Entertain in style with an elegant drinks trolley

The perfect glam accessory, a bar cart turns serving a simple G&T on the sofa into a special event

Hostess trolleys – aka ‘bar’ or ‘cocktail carts’ in America – were a must-have for well-to-do 1960s households. ‘Entertain with dignity – even when efficient domestic help is not available’ enthuses one 1964 advert for a trolley. Once symbols of sophistication, they suddenly fell out of favour in the 1980s and became associated with granny’s house – dusty, adorned with lace doilies and forgotten.

But over the past few years they’ve slowly rolled back into our lives. With the rise of at-home entertaining, having a chic bar station at home has fresh appeal. Add into the mix a huge art deco style revival and we have the perfect cocktail for a ‘party on wheels’ resurrection.

Dealer Collette Vernon of The Vintage Trader is known as ‘the drinks trolley lady’ in the antiques industry, and has been buying and selling vintage trolleys since 2012.

‘When I started out, I bought two at auction and they sold straight away – one to a top interior stylist,’ recalls Collette, who has four herself at home. ‘Today I source them from France, Belgium and Italy – top designers include Maison Baguès and Caesar Lacca. French brass oval ones are particularly sought-after, as they’re just the right size for an alcove in a family home.’

Interiors aficionado Pearl Lowe is a passionate advocate of the revival. ‘I love them,’ she enthuses. ‘They’re so decadent – they remind me of a 1950s Hollywood movie!’ Pearl found a bargain trolley at Bridport market in Dorset, then upcycled it herself. ‘Vintage pieces can be incredibly expensive, but this one was only £20,’ she reveals. ‘Originally, it was white with smoked-glass trays, but I sprayed the frame gold and got new plain glass cut, which only cost about £60. Everyone always remarks on it because it looks expensive!’

They’re not just for glasses and bottles – Pearl uses her trolley as an ever-evolving display area. ‘It changes a lot. I have flowers on there at the moment. You can use them in so many different settings,’ points out Pearl, who uses another, smaller trolley, as a bedside table. ‘I decorated somebody’s house once and put one in the bathroom, then filled it with lovely bath products and towels.’ Indeed, there are rumours of ‘Listerine in Baccarat decanters’ on trolleys in the chicest of Manhattan abodes.

Meanwhile, sales of vintage-inspired repro trolleys continue to rise, with the likes of Rockett St George and Graham & Green stocking sell-out models inspired by the trolleys of yesteryear. But for Collette, only vintage trolleys cut the mustard. ‘Original trolleys with lacquered or polished brass frames get a lovely warm patina over time. Imitations do not come close to the real thing and will not hold their value either,’ she adds.

To stock your trolley, vintage barware and glasses are fun and relatively inexpensive to collect, and you can go for eclectic pieces or matching sets – just make sure you’ve got a glass to suit every possible tipple. Accessorise with champagne buckets, cocktail shakers and crystal decanters with silver tags. The Old Cinema is your go-to for art deco barware, while Dart Silver has a beautiful selection of antique decanter labels.

WORDS: ELLIE TENNANT