Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization

There are certain staples in home decorating with which you can rarely go wrong. One of those pieces is a tray. In both home staging and decorating, we use decorative trays a lot because they are so versatile (they come in myriad colors, shapes, and sizes), always bring extra style to a space, and are great at keeping smaller decor from looking cluttered.

Trays are most often used on coffee tables (or ottomans) and vanities. In a bathroom, for instance, they are wonderful for keeping perfumes and small toiletries organized in a beautiful way so your bathroom counter or vanity doesn’t get cluttered. The same goes for a living room as they can gather decor, books and magazines so the surface doesn’t look messy. Other places we love to use them are on a bed (especially in home staging), on an ottoman at the end of a bed, or on a bedside table.

Basically, they are the perfect solution if you want to have small items on a surface without a cluttered look. While accomplishing that, they also bring an extra stylish detail in their own right. Whether it’s in a color, metallic, marble or even acrylic, they’re a chic statement that makes whatever surface they are on that much more dynamic.

Here are 10 examples of decorating with trays to inspire you:

Decorating with Trays

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comA natural wood tray brings some warmth to the marble surface and keeps all the small decorative pieces from looking cluttered.
Source: The Every Girl

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comA tray by the bed is a luxurious touch that is perfect for a master bedroom or guest suite.
Source: Home Bunch

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comTo keep all of your perfumes and toiletries organized, place them on a lovely tray like this gorgeous marble one.
Source: Style At Home

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comThe darker tray atop the coffee table helps balance out the vibrancy of the sofa and gives the smaller decor purpose.
Source: Erin Gates Design via Decor Pad

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comA grid layout like this one looks modern and chic, using coffee table books and a tray to balance it out.
Source: AM Dolce Vita

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comAn acrylic tray is perfect if you want visual openness while also keeping your decor organized.
Source: The Glitter Guide

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comA small, round tray is the perfect size and shape for this end table.
Source: One Kindesign

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comThis gold tray is perfectly chic for a small, charming coffee station.
Source: The Every Girl

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comIf you have a lot of magazines, you can stack them in a coffee table tray for a more streamlined look. Balance them out with a bouquet of flowers.
Source: Mix and Chic

Decorating with Trays for Style & Organization | HomeandEventStyling.comThe white tray provides some depth to this dresser, as well as allows extra decor to be displayed without creating the look of a cluttered surface.
Source: Harper’s Bazaar

What’s not to love about decorating with trays?

Warm regards,
Megan