Art Deco Bar
An art deco bar brings geometric luxury and sophisticated entertaining to a room through fitted cabinets, rolling trolleys, and shining silver plate.
Art Deco Bar
An art deco bar encompasses substantial cocktail and drinks cabinets, mobile serving trolleys, and smaller accessories designed for home entertaining. These pieces emerge from periods spanning the early decades of the twentieth century, reflecting the streamlined aesthetics of the era.
The most common forms encountered here are fitted burr walnut and figured walnut cocktail cabinets, alongside two-tier serving trolleys and silver-plated trays. Alongside major furniture items, smaller barware such as cocktail stick sets, shakers, and lemon squeezers appear frequently.
Makers and designers from Britain and France shape this selection, offering everything from large veneered sideboards to delicate glass-topped display cases. Each piece serves the traditional function of storing and presenting spirits with style.
What varies in quality
The superiority of an art deco bar often lies in the selection and book-matching of wood veneers, particularly burr walnut and bird's-eye maple. Exceptional examples display continuous grain patterns across multiple doors and drawers, matched with substantial internal mirrors and fitted glassware.
Maker attribution also dictates standing, with documented pieces from notable workshops commanding greater attention than unlabelled production. The complexity of internal mechanics, such as drop-down serving surfaces and revolving storage compartments, further separates standard furniture from masterworks.
Listings feature items constructed from walnut, brass, burr walnut, glass, and silver plate spanning the 1900s to the 1940s.
Epstein·Maurice Jallot·Richard Comyns·Maison Bagues·Maurice Adams
The Art Deco Bar Glossary
- Cocktail cabinet
- A dedicated piece of furniture designed to store bottles, glassware, and mixing equipment behind lockable doors. These units typically include a pull-down preparation shelf lined with glass or laminate.
- Veneer
- A thin slice of decorative wood glued over a stable secondary timber base. Burr walnut veneers utilise knotty growths from walnut trees to produce swirling patterns.
- Silver plate
- A layer of pure silver applied to a base metal core, commonly used for trays, shakers, and cocktail accessories. This technique provides the visual appeal of solid silver with greater durability.
- Metamorphic
- Describing furniture that transforms or unfolds into a different configuration for serving. These pieces utilise clever hinges and folding leaves to expand workspace.
- Chinoiserie
- European decorative motifs inspired by Chinese art and design, often applied through lacquer work on cabinet doors. This style adds painted oriental scenes to structural wood pieces.
Art Deco Bar: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an art deco cocktail cabinet?
An art deco cocktail cabinet is a specialised drinks storage unit featuring geometric lines and luxurious wood veneers. They were built to house bottles, glassware, and mixing tools during the height of home cocktail culture.
Inside, these cabinets often provide mirrored backs, glass shelving, and pull-down serving flaps for preparing drinks. Their exterior surfaces showcase rich grain patterns designed to impress guests.
How do you use a drinks trolley?
A drinks trolley serves as a mobile station for transporting bottles, glassware, and ice between rooms during social gatherings. They provide open shelving, often split across two tiers with protective galleries to keep glassware secure.
In modern rooms, they function as permanent static display stands for a collection of interesting barware and crystal decanters. Their castor wheels allow easy movement when entertaining.
Are these cabinets made from solid wood?
Most large cabinets are constructed using solid internal frames covered in decorative wood veneers rather than being carved from solid exotic timber. This technique prevents warping while displaying intricate grain patterns.
Woods like burr walnut and bird's-eye maple are sliced thin and applied carefully to create symmetrical designs across the doors. The underlying structure provides stability for heavy bottles and internal mirrors.
How do I date an art deco bar?
Dating these pieces involves examining the combination of materials, construction methods, and stylistic cues present in the design. Pieces from the twenties and thirties favour clean geometric forms, contrasting veneers, and machine-age metals.
Makers' marks, cabinet hardware styles, and patent stamps can narrow the production period further. Comparing the internal mechanisms to documented examples also confirms the era of manufacture.