16 Living Room Bar Ideas

A bar cart or bar station makes it easy to host friends for a cozy night in and can make your living room look a little more sophisticated. You have to admit it—setting out liquor bottles and mixers on your coffee table just doesn't feel as glamorous! However, many people may shy away from integrating a bar into their living space because they fear they don't have enough room for such a setup. That said, it's quite possible to incorporate a bar in almost any size living room. In a larger space, there are plenty of options to go big, but in a smaller space, try a bar cart that you can style to reflect your personality!

Below, you'll find 16 incredible examples of living room bar stations. Get inspired and then get ready to entertain more often—cheers!

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Keep Aesthetic Top of Mind

Cathie Hong Interiors

You'll want to make sure that whatever piece of furniture you select to use as a bar cart complements the overall aesthetic of your living room. If your space is mid-century modern like this one, opt for a piece in that style. This cabinet is excellent because the hidden storage component means you can stash away less visually appealing bottles, glasses for entertaining, and much more.
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Go Big If You Wish

Interior Impressions

If you absolutely love to host and entertain, a sizable bar setup as shown above may strike your fancy. Your house is guaranteed to be the talk of the town when it has a wine fridge, cocktail-making station, and full-on liquor cabinet like this one!
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Keep Things Cozy

Studio Peake

Love antiques? Repurpose a storied piece and turn it into a bar cart by placing a tray on top and using that to corral favorite liquor bottles. Then, make things cozy by setting out a lamp, some artwork, and a stack of books. This setup is so English cottage chic!
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Make the Most of Your Layout

Maite Granda

If your living room is connected to the dining area, you can easily move back and forth when entertaining to ensure that everyone's glass is topped off. There's no need to set up a separate bar cart when all of your supplies are within reach.

Continue to 5 of 16 below.
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Have Fun With Color and More

Britt Design Studio

Have fun with hardware and color when designing your home bar setup. There is no one right or wrong way to go about styling a bar space, so go vibrant if you feel a certain hue is calling your name!
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Make Use of an Empty Corner

Victoria Bell Design

Maybe you solely have room for a smaller bar cart in your living room, and that's more than ok, too. Here, a classic brass bar cart is tucked into an empty corner and can be rolled further into the room during parties—a perk of selecting an option on wheels. Here, a gallery wall jazzes up the space even further—if you wish to embrace an entertaining theme, you can even frame your favorite cocktail recipes or drink menus from a restaurant you enjoy.
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Mix in Decorative Pieces

Erin Williamson Design

You don't have to style your bar cart so that it's full of liquor, either. You can always set out just a couple of decanters and glasses and outfit the rest of your cart with the usual living room decor so that it serves as a side table of sorts. If you enjoy incorporating seasonal decor into your home, the bar cart is a great place to do so, too. Break out those pumpkin-themed wine glasses come fall or set out Santa drink stirrers in December.
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Maximize Storage in a Small Space

@hattiekolp / Instagram

A three-tiered bar cart like this one is great for small spaces. You can finally free up space in your kitchen cabinets and let those special goblets and highballs get the attention they deserve.

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Help Guests Feel Welcome Right Away

@annawpage / Instagram

Placing a bar cart by the entrance of your living room will make guests feel welcome from the minute they set foot in your home. Again, this piece is on wheels and can easily be moved around this apartment as needed.
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Turn Back Time With an Antique Cabinet

@shoeboxdesigns / Instagram

A bar cabinet takes us back to decades past and looks nice and elegant in this hallway that leads into the living room. If you like to keep lots of types of alcohol and several mixers on hand, a cabinet like this one will provide you with the storage you need.
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Add Height With a Tall Chest

@love_in_1000_square_feet / Instagram

A tall hutch adds height and visual interest to this living room while serving a valuable functional purpose, too. Feel free to mix in decorative pieces (like a bust sculpture or a pretty vase) to reflect your personality.
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Keep It Simple

Mary Patton Design

Sometimes, simple is all you need! A bar cart like this one is easy to style and restyle as often as you'd like, too, due to its smaller size.

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Think Petite If Needed

Mary Patton Design

This gold bar cart by the windows is also a small but mighty piece. Bar carts can be woven into any size living room as long as you're creative with the layout.
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Revamp Your Credenza

Louis Duncan-He

If you're not looking to purchase a new piece of furniture, go ahead and turn your credenza into a bar cart by setting out a couple of bottles. The rest can be stored behind closed doors so that you can use the remainder of the surface for other special pieces.
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Try a Round Cart

Alvin Wayne

This cute round faux bamboo bar cart is perfect for any grand millennial and is especially excellent for a small apartment due to its shape and size. Make it look glam by setting out a small vase, some coffee table books, and a few favorite crystal glasses.
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Get Ready to Host!

Alvin Wayne

Once again, a sideboard is turned into a bar cart in this living room. A lengthy piece like this one can also house platters of food during parties so that guests can easily help themselves to small bites.