Camille Simmons: Bar Cart Style
Photographs by Genevieve Garruppo
The understated centerpiece of every successful gathering and the cornerstone of a modern trend of cool and sophisticated interior style, bar carts have been growing in importance over the past few years. And with the trend, comes questions: how to get the look that you want while optimizing your cart for smooth and easy use during your next soirée? Camille Simmons of Planning Pretty has answers. An entertainer extraordinaire, she shares her tips on how to style a bar cart that’s fit for entertaining.
“Bar carts are not only beautiful decorations for a home,” shares Camille. “They also serve a very practical purpose. There are tons of gorgeous bar carts available at many furniture stores, new and vintage, in a range of prices. A bar cart serves as a great sidekick to any celebration. Instead of traveling back and forth to the kitchen or dining room, you can bring the party to you and keep it there. It makes serving guests or letting them serve themselves so much easier. They are a staple for any home that likes to entertain and keep all those pretty bar tools organized.”
“I have a few essentials that I like to keep on my bar cart. First is a stylish cocktail shaker that serves as a focal point for the cart and the best tool for making delicious drinks. Then I have my smaller tools, a jigger to measure spirits and liqueurs, and a strainer for fresh juices. I always try to have a few glasses clean and ready to go so that I don't have to run back to the china cabinet. A few other great items to have on hand are coasters or cocktail napkins to give when a drink is served. I also store my favorite bottled juices, wines, liqueurs and spirits on the bar cart along with cocktail recipe books. I keep everything organized with a gorgeous tray and small dish that also makes it easy to transport dirty tools to the kitchen sink.”
“I think bar carts are really simple to decorate,” says Camille. “Once you have your essential tools, adding little elements like your favorite glassware, a pretty bowl or even fresh flowers elevate the look. I like to coordinate my tools to be all the same metals, like gold or brass. Rose gold and silver tools are gorgeous too. You can have fun with the colors of the glassware, coasters, and even the liqueurs and juices. The color scheme will stem from your favorite pieces in your collection and effortlessly tie in with the rest of your home. Always display what you love!”
“One of my favorite recipes to drink and serve is the Parisian Blonde. It's from my favorite bar in San Francisco - Smuggler's Cove. It's a rum based cocktail that has a delicious creamy flavor. I love to serve this cocktail in a coupe glass.”
Parisian Blonde Cocktail
1 ounce of Dry Curacao
1 ounce of aged rum
1 ounce of sweet cream (a blend of heavy whipping cream and demerara sugar syrup)
A sprinkle of fresh grated cinnamon
In a cocktail shaker pour the curaçao and rum over ice cubes. Shake vigorously until well mixed, then pour through cocktail strainer into the coupe glass. Pour the sweet cream over the back of a spoon to float on top of the mixture. Sprinkles freshly grated cinnamon on top. Serve and enjoy!
