The Bar Dresser is the New Cocktail Cart
Dear Bar Cart,
You’re so pretty but you’re impractical. Yes, my liquor bottles look sexy on that gleaming (usually) glass surface, but where do I put all the other stuff? You know, the bottle openers, martini paraphernalia and the party chachkes? I think it’s time we break up… I’m moving on to a BAR DRESSER!
All kidding aside, I knew I wanted to relocate an antique dresser we bought and refinished a few years ago. I’m always moving things around and using this dresser as a dresser was boring me.
I decided that it had to go in the dining area and that I would replace my existing bar situation. Shortly after I moved it downstairs Pinterest started showing me bar dressers in my feed…. TRUTH. This ‘Bar Dresser’ thing IS a thing…. a really good thing.
If you’re thinking ‘we are in the middle of a global pandemic, who is entertaining?’ Well hopefully nobody but this project isn’t about having bar area for parties. It’s about curating a corner of your home that you can enjoy
Setting up & Styling a Bar Dresser
The Dresser
Any dresser with drawers will work for this project. Repurpose a piece you already have. Scour thrift shops, flea markets and online marketplaces. A coat of paint or simply changing the hardware on a new or old piece will give it new life.
My first tip for creating a gorgeous Bar Dresser is to line the drawers with fabulous paper. Kick up the personality and style x 1000 by laying down a liner that reflects your style vibe. Peel and stick wallpaper or wrapping paper will do the trick. I went the wrapping paper route because it’s so cheap and I can change it up seasonally.
Get Organized!
Of course I wanted the bar to be gorgeous, but I also wanted it to be purposeful and organized. For this project, I teamed up with organizer extraordinaire Shelley Malik owner of Merchandised Maison.
Shelley’s 3 tips to create a fab bar dresser are:
Collect, Curate & Contain
Collect all the items that relate to each drawer you will be setting up in your bar dresser.
This is a great opportunity to do a quick purge and get rid of items that aren’t in the best shape or fit your design aesthetic. Make a list and source what’s missing from your set up.
Lay it out and see what needs to be contained. Small items like paper straws, cocktail forks and spreaders will need to be contained. MEASURE before you buy and only buy what you need for your unique set up.
The Bar Top
Create zones to organize and display. We looked at my inventory of glasses, spirits and accessories as well as talked about how I will use the storage, and determined we would have 4 zones divided among the three drawers of the dresser plus the top.
Before I did this project, I had my barware all over the place. Some in the kitchen, some in the dining room. Now, as a caterer I do have an obscene amount of serving pieces and glasses. By laying it all out we evaluated what we would need/use and what is sentimental. Unless we have a large party, we usually only have 2-6 people over so we stocked the dresser to serve 6. Instead of using this as a place to pack all my glasses and junk into, Shelley organized it to serve us and for us to enjoy, leaving room in case I want to add anything. All of my backup gear will be stored in the basement until the next party in 2023. It will be a big party!
The Wine Drawer
Drawer are actually THE perfect size to house wine bottles. Curate the drawers with what you love. For example, beautiful tequila bottles with a contained collection of shot or sipping glasses, would be amazing here.
The Hosting Drawer
Think small plates and appetizer accessories. I have a lot of this stuff but kept it minimal making sure to include my grandmother’s vintage cocktail spreaders, forks and nut crackers.
The Cocktail Drawer
What do you need for YOUR favourite cocktail ? I pared it down to one of each tool ( the other 3 ice buckets are not needed for now) stored the rest for the day when we can gather in groups again.
Cheers to that!
My Bar Dresser Shopping List
Would you create your own Bar Dresser? Tag us on Instagram or comment below
3 Comments
JC
Thank you so much for this great article! I’m in the process of putting a dresser bar together and this was just what I needed to get started
andrea
Wonderful! Would love to see
Anonymous
I love love love this article. I came across it as I am in the middle of a bar dresser project! Your article gave me some additional great ideas that I will incorporate! Thank you for sharing, your bar dresser is amazing!