Over the past several weeks, I’ve been adding touches of spring to my home. I’ve updated my living room and created an Easter tablescape. Today, I want to share my spring bar cart, plus a new martini recipe.
If you’re spring-ifying your own home, then you’re in luck because over a dozen home decor bloggers have gotten together to post a bouquet full of spring decor. It’s like a mini-spring tour with lots of ideas for your home. If you’re currently on the tour and visiting from Lizbeth at Home and Fabulous, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. Lizbeth and I both write for the HomeGoods Design Happy blog, so I’m honored to be following her and her beautiful designs on this tour.
I decided to update my bar cart for spring for a few reasons. First, it has been majorly neglected since the holidays. In fact, it still had touches of black and gold (my dining room holiday decor theme) and even a few leftover pine tree drink stirrers. Secondly, last week I was craving a martini and decided to whip one up with supplies I had on hand. To my surprise, it was rather delicious, so I also wanted to share that with you.
Finally, I purchased some new spring and Easter accessories for my Easter tablescape a few weeks ago, and I wanted to show you another way you might use them. In an attempt to lessen the clutter in my home, I’m always looking for ways to repurpose things. If you struggle with “too much stuff,” hopefully, this will help you think about different ways you can use items you already have.
To get started, I cleared off my bar cart. (In case you’re wondering, this is the Oak Park Bar Cart from Grandin Road. I’ve been bonkers about it since I bought it.)
When styling a bar cart, I like to begin by adding something that gives a little height. A cake stand, group of books, or stack of plates work well. On a recent visit to HomeGoods, I found these trays with big copper handles. When I saw them, my thought was to create a truly wow-worthy cheese plate (which I still hope to do), but I also love how they function on my cart.
Another thing I like to do when dressing a bar cart is to use trays and boards to corral items. I used one on each level of my cart: a marble cutting board on the top, my copper handled tray in the middle, and a wood box on the bottom. This keeps things from looking cluttered, and it helps me organize like items.
Next, I added the bottles of alcohol. I recommend using the top of your cart for go-to liquors. Put less-frequently used liquors and seasonal favorites on the lower shelves. (Also, if you’re like me, pull in a few things that match your color scheme.)
At this point, tuck in glassware and functional items, such as a cocktail shaker, spoons, and jiggers for measuring of cocktails. To shake things up a bit, I decided to use my egg cups (also from HomeGoods) as jiggers for this spring bar cart. In addition to being cute and well-suited to the season, they give a consistent measurement for cocktail making. The bunny straws are from the Dollar Spot at Target.
You can also incorporate any garnishes you may need to create your cocktail. I needed thyme, strawberries, and lemon wedges. While these are certainly practical items, I made them look beautiful as well. I appreciate when things can serve double duty.
With all of the necessities in place, you can fill in with your seasonal and decorative items. Since it’s spring, I thought flowers were a must. I used small white vases in different styles for a cohesive and unique look. Inspired by my copper additions, I stuck with blooms in shades of pink and orange.
My copper bunnies (another HomeGoods find) worked wonderfully to bring in seasonal style and a little bling. I even added a small jar of Starburst strawberry jelly beans. They are my kryptonite this time of year, so having them available for quick snacking is a bonus for me. (Don’t tell Jenny.)
And with that, my bar cart was ready to “spring” into action! (Pun intended.)
Oh, I should also mention my plate wall. Lately, I’ve been switching out one or two plates to suit the season. For spring, I fell in love with the quirkiness of these calligrapher monogram canapé plates from Anthroplogie. While they offer so many cute letter designs, the “G” for gem and “Y” for yodel stood out to me. And they worked with my color scheme.
To hang my plates, I used these flatiron disc hangers. They aren’t foolproof. (Occasionally, I have come home to find a plate shattered on the floor.) However, I find they do work well most of the time, and I love that you can’t tell how the plates are hung.
And finally, about that cocktail. To kick off spring, I decided to whip up a Strawberry Thyme Martini.
Strawberries aren’t yet in season in my area, but I love how the fruitness of the berry and the subtle pepper and lemon flavor of thyme work so well together. It’s a perfect pairing for this fresh new season. I think you’re going to love it. You can find that martini recipe here.
I hope you enjoyed this look at my spring bar cart and picked up a few tips for styling your own. If you are continuing on the tour (or just looking for more spring decor inspiration), Oscar of Oscar Bravo Home is up next with his Spring Bedroom Makeover! His style is on point, so I’m sure you’ll be delighted with his design.
For more spring home decor ideas be sure to visit every stop on the tour:
