A bar cabinet is a piece of furniture designed to store bottles, glasses and the equipment needed for mixing and serving drinks. It often opens to reveal a fitted interior with mirrored panels, glass shelves, racks for bottles and sometimes interior lighting.
The bar cabinet developed from earlier forms such as the cellarette and wine cooler, but it became especially popular in the 1920s and 1930s with the fashion for cocktails. Art Deco examples in burr walnut, sycamore or lacquer, with chrome fittings and mirrored interiors, are typical of the period, and some were disguised as globes, gramophone cabinets or bookcases. Post-war designers in Britain, Scandinavia and Italy produced sleek teak and rosewood versions. Collectors look for good veneers, original mirrors and glass, working hinges and locks, and complete interior fittings. Wear around the opening edges and staining on shelves are common and can be addressed by a restorer. A well-chosen antique or vintage bar cabinet is practical and stylish in a sitting room, library or dining room, and it keeps drinks tidily out of sight when closed.
