by Marta Bellacosa.
Timeless classics, indispensable companions for organizing events, lunches and dinners with friends: true icons of an era, they are order and comfort on wheels, trendy today more than ever.
The origins date back to the 19th century in the midst of the Victorian era and, right from the start, they found a place of honor in refined interiors. Allies of nineteenth-century ladies, the first to introduce the use of serving and consuming tea, food trolleys are always a must have: practical and functional, they become an indispensable plus, a small traveling luxury capable of making a difference. With a fascinating story.
At the height of Prohibition in the 1920s, after having established themselves as a classic of “good” living rooms, they transformed into what we know today as bar carts (closed, to literally hide the alcohol); they came back into fashion in the ’50s and ’60s, together with the interest in cocktails, becoming an iconic piece of furniture that still furnishes the most contemporary living, dining and outdoor areas. Today, more than ever, they continue to be highly sought after, stimulating design to a constant evolution, between vintage aesthetics and cutting-edge curiosities.
1 – ORDER ON WHEELS
Note Design Studio has created the practical bar trolley Alima NDS1 by &TRADITION, designed to accommodate magazines, glasses, bottles and objects. The shelf with the characteristic V-shaped design, incorporated into the trolley, allows you to store books. The structure is in powder coated steel, the trays are in walnut or oak.
Alima NDS1 trolley by &TRADITION, design NOTE Design Studio; 89.9x 41.9×59.4h cm, from €900.36 – andtradition.com
2 – JAPANESE DESIGN
Iconic and functional, Steel Pipe Drink Trolley is a trolley on wheels designed by Shiro Kuramata in 1968. It was born as a new object in 2014, from Cappellini’s collaboration with the designer and, following his death, with the foundation of the same name. It is composed of an iron tube structure painted with matt black epoxy powder with white laminate shelves, matt black casing and gray plastic wheels suitable for semi-soft surfaces.
Steel Pipe Drink Trolley by Cappellini, design Shiro Kuramata; 82×41.5×69.5h cm, from €1,701.90 – cappellini.com
3 – ELEGANT GEOMETRY
The light and graphic Bauhaus Cart by Kristina Dam Studio is inspired by the influential German art school of the Bauhaus. It can be used in different ways: as a bar cart, mobile table or for indoor herbs and plants. The cart has structure in powder-coated metal and includes two trays: one in tempered glass and one in perforated steel; It is available in beige and black.
Bauhaus trolley by Kristina Dam Studio, design Kristina Dam; 35x72x77h cm, from €962.58- kristinadam.dk
4 – WOOD ART
Mai Tai is the food trolley designed by the Odosdesign studio for Punt, in which the meticulous details of the connections between the pieces of wood stand out. The structure is, in fact, in solid oak. The upper tray can be removed and used as an independent tray. It has 2 wheels with brakes and 2 wheels without brakes. It is available in matt oak and in ebony stained oak.
Mai Tai trolley by Punt, design Odosdesign; 60x42x70h cm, from €793 – puntmobles.com
5 – CUSTOM-MADE COMFORT
Ideal for a modern living room, Serving Cart is Cassina‘s practical food trolley. It is a piece of furniture in solid Canaletto or ash wood. The edges of the shelves are raised to prevent objects from falling. Designed to accommodate a service of six people, it includes elegant stainless steel glass holders, glass holders and bottle holders on request.
Serving Cart by Cassina, design Bodil Kjær; 82x55x69/81h cm, from €3,062 – cassina.com
6 – MINIMAL AND FUNCTIONAL
Westwing offers the Vita serving trolley, with a black coated metal structure, two shelves in light wood-coloured medium density fiberboard (MDF) and four wheels. Simple, elegant and practical, it allows a load capacity of 5kg per shelf.
Westwing Vita Serving Cart; 68x40x79h cm, from €79.99 – westwing.it
7 – THREE TRAYS
Opinion Ciatti adds a spicy note to the decor with the Zenzero trolley. It is equipped with three steel trays (two of which are removable) which rest on a structure made of thin steel tubes, a handle and pivoting wheels make moving it even easier. The pocket on the front and the internal lining of the trays are in regenerated leather. Zenzero is available in three finishes: white, forest green and gold leaf.
Zenzero food trolley by Opinion Ciatti, design Samer Alameen; 72x41x81h cm, lacquered version (white and forest green) from €1,122.00; Gold leaf version from €1,644 – opinionciatti.com
8 – REFINEMENT AT THE TABLE
Convivier Bar Trolley is Paolo Castelli’s trolley that can be used as a bar cabinet and coffee table. The structure is in metal with a matte bronze shadow finish. The upper shelf is in transparent glass col. Havana, the lower one is in satin mirrored glass col. bronze. The wheels are covered in nubuck with a woven pattern, color 15 taupe, like the handle.
Convivier Bar Trolley by Paolo Castelli, design Paolo Castelli; 97x56x75h cm, from €7,571 – paolocastelli.com
9 – EXCLUSIVE VINTAGE
Available in a limited edition of only 100 items, the result of the creativity of artistic director Caroli Sangha and designer Sebastian Herkner, Grace Salon Edition is the 1950s-inspired trolley by Schönbuch. The series features a top in Rosso Levanto marble by high quality and a mahogany red powder-coated metal structure.
Grace Salon Edition trolley by Schönbuch, design Sebastian Herkner, 72×46.7x70h cm, from €2,818 – schoenbuch.com
10 – OUTDOOR VERSATILITY
Moving outdoors, another proposal consists of Porto, Pianca‘s modular kitchen designed for the outdoors which is made up of various combinable elements: table, trolley, sink, induction, sink unit plus induction, Teppanyaki and grill. Porto features curved Iroko wood tops, tubular stainless steel structure; all work/cooking surfaces are in stainless steel. It is also available in Espresso and Seta finishes.
Porto di Pianca modular kitchen, structure in 44 Espresso finish, top and undertop in Iroko wood, design Luigi Frighetto, from €2,500 – pianca.com
On the cover, Zenzero food trolley by Opinion Ciatti, design Samer Alameen.
