Nell Hills owner Mary Carol Garrity shows how to create sophisticated tabletop bars

My mother, Mary Lou, sage philosopher that she is, used to say, “The only difference between a good dinner party and a bad one is three cocktails!” Thankfully, Mom is a good cook (a gene she did not pass down to me), so no one needed a gin and tonic just to get through her dinner parties.

While I won’t deny that I love a good cocktail at a party, I am even more drawn in by my hosts’ beautifully styled bars. Here are tips for making your drink service as inviting as a well-mixed cocktail.

Make them attractive

Style your bar as you would any other display in your home, with an eye for details and drama. In the little bar off her kitchen, my friend Lisa used one of her vintage silver servers as an ice bucket to chill the wine. The cupboards give guests easy access to glassware.

Turn any old space, even a few shelves in a bookcase, into a little bar. My friend Nancy created a cozy drinks nook in her home using family heirlooms. The ice bucket is a commemorative trophy, won by a family member in the 1950s. She also layered artwork and trays behind the bar to give the display lots of lush layers.

My friend Cynthia turned her laundry nook into a luxurious bar. She topped the washer and dryer with a piece of varnished wood and concealed the front with a curtain. She loves dogs, so she filled the walls with dog-themed artwork.

Make them accessible

Tabletop bars that sit out in the open allow guests to serve themselves. Often my husband, Dan, will fix the first drink for guests at our home, then invite them to help themselves from there on. I think that’s the most comfortable, and relaxed, way to tend bar: Every man for himself!

A great basement bar in my friend Lisa’s home has all the fixings gathered together, simply, on a lovely silver tray. Again, the barware is above in the cabinets, for guests to grab.

In my Atchison, Kan., home, we had a great little cart snuggled up in the corner of our living room, next to the fireplace. The bottom held bottles of spirits and the top was a forest of pretty decanters, the stars of the show. I found a sweet vintage basket to hold the cocktail napkins.

My friend Marsee has an adorable cottage in one of Kansas City’s historic neighborhoods. At some point the side porch was converted into a snug sunroom.

Marsee thought it was the perfect place for an antique buffet, which she tops with her drinks service when she entertains. With a buffet you have plenty of room to include additional drinks and snacks. Marsee corrals the bottles on a fun wicker tray, then uses a dessert server to hold the lemons and limes, giving the display some height.

Make them functional

Make sure you include all the appropriate bar tools. You will find lots and lots of references in books and online about what gizmos you need for a well-outfitted bar, from a martini shaker to a corkscrew to a muddler.

I always include a hand towel so guests can clean up little messes. I also keep drink supplies by a sink and storage area off my kitchen.

Make them fun

Why not set up a bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously? My friend Ann zips up the bar in her living room with playful swizzle sticks, candy cane straws and a kitschy Hawaiian bottle opener.

The bar in the grand living room of my friend Cynthia’s historic home looks very posh. Light from a beautiful crystal lamp bounces off the decanters and the mirror. It all seems buttoned up, until you take a closer look … the tray holding the decanters stands on feet. Human feet!

This story was originally published August 28, 2015 at 8:44 AM with the headline "Nell Hills owner Mary Carol Garrity shows how to create sophisticated tabletop bars."