Build Your Bar Cart

Upgrading your cocktail game is one thing. But stepping up your bartending game? That requires stocking the right bottles at home. Now, what you stock depends entirely on what you and your guests drink. But we do have some thoughts on where you should put said bottles. And, in case you were wondering, on top of the fridge is not a viable place for a grown man to store his booze. A bar cart is a legendary addition to any bachelor pad (or even a den of domestic bliss). The classic looking cart can be tucked into the corner of a room and it not only keeps all of your booze, tools and glasses organized, but it adds a dash of rakish charm to the interior design of your place. And makes one hell of a conversation piece for visitors as well. While most can be pretty pricey, there are ways to keep the cost down if you're willing to put in a little work. So we're presenting you with a weekend challenge: Build yourself the perfect bar bart to suit the style of your home, then stock with your favorite alcohol and vital accessories.

Affordable Bar Cart Ideas

The Vintage Option

Interior designer Leah Harmatz of Field Theory unearthed a dusty, beat-up bar cart at a flea market and immediately saw the potential. She unscrewed the trays and spray painted them black for a cleaner, more modern look. She then polished up the brass (Bar Keepers Friend works wonders) and put it all back together.

The DIY Option

If you like that rugged industrial loft style, Ben Uyeda, founder of HomeMadeModern, offers a simple and straightforward video guide on how to make your own bart car using oak boards and iron pipes, all of which you'll be able to purchase form your local hardware store. Most will even cut the boards to your exact measurements, if you don't happen to have your own power miter saw.

The Hardware Store Option

Bartender and contributor to Valet., Luke Andrews, assembled his bar cart from a steel tool cart he found at Harbor Freight Tools for just $38. "It's mobile if it has to be, but it mostly just sits there and holds the bottles that get used the most ... and my old trumpet," he says. "I try to keep flowers on it during the day and a candle at night."

The Non-Booze Essentials