A Houzz Editor on Stylish Ways to Set Up a Home Bar

The style ideas are attractive and will get people thinking but you might want a follow up that includes practical details before there is too much undirected shopping.

Only the Author and the last bar had any evidence of bitters (essential in many cocktails); one had oranges and lemons but no space to cut them (peel can work - was there a zester?); one looked as though it could provide space but the rim around the cart would have made the cutting complicated; no place to pour drinks or jugs to make cocktails; vermouth sitting on the cart when it would be better stored cold so it lasts; decanters empty next to boxes of whisky...true that decanters work best for whisky consumed relatively quickly and I nurture my laphroaig too, but the styling in a number of these doesn't indicate any use of the bottles at hand. Others had martini glasses but no gin - keeping the gin / vodka in the freezer isn't a bad idea, but it should be mentioned? Where do the cherries / olives live? A shaker or a mixer? there are advantages to each...Ice is essential - a
cut glass or an insulated container which requires fewer trips to the
freezer...different types of ice - one for mixing and one for the glass?

Then there is the volume needed for a fully stocked bar vs for a household selection or house cocktail with an alternate. My household would focus on whisky to drink neat and the makings of Manhattans and variants except that I have gin and rum drinking friends...multiple options requires more bottle space, and different bitters, mixers, etc.

What about the rarely consumed digestifs like the bottle of cacau eau de
vie that seems fine 5 years after I left Cote D'Ivoire? not enough
room for that or its cousins outside but they live happily in a nearby
cupboard, along with the glasses in which to drink them.

NONE of this is essential, but people might be inclined to buy things they don't need to make up what looks like a standard bar arrangement and discover that they can pull together tools from their existing stock, and be more judicious about their alcohol purchases, if they build the bar for their own tastes and uses, more than for style goals. The additional elements can help with style once the practical basics are together.

A second chapter of this that talks though the practicalities of cocktail making and that matches drinking preferences to carts and access to kitchen for cold elements would be useful.

HOUZZ isn't a food magazine, but epicurious is doing a good series on cocktail preparations and variants right now. Perhaps you could look into a collaborative effort?

Although I don't drink, nor serve drinks. If anyone wants to BYO, they are welcomed, of course. Most bring beer.... LOL That's country redneck life around these parts. I bring out the cooler, fill it with ice and put a six pack in it for starters. Of course, folks arriving tend to add their items to the 'kitty.'

I did enjoy the video. It was certainly different and a far cry from the 'bar' my folks had which took up probably about 8 feet with upper and lower wood cabinets beautifully finished. I remember there was a bit of wall space above the sink that held an original art. The shelves were full of glasses and all sorts of stuff like shakers and blender for a nice size party. And of course, the very large ice bucket. Those days had different glasses for different types of drinks. A row of drawers held the bar hardware necessary to make any and all kinds of drinks with strainers, long narrow glass stirs (no plastic stuff back then), and decorative toothpicks for olives (martini?) or slice of fruit, lemon or limes.

Under one drawer was a small fridge to keep all the necessary required additives cold. The rest of the cabinets help all the alcohol and decanters that were set out on top of the bar when it was party time. Everyone of those cabinets had a lock and key that our folks kept hidden somewhere so we couldn't get into the 'adult' stuff.

P.S. Mr. Anthony: I noted you live in an Edwardian home. I'm working on a cottage in the woods that will be styled late 1800s including an Edwardian styled kitchen. Is your kitchen modern or does it have an Edwardian look to it?

I loved this video, and would like to see some bar carts for outdoor patios and gardens.
I have an old desk that I have given to a great carpenter and am waiting to see what kind of magic he does in transforming it into a bar cart for my rooftop garden.