{vintage dining hutch turned bar}

In our past places we have used our painted credenza as our bar area - see it in our Chicago place here and our old DTLA loft here.  In our new place, I had my heart set on getting a bart cart to switch things up a little bit.  After checking out a few options online and in person it became clear to me that we have way too much liquor and bar accessories for a tiny bar cart.  I started searching around on Craigslist for other options and happened upon a total gem of everything mid-century called Sunbeam Vintage.  Located on a little downtown street in Highland park, Sunbeam vintage has an adorable storefront as well as a big warehouse around the corner filled with tons of goodies at great prices (if you follow them on Instagram you can check out new pieces as they come in!).  

In their warehouse, I discovered this vintage dining hutch that was severely on sale and decided it would be the perfect size for a bar.  I thought we might want to paint it or add some interesting molding or maybe even a wallpaper backing, but after getting it home and placing all our bar items in it I decided I like it plain and simple.  We may add some brass door pulls to the two doors at the bottom, but for now I'm going to keep it as is.  It feels so good to start completely areas of our new place and I can't wait to share more of it in the following weeks!

 {Z Gallerie Oxford Bowl & vintage flamingo print}

 {a selection of our bar books:  PDT, Old Mr Boston's, The Bar Book.  See more of my favorite cocktail books right here}

{Tiffany cut crystal decanter & vintage cylinder decanter both with vintage liquor labels} 

{custom monogrammed old fashioned glasses we received for Christmas}

{one bar cart, three ways}

I know that bar carts are insanely trendy right now and have been for a few years, but I still really love them a fun decor piece and believe they are here to stay- especially since they add a fun glimpse into the owner's personality based on how they style it!  Target gave me this amazing brass and wood bar cart from their newest Threshold collection.  I thought it might be fun to play around with different ways to use the bar cart beyond its traditional use a cocktail station.

First up- how I would use this cart if we didn't already have our current bar set up.  I like to keep all of our alcohol bottles visible for cocktail inspiration so I used the entire bottom shelf to display our various options.  On the top shelf I picked out some of our bar accessories including our extensive collection of stirrers/straws, custom coasters leftover from our wedding and these new brass coasters.  I also placed a small sampling of our go-to cocktail books that are normally hidden away in our bar credenza.

{cocktail books: The Bar Book, PDT Cocktail Book, Vintage Spirits, vintage Esquire Party Book}

{our full alcohol line-up excluding bitters}

Next up- using the bar cart in the office as an extension of my desk.  I already have a pretty spacious desk, but I constantly find myself using up every inch of available space on it while I am working on different projects.  Using the bar cart alongside the desk under the inspiration board gives me even more free room on the desktop.  Besides the overflowing inspiration board, I try to keep the surfaces in my office clutter-free, but it's still helpful to have a few crucial items at my fingertips rather than hidden away. 

{stationary boxes from this post, brass tray, acrylic desk accessories, vintage milk glass, magazine files from Ikea}

Last up, I turned the bar cart into an old school dessert cart like the kind you would see trolling around a nice restaurant back in the day.  Wouldn't this be so fun to surprise dinners guests with at the end of the meal?!?  I used the top for a dessert spread included a raspberry tart, french macarons, a selection of cookies and mini vanilla bean cupcakes.  On the bottom I placed serving utensils and napkins alongside a selection of after-dinner drinks with brandy snifters and whisky tasting glasses.

{vintage jadeite cake stands also leftover from our wedding- you can find them on Etsy or here}

I hope this post inspires you to think of new and creative ways to utilize a bar cart in your home.  Are their any really unique ways you have seen people style a bar cart? Please share!

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of  the opinions or positions of Target.

{new flamingo artwork}

I feel like I have been seeing flamingos everywhere lately right?!?!  Maybe it is because summer is right around the corner or something.  I happened across this vintage flamingo print by Roger Tory Peterson while antiquing with my mom and felt like it would be a perfect addition to our house.  I love the kitschy feel that flamingos always give, but in this particular print the colors are bit more on the muted side which gives the whole thing a great 70s vibe.

In the future I would love to pick up a sister print to this one and then use it with the current one flanking each side of a bed, but for now I'll be happy with these guys hanging out next to our bar in the living room!

If you would like to buy this print for yourself you can scoop up an 

unframed poster version right here or a very similar piece from West Elm right here! 

{a little recent shopping}

 This season I made a little list of things I want to buy so that I can stay focused and not get distracted by sparkly little things to decorate our house or more party dresses which I don't need.  This year I am on the hunt for a new pair of flat brown boots in a soft cognac leather, jewel tone silk blouses and long sleeve dresses I can wear to work.  Did I buy any of these things recently when I did a little shopping?  Nope.  So clearly the making a list and staying focused thing isn't working out so great this season. But I did pick up some fun things to share with you...

Vintage cocktail glasses I picked up last weekend at the Rose Bowl Flea market for a few bucks a piece. I plan to use these to spice up the Friday Cocktail posts!

 Studded and jeweled peep toe d'orsay pumps by Sam Edelman.  I have been eyeing these for a long time; they are super high, a great neutral color and a little edgy, but girly at the same time.  I scored these ones on ebay last week and they finally arrived.  I can't wait for a reason to wear them!

While I will pretty much buy any fashion or interior design related book there is, Chris and I tend to be pretty conservative about buying cookbooks despite how much we cook.  My main criteria is that there absolutely needs to be gorgeous imagery in the book.  We spontaneously ordered these two books from Amazon and they definitely do not disappoint in the imagery department.  The one on the left is "The Family Meal" by Ferran Adria and it outlines 31 four course meals to make for family get togethers.  It even multiplies the servings for 2, 6, 20 or 75 people (when am I going to need to multiply a recipe for 75?!?!). The book on the right is "Bite by Bite" by Peter Callahan which includes 100 recipes for "stylish little plates" for parties.  I think this book was actually written specifically for me and my love of regular food in mini form. 

 

I am sure this isn't the last time you will see these two books on the blog- they will definitely be used for recipes in the near future!

{credenza makeover: part two - fully stocked}

Setting up the bar was my favorite part of the entire unpacking process after we moved into the loft. The new credenza has more than enough room for our everyday bar needs plus space for additional glassware and less used spirits/liqueurs. The staples we always make sure to have stocked are:

• Hendrick's gin
• Rittenhouse 100 rye
• Buffalo Trace bourbon
• Milagro Silver tequila
• Sagatiba Velha cachaca
• St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• Kubler absinthe
• Luxardo maraschino liqueur

{tray from Ikea}

{martha stewart cake stand and Chronicle Book's The Ultimate Bar Book}

We also like to use a variety of bitters, our mainstays are Agnostura, Orange, Peychaud's and Lavender. The smaller bitters bottles were part of a gift set by Scrappy's bitters and I highly recommend these smaller sizes if you are interested in trying out different flavors without committing to the 10 ounce bottle.

 

{Alessi juicer}

We get most of our barware and glassware from restaurant supply stores.  Most often we will find what we need at Bargain Fair in Los Angeles or Chef's Toys in Orange County.

{appetizer plates & glasses from Bargain Fair}

{Ikea champagne flutes}

{left to right: Ikea old fashioned glass, Bargain Fair brandy glass, Barkeeper coupes, Bargain Fair stemless wine glass}

{Party People drink markers and Jonathan Adler drink stoppers}

These Jonathan Adler drink stoppers were given to us as a housewarming gift and I think they make wonderful hostess gifts or a nice addition to a gifted bottle of wine. Vacu Vin makes these awesome suction cup drink markers which we use for our stemless wine glasses.

I don't think it takes much to create and maintain a bar that can serve a variety of drinks for any occasion. We always like to be able to make our friends exactly which drink they prefer and with 4 to 5 different types of glassware and a small variety of spirits, we are usually able to accomplish that easily.

Cheers!

{credenza makeover: part one}

At our previous house in Silverlake, we had a very small "bar", about 3 feet wide, that was always forcing us to re-arrange the bottles and glasses in order to get everything to fit. While shopping for a dining table at Pepe's thrift store (here), we came across this solid wood credenza which was in need of some work. We briefly debated trying to tackle refinishing and lacquering it ourselves, but Pepe offered to sell us the credenza and lacquer it in any color we chose for $250. I knew I wanted it to be dove gray, but we were afraid some of the detailing on the doors would get lost without some contrast so we added the white. I am really happy with how it turned out and I highly recommend Pepe for any refinishing and re-upholstery needs. Check back tomorrow for part two with the bar fully stocked! **UPDATE: click here for part two!