Excited is a huge understatement when describing how I felt when I was first approached with the opportunity to work with West Elm products. I was asked if I was interested in putting together a bar cart using their holiday selection and it took so much effort not to reply back with HELL YES I AM! I’m a huge fan of all West Elm merchandise so I was elated to style and shoot their amazing barware. Their aesthetic is eye catching, sleek and modern with rural tones. The perfect old world meets new world combined with rustic sophistication which can be integrated into almost any home style.
Before I go on and on about how thrilled I am, let’s stick with the subject at hand and talk about what products make a well-stocked wet bar—
#1: The cart. West Elm has a beautiful variety to choose from but I thought this one was best for our household because of the gratuitous amount of open storage space. I like how modern yet industrial it is-which are the vibes I want our entire home to resemble!
#2 & #3 #13 Decanters are a great place to start filling your perfect bar cart. Storing spirits in decanters brings the wet bar classiness up a notch (or three!). This simple switch from the original bottles and their labels makes a world of difference! I’ll go into more detail about the liquor we chose in a later post.
#4: A festive hand towel to double as flare and also help with accidents (for those a little too much in the holiday spirit).
#5: Speaking of festive, what’s more holiday than some sparkly star garland? There are many ways you could incorporate this into the bar. String it on the front or along the sides-I strung up with some washi tape over the cart on the wall. Or you could just use it somewhere else in the house, the possibilities are endless!
#6 & #9 & #10 Glassware is a key component. I styled two sets of festive tumblers and one set of classy stemware. I find that we gravitate toward using tumblers more frequently but you might like the flair of holding a delicate piece of stemware. I suggest a combo of three for variety and to have plenty for visiting guests.
#7 & #11 Shakers. I am styling two different aesthetics. One has a dark wooden top and is beautifully polished stainless steel; the other is a re-purposed mason jar and more on the casual side. Not every occasion will call for an ornate cocktail but if you want your drinks served up in a fun and delicious manner then muddling it in a shaker would be amusing (and make you look like a pro!)
#8: Bitters, for drinks of course! I love these ones by Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters; specifically the fig and sriracha! We made some really great drinks I’ll share soon!
#12 Cheese board a great way for serving up brie, a winter pie, or anything that pairs well with the drinks you’re serving!
#14 Tools to make your mixology a bit easier! No bar is complete without a jigger to measure the right ratios of this to that to a little something something! The spoon also comes in handy when you’re trying to mix ingredients in a tall glass as well as mix directly in the glass.
There you have it. My definition of a well-stocked wet bar! Well, the first step. Next is adding personal accents, i.e. flowers, and also bar snacks. I’ll be getting to all that in the next post!
FYI a lot of these are on special right now so jump on it!
Come back Wednesday to see how I styled all these products with the help of some local ladies!
All photos by Ben and Colleen
