The Most Beautiful Modernist Bar Cart We’ve Ever Seen Is Actually Designed to Store Weed

With cannabis now legal in many states, it’s no surprise that designers, artisans, and furniture makers are creating chic pieces to go along with it. Now you can find truly beautiful accessories like bongs, rolling trays, ashtrays, and more that look like works of art and something that you wouldn’t mind putting on display at home. The actor and producer Seth Rogen even has a stylish line of cannabis accessories—Houseplant—that pretty much doubles as home decor.

Jenny Magdol and Steffie Oehm, who lead San Francisco-based design firm Alter Interiors, are getting into the category, too. They recently introduced a piece called High Bar to their portfolio, which they describe as a “21st-century version of a cellarette, which gives cannabis its proper place.”

Haley Heramb

Far from that random drawer in your home used to stash weed and accessories, it’s a beautiful and highly functional piece that can also be used to store booze, too. The High Bar features a beautiful tiled backsplash and stone countertop; adjustable shelves; and a trio of tiny drawers to hold things like pre-rolls, rolling papers, and vapes. The bottom half of the piece is where it gets even more functional with so many useful drawers and cabinets—like one that has compartments for your flowers and one that has slanted panels for tinctures and bitters. There’s also a cabinet to hold your drinks and a drawer with a built-in USB-A and USB-C charging station.

We spoke to Magdol and Oehm about the High Bar’s design and the future of cannabis-inspired furniture—see what they had to say below. And if you’re interested in purchasing the piece, or want to learn more about it, you can inquire on Alter Interiors’ website.

Haley Heramb

What was the inspiration for the High Bar?

Magdol: This piece was inspired by our clients who don’t drink but do enjoy cannabis or CBD—or a combination. We felt that cannabis and CBD deserve to play a role in cocktail hour as well!

When you think about it, at the end of Prohibition, that stealthy cabinet came out of its shell. Glassed-in liquor cabinets proudly display a properly stocked bar, functioning as both furniture and setting for a nightly routine. But what do we do with our cannabis? Hide our bud in the back of the freezer? Obscure our edibles in an old box thrown into the junk drawer? Stick our stinky bongs behind the couch?

We really wanted to create a piece of furniture that celebrates the rituals of cannabis, so we reimagined an all-inclusive bar tailored to different needs and preferred methods of consumption for happy hour, whatever that means for the individual.

Haley Heramb

How did you decide on the design of the piece? What did you want it to evoke or look like?

Oehm: We wanted the final piece to show reverence for cannabis as our ancestors did in ancient civilizations — like a 21st-century version of the cellarette that finally gives cannabis its proper place. To us, that meant a utilitarian piece with beautiful natural materials and a modern and timeless aesthetic.

The remnants from our projects dictated the materiality and made each piece—and each feature—unique. We collaborated with local maker Valerie Alt to achieve our vision of a multi-use, functional, beautiful piece that displays or conceals your booze and bud.

What materials were used for the piece?

Magdol: Projects always have small amounts of materials left over, especially from tile and stone installations. When ordering tile, you’re required to order overage as a backup (in case there is breakage), but in most cases, you don’t need it in the end. And with stone, you have to purchase the entire slab, so there are usually leftover cutoffs.

The remnants we utilized for High Bar are a perfect example of how repurposing these small quantities can create something beautiful. This particular High Bar features natural ash, Alexandrita Quartzite, and ceramic tile.

Haley Heramb

In general, how does designing furniture for cannabis differ from designing other furniture? What sorts of things do you have to keep in mind?

Oehm: We thought about and explored the variety of ways that cannabis is consumed and stored, and created special compartments and functional storage components to accommodate these needs.

Do you have plans to create more cannabis-inspired pieces?

Magdol: We’re not planning any new pieces just yet, but we’re definitely into the idea of adapting the High Bar to different environments. We think as cannabis becomes more and more part of our daily lives, there will be a need to address this in the design space overall.

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