Scheming: Setting Up My Home Bar

I’ve been saying that I want to set up a home bar for my husband forever. Last month, I updated my post 50 Bar Carts, Serving Carts  & Trolleys for inspiration. (Of course, we can’t actually have a cart on wheels in our house or our son would be taking it for a ride all around the condo.)

Unsurprisingly, I haven’t had a chance to move forward on this. (So many gift guides to write, so little time.) But then I got a message from folks at Absolut, offering to send me the new Limited Edition Andy Warhol Absolut Vodka bottle, a lacquer tray, and an Amex gift card so I could style a festive holiday bar. As you can imagine, I told them to send it all right over! Motivation? Done.

The bottle, which is fun, colorful, and sure to be celebrated hostess gift to bring to holiday parties (though I’ll be keeping mine on my newly styled bar tray), is a new creation based on Andy Warhol’s depiction of Absolut’s iconic bottle that he painted back in 1986. This year, Absolut transformed that artwork into a three-dimensional bottle, using the tagline “Make the Holidays Pop” as the inspiration behind the collaborative campaign.

Since I don’t have an unused corner for a full-on bar, a bar tray is the perfect small space home bar solution. While I’m not sure the new tray is styled to perfection yet, I did pull together some must-have bar accoutrements—copper shaker, stainless steel strainer, wine glasses, martini glasses—plus the Absolut Warhol bottle, gin, and Twenty Boat Spiced Rum from Truro Vineyards on the Cape. To prettify, I added a stalk of bamboo, green button mums, mandarin oranges in a Jonathan Adler dish, and a silver dreidel, set beneath my new swimming pool photograph from Gallery. (Scroll down for all the shopping links.)

Create a bar in a cleared out section of a bookshelf, on a lacquered tray atop a console table, a tray table, an armoire, etc. If I did, you can too. Of course, I admit, sipping that Absolut Warhol helped get me in the mood.


StyleCarrot's Home Bar With Turquoise Lacquer Tray And Absolut Warhol

Bar tray styled & photographed by StyleCarrot

S T Y L I N G  M Y   B A R   T R A Y 

How To Style A Bar Tray For Your Home

S H O P P I N G
1 Splash by Joy Mckinney Framed Print, $370 at UGallery.

2 Aalto Vase by Iittala, $155 at Horne

3 Orb Copper Shaker, $24.95 at Crate & Barrel.

4 Twenty Boat Spiced Rum, $44.99 at Truro Vineyards.

5 Absolut Vodka Bottle by Andy Warhol.

6 Preston Martini Glass by Libbey, $18.85/four at Amazon.

7 Oak Mug Coasters by Sagaform, $24.95/six at Burke Decor.

8 Stainless Steel Cocktail Strainer, $9.95 at Sur La Table.

9 High Gloss Swoon Tray, $29.995 at CB2.

10 Copper Plum Tongs by Tom Dixon, $50 at A+R.  

•            •             •

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”434124″]

Get the Look: 72 Green Home Furnishings

The biggest round-up yet: 72 items in all sorts of lovely shades of green. Lighting, wallpaper, chairs, tables , beds, vases, pillows, rugs, racks, kitchen stuff, and more. I sneaked in a few fashion accessories and jewelry too.

S H O P P I N G

Tank Suspension Light by Alexander Taylor, $1110 at YLighting.
Rubber Vase by Henriette Melchiorsenv for Menu, $23.95 at Fjorn.
Wishbone Chair by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen, $726.75 at DWR.
Salix Wallpaper, $148 at Anthropologie.
LACK Side Table, $7.99 at IKEA.
Hang On Rack by Normann Copenhagen $96 at The Future Perfect.
Streamliner Classic Wood Car, $47.50 at Fjorn.
Benjamin Moore Lawn Green Paint, $36.95 at West Elm.
Link Task Light by Peter Stathis, $323 at Design Public.
Scheherazade Headboard by Ceylon Portfolio, $1,150 at Dering Hall.
Kastehelmi Dewdrop Bowl by Oiva Toikka for Iittala , $19 at Didrik’s.
Grams 16″ Pillow, $59.95 at CB2.
Key Modular Storage by Scott Bennett for Housefish, $734 at Design Public.
Turquoise Quercus Ring by Lucifer Vir Honestus, $6,400 at Barneys.
Future Vase by Holmegaard , $65 at Fjorn.
Ming Green Steel Side Chair, $199 at Crate & Barrel.
Arrow Hanger by Design House, $39.98 at Fjorn.
FREDRIKA Fabric, $6.99/yard at IKEA.
Baker Sofa by Finn Juhl, Onecollection, $14,620 at DWR.
Banana Leaf Wastebasket by Gail DeLoach, $95 at Gracious Home.
Binic Table Lamp by Ionna Vautrin for Foscarini, $289 at Ylighting.
Untitled #4 by Matthew Tischler (30×40 print), $2400 at 20×200.
Claire Faux Bamboo Mirror by Bungalow 5 $640 at Clayton Gray.
Mandala Rug by Madeline Weinrib at Madeline Weinrib.
Franklin Credenza by Christopher Kennedy, $9600 at Dering Hall.
Ibis Bird by Oiva Toikka for Iittala, $595 at Didrik’s.
Green Balance Steel Ceiling Mobile, $399 at Nova68.
Jacqui Side Table by Bungalow 5, $420 at Clayton Gray.
Scalloped Headboard, $1,100 at Decorator Tag Sale.
Clothes Tree by P’kolino, $109 at Design Public.
Nixon 4 -Piece Setting, $50 at Jonathan Adler.
SOMNAT Crib, $79.99 at IKEA.
Velvet Arm Chairs at Galerie Andre Hayat, 1st Dibs.
Ere-be-Dragons Wallpaper for Paper Boy, $125 at Vertigo Home.
Pitcher by Anu Penttinen for Marimekko, $89 at Crate & Barrel.
Stretch Stool by Jessica Carnevale, $295 at MoMA Store.
Grass Vase by Claydies for Normann Copenhagen, $45 at Vertigo Home.
Acrylic Box by Baron Alessandro Albrizzi, $190 at Moss.
Zebra Llama Wool Rug, $995 at Jonathan Adler.
Tennyson X-Stool by Arteriors Home $775 at Clayton Gray.
Templeton Twin Bed, $2,795 at Jonathan Adler.
Chrysoprase/Diamond Necklace by Irene Neuwirth, $20,100 at Barneys.
Doodle Dog Pillow by Crypton, $40 at Design Public.
Herb Scissors, $9.95 at Chef Tools.
Unikko Tray by Marimekko, $39 at FinnStyle.
Rollerstop by Harry Allen for Areaware, $199 at Fitzsu.
Cheeky Ikat Organic Cotton Pillow Cover, $50 at Fabricadabra.
Walnut Vessel With Green Trim by Matt Pugh, $62 at Gretel Home.
Gorilla Pillow by Ross Menuez for Fauna, $28 at Design Public.
Elan Wedges by Diane von Furstenberg, $395 at Net-a-Porter.
Fluted Contrast Mug by Royal Copenhagen, €20 at Royal Copenhagen.
Grass Flocked Terracotta Pig Bank, $20 at The W Hotels Store.
Silicone Trivet by Sagaform Sweden, $7.95 at Fjorn.
Circles Placemat by Daisy Hill Linens, $58 at Barneys.
POÄNG Birch Veneer Chair, $129 at IKEA.
Tron Sofa by Richard Shemtov, , $4,970 at Dering Hall.
BARNSLIG Mirror, $19.99 at IKEA.
Reed Cover Chair, $149 at CB2.
Raw Candelabra by Jens Fager for Muuto, $250 at A+R.
Suede Passenger Clutch, $78 at Madewell.
Richard Nixon Baby Alpaca Throw, $295 at Jonathan Adler.
Chilewich Spun Grass Placemat, $52/set of 4 at Design Public.
BLOMMIG Vase, $3.99 at IKEA.
Aalto 3.75″ Vase by Alvar Aalto for Iittala, $85 at Fjorn.
BILLY Bookcase with Glass Doors, $79.99 at IKEA.
Taboret Stool/Side Table, $325 at Hudson.
Collapsible Silicone Funnel, $10.49 at Useful Things.
Aquinnah  Cotton Rug by Dash & Albert, $30—$414 at Dash & Albert.
Edge of Belgravia Ceramic Knives, £34.90-£59.90 at Edge of Belgravia.
1970s Gooseneck Desk Lamp, $1,200 at Metropolis Modern, 1st Dibs.
Pear Screen Print by Enzo Mari, $480 at Nova68.
Jacqui 4-Drawer Chest by Bungalow 5, $1690 at Clayton Gray.