The short answer: choose a cart that fits the spot with room to walk in front of it, put glasses, tools and ice on the top shelf, keep bottles and a wine cooler on the lower shelf, and group small pieces on a tray. That is all a holiday bar cart needs to do: let guests serve themselves without a trip to the kitchen. Below, the MetropolitanDecor design team picks 21 pieces from our own Metropolitan Decor Essentials line to build one, from the cart itself to the cocktail picks.
Quick picks: one for each job on the cart
| Job | Our pick | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Cart for a living room | Juniper Two-Tier Bar Cart with Marbled Resin Trays | Two oval marbled resin trays with raised rails; 28 x 16.5 in footprint |
| Cart for a small room | Cimicifuga Compact Two-Tier Nickel Bar Cart with Glass Shelves | 24 x 18 in, 30.5 in tall, glass shelves keep it light |
| Cart with its own ice | Hepatica Two-Tier Acrylic and Gold Bar Cart with Ice Bucket | Ice bucket set into the top shelf |
| Bar storage behind doors | Cornflower Round Bar Cabinet on Wheeled Stand with Glass Doors | Glass-door cabinet on a rolling stand, 71.5 in tall |
| Ice | Lupine Champagne Gold Ice Bucket with Marbled Band | 8 in across and 8 in high, steel interior |
| Sparkling wine | Aubrieta White Marble Cube Champagne Bucket | Solid marble cube with a round well for a bottle and ice |
| Tools | Delphinium Four-Piece Bar Tool Set on Acrylic and Nickel Stand | Four tools on a 5 in square stand |
| Grouping glasses | Oenothera Square Black Glass Tray with Brass Gallery Rail | 23 in square with a gallery rail |
Step 1: Pick the cart for the spot, not the other way round
Start with a tape measure. The cart has to fit where guests naturally gather, and still leave room for someone to stand in front of it and pour. As a rule of thumb, keep about 36 inches of clear walkway in front of the cart while it is in use. Then choose the shape.
Living room or beside a lounge chair
Juniper Two-Tier Bar Cart with Marbled Resin Trays
Two blue-gray marbled resin trays in a slim black iron frame, each with a raised rail so bottles stay put when you wheel it over. At 28 by 16.5 inches it fits beside a sideboard or between two chairs.
Round and warm
Balsam Round Black Iron Bar Cart with Marbled Resin and Wood Trays
A marbled resin top with a wood lower tray on the same 28 by 16.5 inch footprint, 36 inches tall.
Wood, with a tray top
Nemesia Natural Mango Wood Bar Cart with Tray Top and Casters
Natural mango wood with a fluted apron, a tray top with side handles and casters; 26.25 by 20 inches and 30 inches high.
Small apartment
Cimicifuga Compact Two-Tier Nickel Bar Cart with Glass Shelves
24 by 18 inches and 30.5 inches tall, so the top shelf sits at an easy pouring height from the sofa. A clear rail runs around the top.
Slim and tall
Nasturtium Black Glass and Nickel Two-Tier Bar Cart
The same 24 by 18 inch footprint but 43.5 inches tall, with black glass shelves and a gallery rail on the top tier.
Ice built in
Hepatica Two-Tier Acrylic and Gold Bar Cart with Ice Bucket
Clear acrylic shelves, a gold-tone frame, a top handle and an ice bucket that sits in an opening on the top shelf.
When you want doors
Cornflower Round Bar Cabinet on Wheeled Stand with Glass Doors
A drum-shaped cabinet with glass doors and a mirrored interior on an iron stand with casters. At 46 by 28.25 inches and 71.5 inches tall it is closer to an armoire than a cart, so give it a wall and room for the doors to swing.
Browse every size in our bar carts collection.
Step 2: Load it in two zones
A cart works best when the top shelf is for serving and the lower shelf is for supply. Guests reach the top first; you restock from below.
Top shelf: glasses, tools, ice and garnish
- Lupine Champagne Gold Ice Bucket with Marbled Band: champagne gold with a white and blue-gray marbled band, 8 inches across, with knob handles. It matches the Lupine Champagne Gold Cocktail Shaker with Marbled Band, a three-piece shaker (cup, strainer cap, top cover) that stands 9 inches tall.
- Delphinium Four-Piece Bar Tool Set on Acrylic and Nickel Stand: four tools with clear acrylic handles hang from a polished nickel stand only 5 inches square, so they never scatter across the shelf.
- Arum Stainless Steel Bar Tool Set in Marble Stand: or stand your tools upright in a marble block, 8 inches wide and 10.5 inches high. The weight keeps them steady when you pull one out.
- Podocarpus Set of Twelve Multicolor Glass Ball Cocktail Picks in a Cup: twelve picks with jewel-toned glass tops in a footed nickel cup, 4.5 inches tall. Twelve picks cover a party of a dozen.
Lower shelf: bottles and chilling
- Hellebore Charcoal Wine Cooler with Gold Interior and Handles: an oval stainless steel cooler with a charcoal outside and a gold interior, 10.5 inches wide and 8 inches tall, sized for one standard bottle and ice.
- Liatris Gold-Tone Bark-Textured Champagne Tub with Handles: a gold-tone aluminum tub with a bark-like texture and cutout handles, 10 inches tall, for two or more bottles at a bigger party.
- Aubrieta White Marble Cube Champagne Bucket: a 9 inch cube of white marble with a round well for a champagne bottle. It is heavy, so it can also move to the dining table as a centerpiece for the toast.
Keep the heaviest pieces low. A cart on casters is steadier with the weight near the floor, especially on a rug.
Step 3: Group the small pieces on a tray
Loose glasses and decanters look busy and slide when the cart moves. A tray with a rail gathers them into one setup you can also lift off and carry to the coffee table.
- Oenothera Square Black Glass Tray with Brass Gallery Rail: a 23 inch square dark glass base with a polished brass rail. Brass and crystal stand out against the dark surface.
- Nicotiana Square Mirror Tray with Polished Silver Wave Rail: the same 23 inch size with a mirror base and a silver wave rail. The mirror makes a few objects look fuller and multiplies candlelight.
- Echeveria Cut Crystal Decanter with Faceted Stopper: flat-sided cut crystal, 10.5 inches tall, with a faceted stopper; hand wash only.
- Jacaranda Tapered Clear Glass Decanter with Faceted Stopper: a tapered clear glass decanter with a faceted stopper, a cleaner shape for modern rooms.
Finish with coasters where guests will set a glass down: the Mulberry Black Marble Coaster Set of 4 with Leather Tie (4 inch black marble squares with white veining) or the Gardenia Tan Leather Round Coaster Set with Holder, which stack in their own holder so they stay together on the cart.
Three setups to copy
| Occasion | Cart | Top shelf | Lower shelf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocktail hour in a small living room | Cimicifuga | Lupine ice bucket, Delphinium tools, Podocarpus picks | Three bottles, Gardenia coasters |
| Holiday dinner, dining room | Juniper | Oenothera tray with Echeveria decanter and glasses | Hellebore cooler with white wine |
| New Year's toast | Hepatica | Glasses, Lupine shaker | Liatris tub with sparkling wine; Aubrieta cube at the table |
Why it's worth the investment
A bar cart earns its place every time you host, and the rest of the year it holds a tray, a decanter and a few glasses as a finished corner of the room. The pieces above are chosen to work together: the Lupine bucket and shaker match, the trays share a 23 inch size, and the carts come in footprints from compact to cabinet, so you can start with the cart and add pieces as you host. Every product is part of Metropolitan Decor Essentials, the line our design team curates for MetropolitanDecor, and you can read how we choose it on our About Metropolitan Decor Essentials page.
Keep planning your holiday rooms
- A living room made for holiday hosting
- A Thanksgiving dining room made for long evenings
- How to choose a coffee table by sofa size
- Shop the full Metropolitan Decor Essentials line
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up a bar cart for a holiday party?
Put glasses, tools, ice and garnishes on the top shelf, where guests reach first, and keep bottles, a wine cooler and spare stock on the lower shelf. Heaviest pieces go low so the cart stays steady on its casters.
What size bar cart do I need?
Measure the spot first. A 24 by 18 inch cart fits beside a sofa or in a small living room; a 28 by 16.5 inch cart suits a dining room or the end of a kitchen run. As a rule of thumb, leave about 36 inches clear in front of the cart so guests can serve themselves.
What should go on a bar cart?
An ice bucket, a bar tool set, a shaker, one or two decanters, a tray to group glasses, coasters and a cup of cocktail picks. Add a wine cooler or champagne bucket if you will pour sparkling wine.
How much ice should I plan for a party?
A common rule of thumb is about one pound of ice per guest for drinks, more if you are also chilling bottles. Keep the ice bucket on the top shelf and refill it from the freezer rather than overfilling.
Can a bar cart work in a small apartment?
Yes. A compact two-tier cart with glass shelves stays visually light and rolls against a wall when you need the floor. Keep the styling to a tray, an ice bucket and a few bottles.
Is a bar cabinet better than a bar cart?
A bar cabinet stores glassware and bottles behind doors and needs a wall and room for the doors to open. A cart is better when you want to roll drinks to where guests are sitting.
Planning a bar for a party, a hotel suite or a restaurant? Contact our design team and we will help you choose the cart, size and pieces.