The Beverage Cart Makeover

We’re sharing how we took this thrift store beverage cart find from drab to fab in this simple, budget-friendly makeover.

When I am bored (haha, like that ever happens) or rather, when I am procrastinating and avoiding some other activity, I enjoy perusing various home décor websites and blogs to get some inspiration of my own. Several sites featured these cute beverage carts or ‘bar carts’ that held… wait for it… beverages! Shocking, I know.

So naturally, I decided we needed one. I clicked over to Google and typed in ‘beverage cart’ only to be sorely disappointed. They are ridiculously expensive. Even the one at Wal-Mart was $80.00. No thank you, I’d rather spend the $80.00 on wine and put it in the cupboard – you can keep your fancy bar cart.

Thus began the usual trek to my go-to thrift stores in search of a beverage cart. On this particular instance, it was a Thursday and I was at the Goodwill over my lunch break. I wandered in, headed straight back to the furniture section and to my delight, they just happened to have a bar cart! The price? A very reasonable $9.99.

So I am standing there, pondering whether or not I should buy it (yes, Brett’s usual questions went running through my mind – where would we put it? what is it going to be used for? etc.) when another lady sauntered on by and noticed it too.

“Oh that’s nice.” She says and starts doing what everyone does when they find a piece of furniture they want to buy – running their hands over the wood and doing the usual walk-around of the item.

“How much is it?” She asks.

“$9.99.” I reply quickly, slightly panicked that this intruder was going to take my cart. If I wasn’t sure before, I sure as heck was going to buy it now.

We lock eyes.

“Were you going to buy it? Because that’s a really good deal.”

“Yes, I know! I couldn’t believe it when I saw the price. I don’t think I can pass it up.”

And just like that she turned and walked away. Crisis averted.

I quickly picked up the cart and did a half-run to the counter. I needed to get the heck outta dodge before someone else noticed what a great deal it was.

So back at The Nest, I surveyed my purchase. It was solid, sturdy and just needed a coat of paint. Not too bad for an impulse buy.

After doing a quick once-over with sand paper, I put on two coats of charcoal gray chalk paint and finished it with the same glaze I used on the kitchen cabinets.

It now sits in the corner of our kitchen and in my opinion, looking much better than the higher-priced carts at the normal retail stores.

So we’ll raise our glass and cheers to the fact that yet again, the thrift store wins.

All our best,

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