Country
1. Keep the look casual with a metal library cart—this flea-market find was $15. A little rust only adds character.
2. Arrange a colorful grouping of the season’s lingering blooms, such as dried hydrangeas, berries, and mums.
3. This brass mortar and pestle, $35 at Falls Church Vintage Annex, stands ready to muddle fresh herbs and spices.
4. A fur pillow sham, $45.50 at Pottery Barn, is easily repurposed into luxe decor.
5. An antler-shaped bottle opener is half tool, half sculpture ($34 at Anthropologie).
6. Keep your tools in the brass family for warmth and easy mixing and matching. Jigger, $5.95 at CB2; four-purpose bar tool, $32 at Salt & Sundry.
7. Birch logs lend wintry style, with or without a fireplace ($20 a bundle at Crate & Barrel).
8. Draping a country-chic garland across the bar, such as this woven grapevine version—$20 at shopterrain.com—adds a festive touch.
9. Add variety with an assortment of finely detailed lowball glasses ($68 each at the-commons.us), flutes, and coupes ($12 and $20 each at Anthropologie).
10. Swap out typical lemons and limes for a seasonal bowl of pomegranates and persimmons.
Town
1. Perfect for apartment living, an acrylic bar cart, $995 at wayfair.com, doesn’t take up visual space and keeps cocktail-making tidy.
2. A simple floral arrangement, such as this bunch of dusty miller, softens the look.
3. Tom Dixon’s futuristic copper shaker ($145) and tray ($200) create high-design moments—and help you craft ice-cold martinis.
4. An LED light with a festive message, $99 at West Elm, works for the holidays and year-round.
5. This Philippe Starck citrus squeezer ($100 at Acme Mid-Century & Modern in Old Town) is classic retro style that shouldn’t be hidden in a cabinet.
6. Think beyond traditional colors and shapes with these smoky “Northern Lights” glasses from West Elm ($10 each).
7. Mix in decor among the drink accoutrements. This peace-dove sculpture, $875 at the Etsy shop Caribe Casual, sends a mellow holiday message.
8. Glittery Christmas-tree decor from CB2, $29.95 and $19.95, adds disco-era glamour.
9. Don’t limit yourself to booze: A vintage record player boosts the cart’s party vibe.
10. A vintage wood-and-silver bar-tool set ($350 at the Hour in Old Town) is heirloom-quality.
This article appears in the December 2016 issue of Washingtonian.
Hillary writes about interiors, real estate, arts, and culture. She is the former digital media editor of The New Republic, and her work has also been published in Glamour, The New York Times Book Review, and The Washington Post, among others. You can follow her on Instagram @hillarylouisekelly or on Pinterest @hlkelly.
Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.
