We may have to limit our guests lists these days, but we can still create festive moments at home. A well-stocked bar can serve up the perfect home cocktail, store the champagne for your next celebration, or even just make a dinner at home more like a date night. Whether you have space for a built-in bar or a cart, here are the best tips for serving up style.

1. The Right Tools for the Job

Every bar must have the perfect tools for the job. You’ll need storage for ice buckets, shakers, stirrers, glasses, pitchers, and more. And of course a stock of your favorite mixers, wines, and liqueurs. If you don’t have room, glassware can be stored elsewhere, of course, but be sure you have what you need to avoid running back and forth to another room.

2. Make a Move

The best bar carts have wheels, so they can be moved close to the action. There’s nothing more fun than being able to watch the cocktail crafter at work! I love the gorgeous brass cart I found for my clients above. It is a chic way to take the bar from room to room, but the wheels also lock in place when you need more stability.

3. Personal Touches

Accessories add a personal touch, so don’t forget to add them to them mix. Bartending books, pots of herbs or flowers, art, or even a collection of corks from favorite wines can give your bar a lot of personality.

4. Vintage Style

Using antique trays, like the one above, gives you a triple purpose for a bar. They can protect the bar top, showcase your family heirlooms rather than locking them away, and you can use them to serve drinks in style. Don’t have any family pieces at home? Search out vintage pieces yourself. I love the insta-shop The Sweetest Vintage - check it out! You could also find bottle openers, antique stirrers, and more.

5. Remember Functionality

Whether you’re talking about the tools you need or the vintage accessories you want, functionality is the key to a home bar. And if you’re lucky enough to have a built-in bar, be sure you include everything you’ll need. When I’m creating one for my clients, I ensure there is plenty of storage for glassware and those tools. But I also might give them a wine fridge to store their varietals at the perfect temperature, a beer or drinks drawer that keeps bottles and cans cool and ready to serve, and maybe even a fabulous bar sink for prepping fruit and herbs for cocktails. The one below is from my collection for Thompson Traders - you can see the entire collection here.

What would you want most for your home bar? Let’s make it a reality!

All the best,

Kara