whatever your taste, selecting barware that exhibits individualism can elevate the look of your bar cart and make it a central piece of decor.

Quick tip: Try shopping locally at flea markets, thrift shops or consignment stores, and craft shows for vintage accessories and locally made goods.

Don't underestimate the power of attractive glassware

Unlike cabinets, the contents of a bar cart are out in the open for any guest to see. Because of this, it's important to choose attractive barware that is also practical.

Avoid storing mugs, plates, chipped or cracked glassware, and other overstock items from kitchen cabinets. Flanigan suggests storing taller glasses towards the back of the cart, working your way forward with shorter glasses.

For more classic barware with a unique look, Flanigan recommends shopping vintage. "So many vintage, antique, and consignment shops have gorgeous decanters, tools, and glassware that will make any bar cart feel incredibly curated and elevated," she says.

For a more contemporary style, stackable glassware with a simple and clean finish can allow for a more sleek look and lends room to decorate with more embellished accessories and tools.

"From old fashioned glasses to copper mule mugs and iridescent champagne flutes, the glassware options are seemingly endless," says Flanigan.

Quick tip: Resist the urge to overstuff your bar cart and keep glassware to a minimum. If you frequently host, display up to four of each type of glass and store others in cabinets. This will keep your bar cart looking sleek and uncluttered.

Prioritize local libations

When it comes to alcohol and spirits, Flanigan reminds that it is important to organize and prioritize based on what you most enjoy or serve.

"If you love a whiskey neat, make sure you have whiskey and your favorite glass at the front, but if you like your whiskey on the rocks, perhaps you need to incorporate an ice bucket as well," she says. "Diversify your bar cart's glassware, mixers, and offerings depending on how you plan to drink.

Flanigan says another great way to showcase your favorite liquor is in a beautiful decanter — bonus if it comes in a set. Decanters and decanter sets can incorporate cohesion and are a better way of displaying alcohol whose bottles and packaging don't match your cart's style.

Placing local bottles at the front can also add a more personalized touch to a bar cart, leaving behind basic bottles found on any liquor store shelf. Local packaging and labels can be great additions to the overall styling and colors or theme of the cart.

Add decorative pieces to tie everything together

While bar carts are functional in nature, it's important to remember that adding personal touches is what makes it stylish and reflective of your taste.

To truly make a bar cart your own, Flanigan recommends adorning with items such as a small plant or floral arrangement, monogrammed mint julep glasses, linen cocktail napkins, or a unique decorative piece such as a quirky candle holder or framed art print above the cart.

Quick tip: Not only are cocktail books educational, they can say a lot about you when stored on a bar cart. Here's a roundup of the best cocktail books, according to professional bartenders.

Insider's takeaway

Whether you're hosting a swanky cocktail party, an elegant dinner, or just relaxing alone with a drink, a stylish bar cart can elevate any room for entertaining and a sense of personal style and design. Combining attractive glassware, bar tools, and accessories with personal touches and a prioritization of your favorite and local libations is the perfect recipe for a stylish bar cart with details that are uniquely you.