Simple Outdoor Bar Cart Styling

So, I may have a small bar cart styling obsession…

But seriously, these carts can bring so much character to any space!

Today, I’m excited to share with you how I decorated this little cart to fit a simple outdoor space on this gorgeous balcony overlooking Lake Superior in Marquette. Thanks to The Clubhouse at The Trestle Building, we had the most perfect setup and views!

My moms been on a bar cart kick lately, and keeps finding these antiques to fix up and put on her patio. We now have two of the same bar carts at our house – just slightly different colors. According to her, when you find these carts for cheap, you can’t pass them up. The bar cart pictured in today’s post is one of my moms antique treasures, and although it’s tiny, it still fits the essentials and works for any outdoor space.

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Personally, I love seeing champagne on bar carts over beer! How cute are these little bottles from Meijer to start off an outdoor celebration?  This galvanized ice bucket is perfect for these baby bottles to chill in.

Unfortunately this bar cart is very small, so I kept the glassware as simple as possible. Since I like starting off with a glass of champagne, I like the idea to later replace the champagne bucket with more glassware. If you’re looking for bar cart glassware, I love this glassware set. 

Cocktail shakers are fun and obviously nice to have when providing mixed drinks. I got mine from Meijer for roughly $15. I found a few other shakers online that I loved, including this shaker, this one and this one. If you really want to get fancy, other fun “barware” to include would be a jigger, muddler or a strainer.

I looked everywhere for these striped straws because I love seeing them on bar carts. Instead I found the cute colored ones pictured at Meijer. (Can you tell I love Meijer?) Although I don’t think straws are necessarily essential, I think they make a cute addition in mason jars!

As for the liquor, I kept it simple and did one bottle of gin, rum and vodka. I’ve seen bar carts full of just liquor alone, but when it comes to simple outdoor styling, I like the idea of having fewer options.

The middle level of this cart is a really awkward height and I wasn’t able to fit much, so I decided to decorate with succulents. Succulents are my favorite because they need very little maintenance and work well as outdoor decor. I love seeing any type of quirky plant or piece of art added to bar carts for styling!

As for the bottom shelf, I added four bottles of Pellegrino’s Sparkling Water (obsessed with the look of these), along with a larger ice bucket. Here is a galvanized ice bucket similar to what I used. I bought mine from Walmart.

Happy outdoor bar cart styling season!

Photography: Emma Tembreull

Shoot Location: The Clubhouse at The Trestle Building