Side note: Even though Project Restyle was a resolution that Elsie and Rachel started in 2011 I still am in love with the concept and I really enjoy restyling items. If your not familiar with Project Restyle you can read more about it here. The basic idea is that you take an item (clothing, furniture, etc.) that you aren't using/found/don't want/thrifted and restyle into something awesome. It's budget friendly, it's green and it's a whole lot of fun.
72 Comments
This is so great! I’ve been thinking about making room for a liquor cart, and this is great inspiration to actually do it! Thanks for sharing Emma!!
~Sacha
I’ve never actually heard of this before! But it turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing this. Maybe when my fiance and I get married, we can have one of these in our home when we move in together!
Nicole~
http://www.dreamyrosefashions.blogspot.com
Beautiful! love this
Liquor cart? It’s a tea trolley where I come from! (Can’t decide which I prefer!)
That looks amazing, I wish I had room in my place for something like this!
That’s so lovely! I’ve been wanting to restyle some metal shelves in my living room for ages, but I just don’t know how… :/
x
Sabrina
http://apixiesviewonfashion.com
This is so cute. My aunt has something like this in her sun room that she said she wants to restyle. I’ll have to show her this next time I see her.
While this is a great concept and all, it’s really a shame you used that red cart. It seems like a really old piece, possibly late 40’s and in lovely shape. A lot of ladies and young girls look up to you and your blog, and especially running a vintage store I think it’s really important to instill a respect for vintage and antiques. While I am completely aware and have witnessed people refinish/paint vintage furniture beautifully and it helps preserving it, the people who do it right somehow keep to the dignity of the piece. I think things are starting to get out of control with inappropriately mutilating antiques/vintage, like glitter gluing an early 1900’s camera, taking apart an early 1800’s pocket watch to sew the gears on a steam punk dress, ect.
So I’m wondering if you guys would ever cover a subject like that, what is important to leave alone (even though you saw it on pintrest and thought it was soo cool!) and what is okay to paint, how to go about it, and so forth. I think that would be wonderful because, like I stated above, you ladies have so much influence over these women or young ladies who visit your blog as their first exposure to incorporating vintage into modern living.
While I didn’t mean to write this comment to offend or talk down anyone, this is increasingly becoming an issue and thought that maybe it would inspire you guys to talk about it, and provoke some thought.
Take care ladies!! xo
-Hopeless Vintage Lover
this is so ridiculous – my husband and i are currently in the process of sanding and repainting literally the exact same cart. we had been looking for a while, and when our friend who is an antique dealer found this one for us, we fell in love. i have been taking photos and working on a blog post about our restyle; we’re painting it a pale mint green and shining up the chrome. too funny. here’s a link to some photos:
http://icarryyourhart.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-few-pretty-things.html
yours is BEAUTIFUL!
That is beautiful!! Knowing me, I would have kept it the red, just because I don’t think it’s possible to have enough color in the house. 🙂 I am in the process of using the old front door from our first home and turning it into our new headboard.
It has great potential, and I just hope it works out like it does in my head! But let’s be honest… some of the fun is the unexpected, no?
Britt
thesecondhandmagpie.blogspot.com
It looks very pretty, although I must say I also liked the original piece in red! 😀
http://www.MissPlebian.com
Great idea, and it looks great!
http://www.LesliMarie.com
Looks like it’s all settled for a good night 🙂
http://adrymblog.blogspot.fr
Janet- Thanks for your comment. I think that is a really interesting subject and obviously one you feel passionate about, so thanks for sharing your perspective. 🙂 I think the line between preserving and mutilating (as you put it) is sometimes a difficult judgement call to make. Which makes it a really interesting discussion topic. I don’t know if I feel like I could have an authoritative perspective (I doubt I really know best) but I do really like the idea of hearing what others think and feel on the subject.
Lucy-Tea Trolley sounds a little more proper than liquor cart. I just might have to adopt your words. 🙂
Wow I love that! Looked back at your 2011 restyle project. You had some great ideas! I have been trying to get creative and restyle some old decorations I have.
This is such a great project, all of my barware is just sitting at one end of my kitchen counter taking up space, this is a much more classy way to display it!
Faye x
I love this. Seems like I would lose a screw trying to do this. It is so cute both before and after. But I am glad you can use it more now!
Carlee
http://almostendearing.blogspot.com/
This is awesome! If only my apartment was big enough for carts (and tables and furniture…)! Recently I restyled a dresser that I had in college that I now use in the bathroom for extra storage. It felt SO GOOD when I was done. I can see why you do so many DIYs 🙂
Ever since we started watching Mad Men obsessively on Netflix, Athan and I have been wanting our own little mini bar. I was looking for a vintage wooden one, but they’re hard to find. I love this idea though! Definitely has that vintage look.
I really like diy projects!
I’d be glad if you could take a look at mine…..
Lovely Idea
That turned out great! I love re-purposing stuff! I just turned an ornament holder from a craft store into a sticker holder for my craft room!
http://www.2createincolor.com/2012/07/06/re-purposed-furniture-craft-room-style/
I absolutely love this idea! I’ve been looking for a little bar or cart for my dining room for the past month, as well 🙂 Being in dental school, funds are a little tight… so almost everything in my apartment has been restored or upcycled! My most recent project was refreshing an old wicker furniture set with spray paint (Krylon Global Blue) to compliment the vintage flowered fabric cushions.
Keep bringing us great ideas! love your blog
xoxo
Sarah
How fun (and cute)! I originally thought the black paint was chalkboard paint, it was so matte. Actually, now that I think about it, chalkboard paint would have been a really cute idea!
Looks awesome! A liquor cart is definitely yon my to-buy list when I gt a bigger place 🙂
gorgeous!!!
but i also like the “before”!!!
they two are perfekt! can´t decide which one i prefer!
last time i reStyled some shoes…and oh…by the way…some dresses in the last weeks. i love reStyling! it makes each little thing into something special…like your liquor cart!!!;D
thanks for sharing!
have a great wednesday!
liebgruss from germany
eni
a liquor cart is such a good idea! Although it breaks my heart a bit that you spray painted a cart that was is such lovely condition. Sometimes spray paint just looks like spray paint…
love this! it’s styled perfectly, i adore all things vintage bar related! i’m so excited about the bar cart i found while thrifting last year..i get lucky sometimes. mmm rum chata..
I’m getting ready to restyle an old entertainment center that I grew up with. It’s an antique wood cupboard with 3 shelves. And I’m getting ready to sand it down and paint it teal and the inside of the cupboards & shelves will be coral 🙂
So cute, I love it! I just restyled a metal table I have out on my patio. It’s so fun to bring new life to an object using spray paint. So easy and affordable. -Heidi
http://fabricandfrosting.blogspot.no/
love love love cocktail trays!! great choice of color. its looks super chic!
GirlsOffFifth.com
I love a good liquor cart 🙂 My grandmother has one and I love visiting her and making cocktails. I want to be wearing a 50’s style dress 🙂
this is so cute! I use an old dresser for my liquor cart LOL! it sounds weird but it look vintage and had lots of storage 🙂 lov your idea tho, might have to switch it up 🙂
i really love this! looks so fancy now.
This is incredibly awesome! A friend of mine recently did this with a vintage wooden library cart, and now I can’t decide which I like better! Also loving the presence of the RumChata up there… 😀
Elise
http://impossiblyelise.blogspot.com/
what a great idea!
Great work! My grandma used to have one like these.
Your liquor cart is so cute!
This is awesome. I’d love to have something like this and your ideas are just great! It’s useful and something to look at 🙂
Oh yes, you’ve turned it into something so elegant.
http://www.eatblogpray.blogspot.com
xo
This totally looks like something you’d find in Don Draper’s office from Mad Men. I love it! The simple lines are interesting, but don’t pull too much attention to the focal point: the liquor! Great work. It astounds me how inspired you two ladies are and how you seem to have free-flow creativity at all times.
-Cara
http://everydayintrigue.blogspot.com/
Love it! Makes me want to go hunting for one:)
I think it looks great Emma, I have never seen one with the sides that flip down like that and you have brought it beautifully into the next century with the black and gold.
ooh it looks so chic! love the transformation.
oooooh very cool! I just set up a liquor station on an old sewing table I had around. It just doesn’t satisfy that mid-centry them I was going for though. Nicely done ladies!
Trish
http://www.jellybonesblog.blogspot.com
wow!!^ lovely ideea <3
This is so cute! Love it!
http://vivikstyle.blogspot.com
Lovely cart!
Feel free to check out my latest photo session 🙂
http://sztukastudiowania.blogspot.com/2012/07/tree-swing.html
Looks fantastic! I thought it was chalkboard paint at first though. I bet that would be cute as well! The black is very elegant.
Chairs! Love re-styling chairs. In Brisbane we have “curb days”, where people put their large unwanted items out on the curb for the garbage collection. It has turned into vintage lovers paradise, driving along and spotting items.
Taking things home re-styling them and giving them a second life.
http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/
Looks like you’re all ready to make Old Fashions! Just shy of club soda and oranges, neither of which would make much sense on a bar cart. I love the Buellit bottles, so cool!
I loved the red, BUT I really respect your courage to change the piece, because now it is more functional, and really~ what is the point in owning cool pieces if we can’t utilize them? Good on you, and thanks for the inspiration to just GO THERE with vintage pieces. I tore apart a glorious trunk last year to refurbish it, and now it is SO much more functional!
I think it looks amazing Emma. Great work! Love how all your flea market finds go so well with it too.
Ronnie xo
Emma, I think the cart is yours now and you should do with it what you wish. If painting it means you’ll use it, then that’s a win in my book.
That looks way cool! This would be so cute for a dinner party of BBQ.
http://www.hungrydelights.com/
LOVE how it turned out. I feel about restyling vintage things similar to how I feel about updating a 1950s home (forgive the comparison but we’re house hunting and a lot of the homes we’re looking at were built in the 1950s!): if it’s a well done restyle, I think it’s great. We’ve looked at many homes where the original fixtures or features were just crappily painted over or poorly taken care of. There were other homes where the original goodies were repainted or restyled but with a lot of love and care (sanding, priming, repainting, etc)- I believe that something vintage can (and should!) still be enjoyed with an update as long as the update has been done properly.
Saddest sight ever: a brass doorknob on a vintage door, both which have been poorly painted. Even worse: a doorjamb that was painted carelessly and the vintage door that’s left behind with paint spots on it 🙁
I think you did a great job on the cart!!
How cool to see what you’ve done with your cart! I have one just like it in my kitchen – I use it as a microwave cart. It was a wedding gift to my parents in 1949. I think it goes well with my Jello molds and vintage kitchen items and cookbooks hanging on my walls. Just today I was thinking I like the glossy red color of the cart and will probably make red curtains to go with it. Your blog is so much fun to read – thanks so much!
I love restyling!
In holidays i would like to do one of this projects,
I have some in my mind but daily routine does not allow me to do them ; )
http://mykitschworld.blogspot.com.es
Love it! So much better now 🙂
It’s so pretty!
I’ve got an wood cart at home, and you gave me some ideas. 🙂
Very nice. My husband and I have been thinking we need a liquor cart for when we have company, but honestly, I’m not sure we have room for one in this tiny flat 😛
This is a cool idea, I’m gonna be on the lookout for something similar to customise. Thanks for the ideas girls x
http://www.jodiesjunk.com
This looks great, has a very art deco feel to it!
http://www.jenventure.blogspot.co.uk
It turned out so pretty! And I LOVE that you have Rumchata on there! Haha 🙂
xoxo
Erin
peacelovedecor.com
I think it looks great!
Val
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/
You have been nominated! Check out this link for more info! http://creativityarise.com/2012/07/26/and-the-nominees-are/
I have been looking for the perfect cart like that. Haven’t found one yet. This is great.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
I recently re-used a bar cart into a small entertainment center – so far im pleased with how it turned out 😀 kami from thebluekazoo.blogspot.com
Cheers! 🙂
-ALG
http://www.thebigbrowneyes.com
Feel like I’m being a Debbie Downer here but I actually really loved the cart before the restyle.
OMG. I have the exact same cart that I redid recently too! How funny is that. I went with silver chrome with black and white fabric on the insets. Here is what mine turned out as: http://madcapfrenzy.blogspot.com/2012/04/bar-cart-is-complete.html
Yay! bar carts!
this is a great idea! do you have any ideas on what to do with shirts, and tank tops you don’t like anymore? also my grandma sent my lace material, but only a little bit, do you have any ideas? thanks!
-sofia