The IKEA RÅSKOG Cart as Home Bar

A bar cart should never be a luxury — we’ll drink to that! But wait, where are you going to fit it? The crowd-favorite, small-scale RÅSKOG cart from IKEA comes to the rescue again. It’s the perfect size for any space, whether that’s a tiny apartment or not-so-noticeable nook in the corner of your dining room.

Ready to turn the RÅSKOG cart into a home for all your tipsy treasures? Here are a few tips.

• Load your cart thoughtfully: For the best combination of form and function, load the cart from top to bottom, starting with what you use the most on the highest shelf and working your way down to that old bottle of Crème de Menthe you pull out once every six years. But remember: Not every bottle you have needs to land on the cart! In other words, just say no to all four half-full bottles of vodka and choose the one that’s your favorite. Once you’ve polished that one off, the next bottle can take its spot.

• Organize bottles by color and size: As many of the bottles on the bottom two shelves will be seen primarily from their top, organize by color and size, so that the view from above resembles a rainbow. On the top shelf, keep labels and bottle shape in mind when picking the perfect combination to display.
• Add glassware and accessories last: Once your liquor is in place, a healthy mix of glassware and cocktail accessories balance out the piece so that the cart is a station, not a dumping ground. This piece makes for excellent glassware storage with its bucket-like shelving, keeping all your tipsy treasures in place.

Building a bar from scratch? You can craft a dizzying array of cocktails with just 9 bottles. Get our guide to the small but mighty home bar.