The Great Bar Cart Debate

This article delves into a spirited debate among House Beautiful editors regarding the relevance and practicality of bar carts in modern home design. The discussion emerged during a story pitching session where Deputy Managing Editor Olivia Hosken declared the bar cart 'over,' citing concerns about dusty glassware and the general impracticality of displaying liquor bottles. Conversely, Assistant Editor Meghan Shouse championed the bar cart, highlighting her recent success in using one to furnish an awkward space in her apartment and expressing how it enabled her to curate an entertaining area. Meghan Shouse presents a strong case for the bar cart, rooted in her long-held dream of owning a stylish, gold-accented cart stocked with quality liquor and eye-catching glassware. She views the bar cart as an essential piece of furniture, on par with a couch, especially for individuals residing in smaller living quarters lacking ample storage. For her, the bar cart provides a designated space for spirits and barware, freeing up other areas and serving as a functional yet decorative element. She further argues that a bar cart offers an additional surface for displaying decorative items, allowing maximalists to enhance their home's aesthetic. By choosing visually appealing liquor bottles and incorporating elements like cocktail recipe books, candles, coasters, succulents, and art prints, the bar cart can be transformed into a curated display, akin to a coffee table, making a space feel more intentional and well-designed. Shouse also points out the utility of a bar cart in filling awkward, unusable spaces, transforming them into functional and aesthetically pleasing zones, as she successfully did in her own apartment's long hallway. Shouse extends her argument to include non-alcoholic options, suggesting that a bar cart remains valuable even for sober individuals or those practicing 'Dry January.' She notes the growing market for non-alcoholic spirits with attractive packaging, enabling the creation of well-styled beverage displays. She emphasizes that the process of making mocktails still involves traditional bar tools like shakers and jiggers, thus retaining the functional aspect of a bar cart. She believes that a 'sober bar cart' can normalize a reduction in social drinking while still offering a sophisticated and interesting design element. On the other hand, Olivia Hosken advocates against the bar cart, drawing from her own experience with a rattan bar cart in her first San Francisco apartment in 2012. She recalls the era's trend of Prohibition-inspired speakeasies and vintage aesthetics, which made the bar cart seem ideal. However, she asserts that bar carts are fundamentally impractical. Hosken argues that glassware and tools quickly accumulate dust, becoming unsuitable for serving guests without prior cleaning. She highlights that cocktails are best prepared in a kitchen where fresh ingredients and ice are readily available, and spills can be easily managed. Additionally, wines require specific temperature control, which a typical bar cart cannot provide, making it an ungainly and inconvenient setup for entertaining. Hosken contends that the primary function of a bar cart is often merely aesthetic rather than practical. From a design perspective, Hosken dismisses the notion of decorating with grocery store liquor bottles, even if they are small-batch or aesthetically pleasing. She believes these items do not warrant permanent display and suggests that bar carts themselves become quickly dated, serving as fleeting trendy props rather than timeless pieces of furniture. She advocates for storing glassware and bar tools discreetly in cabinets and keeping alcohol out of sight, chilled as necessary. For those with sufficient space and a passion for beverages, she recommends dedicated built-in bar storage, such as a vacuum-sealed wine dispenser or even an entire room dedicated to wine or music. She concludes that the traditional bar cart is an outdated and cringeworthy item that has outlived its purpose in contemporary living spaces. #BarCart #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #Entertaining #HomeStorage #DesignDebate #Furniture #BarCart #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #Entertaining #HomeStorage #DesignDebate #Furniture