The Bar Chez Barbie
How to get my mom's cozy old-English-snug home bar vibe, including my attempt to follow the recipe.
Last week I took my very first mother-son trip to the popular tourist destination of [drumroll] St. Louis, Missouri! While the heartland may not be calling to all of you, I am warmed by the Insta-enthusiasm I consistently receive for photos of my mother’s house while in my hometown. Well, dear reader, ask and it shall be given unto you. Barbie Bryant, known to her grandchildren as “Barbar” (quite appropriately for this post), is an OG hygge master and entertainer extraordinaire. She was my first and arguably my only education in interior design. Whenever I am complimented on a piece in my home there’s a ~92% chance that I got it from my mama. Her space is filled with various interesting nooks that we could study. But at this point in time, when many of us need a drink and all of us are headed into holiday entertaining, let’s turn towards the bar, shall we?
A collection of matchbooks moved front and center on Barbie’s bar as snapped on my latest visit, November 2024.
BAR[BIE]CORE
For the purposes of this exercise we will focus on Barbie’s main bar (she lives in a four floor townhouse where she has created a well-appointed, if in places makeshift, watering hole on each level — God forbid you should need to descend the staircase for a Nespresso or whiskey!). The bar in question is located not in her living room or dining room as you might expect, but across from her powder room at the entry to her library.
A pulled back view of the bar in its passageway location alongside a view of the library for context, November 2024.
A 360 degree look at the bar in its setting. Here she styled silver bowls and glassware as the main event just a few months prior, July 2024 (with my baby and toddler on soundtrack, “Barbar house, oh!”).
I’ve documented this area over the years, and below are some snapshots going back to 2015. Before diving into the technique she employs, let’s simply observe and take in the scene. Notice the moody, romantic feeling evoked in approaching her bar. What we’re looking to create is not perfect styling, but a sensibility, an emotional response. Note that she does not have a true wet bar (though an ice machine is contained in the lower cabinets). It’s simply displayed on a counter-height surface. This means you can create the experience within your current architecture or simply by adding a table or cart and using the method described below.
A porcelain zebra and festive pumpkin nestled among bottles over Thanksgiving, 2018.
Staffordshire, a horn vase with greenery, and a silver shaker among the booze complete her June 2015 look.
I’ve included some bonus images of her old Palm Beach, Florida bar to emphasize the formulaic approach by which she repeatedly creates a compelling spread. Left: Barbie’s Palm Beach bar during peak pandemic 2020. I love the deep, footed silver tray, showcased in the detail. Right: my wedding day 2021, shot by John Dolan. In this pulled-back view you can see yet another example of art hung on her signature mirrored backdrop (where I’m taking a final look at myself before heading to the ceremony) with glass shelves for showcasing glassware.
FOLLOW HER RECIPE
Through this photo and video sequence, you can see that though the bar changes (even within a year), it always leaves you with the same feeling as you observe it. That is thanks to seven principles in Barbie’s formula.
Set the scene. Barbie relies on enveloping wood paneling and mirrored walls as the backdrop to her boozers. These certainly up the ante on atmosphere and accentuate the English angle. What might be less obvious is that she chooses darker set corners to designate a cozy set up. Areas with nice natural light are premium real estate in your space, but thankfully the home bar thrives in darkness. Make the most of what could be a dull area — lean into the shadow and make it shine. Moody wall color or wallpaper plus a dazzling wall mirror will do the trick. I’ve just discovered that Jayson Home has an excellent selection of antique mirrors. Search terms such as “French gilt mirror,” “vintage bamboo framed mirror,” or “tortoise framed mirror” will also yield aligned results at your go-to resale marketplace or antique dealer.
This is just plain CHIC and about the right size for my home bar, as pictured on the site of Chicago-based retailer, Jayson Home. From their assortment this is perfect for a smaller space and if you’re going for a bar cart, try something that is more of a true backdrop such as that mirror.
Let there be lamps. Ambient light is the essential ingredient to turn gloom into glistening ambiance. I recently devoted an entire post to mushroom lamps, and what better place to style this funky shape? I will spare you another foraging for table lamps because I think the size is particular to the scale of your bar and there is no one style of lamp that works here, though for the above look try a traditional candlestick. What I will say is that Barbie consistently favors a pair of smaller lamps. A larger bar surface would do well with a grander scaled pair, but a single lamp will also work and would be preferable on a bar cart (where I would probably trade to a floor lamp or even a low hung pendant to spotlight the cart). Warm, not cool toned bulbs only please — in all settings!
Silver takes the starring roll. Earlier I referenced Barbie’s many and sometimes makeshift home bars. Arguably my key takeaway from seeing her set up a bar is that a silver tray along with a lamp can create a bar anywhere. I have seen her do this without the presence of what some might consider essential bar elements; glassware or bar tools can be left out entirely and somehow it still works. The silver tray is her must-have. And you’ll notice that she is a more-is-more person in the silver department. Whether it’s an additional silver tray propped against the mirror like a crowning piece of art, an antique silver shaker, silver bowls filled with cocktail napkins, or a silver shell displaying a matchbook, if she has it on hand, she’ll add it in. “Antique silver tray” on a vintage outlet will land you with LOADS to browse at a true range of prices (some quite daunting). Opt for silverplate, alpaca silver (often found with horn handles for a very Argentinian look), nickel, and even stainless steel to get the look for less. For modern silversmiths, I look to Greggio, Christofle, or (my # 1 favorite) Buccellati, all of which you can find in resale marketplaces. Hudson Grace sells a collection of vintage hotel silverplate pieces — from trays and shakers to ice buckets — making it a nice-looking middle-of-the-road resource.
This Victorian scalloped footed number is giving Barbie Bryant, as pictured by seller.
Balance bottles and barware. While bottles of liquor and bar tools may be what you imagine when you think of styling a home bar, there’s no denying that these elements play second fiddle for the bar chez Barbar. True mixologists may cringe when I say to vary the color, height, and shape of your bottles for visual intrigue, but it’s #truth. One to three pretty items such as a shaker (covered above), bottle opener, and/or cocktail picks will do.
Glassware makes a cameo. Whether in the form of long stems displayed on glass shelves above the bar, a crystal barware item, or a set of vintage tumblers on the counter, a little glass goes a long way. Barbie does not use her bar as a storage solution, but simply a hint of what’s to come. For me, drinkware is a great moment to be playful and perhaps even add a little color.
I own these Lobymer tumblers in a mixed set of animals. I occasionally style them on my bar and also find that the multicolor palette sits with any tablescape adding a little extra interest.
Collect and curate. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, art, figurines, and other collectible items play heavily into the Barbie method. Layer in a small framed textile or painting. Display a quirky art object. I’ve long been eyeing this Astier de Villatte incense holder (combining my love of hand sculptures and obsession with all things Astier). The motivation here is moving away from the functional to make the bar personal and unique via curiosities. Choose something that speaks to you and consider changing it up with the seasons.
Linked above, as pictured by seller.
Everything is better with books. Something to know about me is that I am destined to live with book hoarders. From my mother to my husband, the term bookworm really does not begin to describe the situation I face at home. My mom has been known to store books on chairs and stairs, having run out of shelf space. And my husband sleeps next to several three foot high stacks of books on his bedside table, constantly threatening and sometimes toppling to knock over his water, tea, or coffee. Cheers! Therefore, it came as no surprise when I noted all of Barbie’s various bar stylings contained books.
Before we conclude tonight’s lessons, there is one other aspect that cannot be ignored, and it is something I have not yet mastered: that charmingly imperfect styling that my mom does so well. Everything feels lived in and rumpled just the right amount, like a man who really knows how to use hair product to look extra handsome the slightly unkept way. I’m still working towards this, so I feel I can’t give advice other than to say that in observing her at work, there’s confidence, playfulness, and risk taking involved. And perhaps that’s why she’s constantly moving things around, always experimenting and slightly irreverent. That invisible hand is what makes it feel more like a movie set than a magazine shoot and THAT is where the magic really lies.
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
In the spirit of following my own advice, I took a shot at restyling our home bar with these tips in mind. Here’s where I landed with it and I welcome your feedback as I continue to fiddle with the scene. In terms of the ingredients above, I struggled with finding room for drinkware, so decided a crystal ice bucket would have to do for glass. Books were an element I had not previous included and adding those was perhaps the biggest change I made when attempting her recipe. Finally, I added greenery.
Ta-da! Our bar sits at one end of our dining room / library opposite the end with a window-without-a-view. The wall color is Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue (which I personally consider a green).
The tray, shaker, and ice bucket are from Mary Mahoney off of our wedding registry. I linked the Juliska cocktail picks earlier in the post and you can find the leggy candle here.
My generous mama gifted me this miniature functional shaker that conceals a dazzling set of cocktail picks, a vintage find from Ralph Lauren. It’s always fun to have a little party trick like that to show off.
I hope this finds you enjoying a nightcap and gets you in the mood for the months ahead. Goodnight and good luck!
Interesting you consider Inchyra Blue a green! I just painted my daughter's bedroom in this shade and she thinks it's green as well. I'm really struggling with the decorating this room, for some particular reason.