How to Use a Decorative Tray in Any Room

Did you know that a decorative tray is a versatile accessory to have and use around the home? You can do much more with it than meets the eye, sprucing up the look and feel in some of your favorite rooms, such as the living room, dining room, bathroom, and more. Not sure how to use these trays to showcase personality and add that extra touch of elegance to your home? Pepper + Vetiver explores this fun list of ways to use decorative trays as functional pieces in any room!

#1. Decorative Trays for Bathroom Organization at Its Finest

Do you feel like everything inside your bathroom is disorganized and all over the place? Unfortunately, most know what it's like to experience such a feeling. Yet, with a decorative tray handy, you can say goodbye to the days of searching for your hand soap, mouthwash, or other essentials in a cluttered, messy bathroom. A simple decorative wood tray can help you organize and beautify and organize multiple spaces of your home, especially your bathroom.

Find a spacious tray or a small wood tray that will fit perfectly on the back of your toilet or a shelf inside the bathroom. Once you've selected a tray that fits well and offers enough space, you can add small items to it, such as mason jars full of cotton swabs, mouthwash, dental floss picks, and spare hand soap. It makes your bathroom look more organized and is a significant convenience because you'll know where to go when you need something specific.

#2. Decorative Trays for Makeup & Skin Care Essentials on a Vanity

If you have a vanity that you sit at while getting ready for the day, whether applying skincare essentials or makeup, you need a durable decorative tray in your life. A tiered option like the best-selling Black Tiered Tray can come in handy for you, providing ample space for everything you use on your face and body daily, such as moisturizer, perfume, lipstick, and more. You can even separate the products by type on the different tiers, placing skincare essentials on the bottom and makeup on the top layer.

#3. Decorative Trays for Fine Dining and Elegant Hospitality

Searching for an easy way to elevate your hospitality and wow your dinner guests? If you feel like certain rooms look bare, such as your dining room, consider using a gold tray to showcase wine, pitchers, vases, and dining décor. The Geneva Gold Trays come in three setting sizes for a beautiful yet affordable decorative tray that enhances the appearance of your table or credenza with simple elegance.

#4. Decorative Trays to Reduce Clutter and Organize your Coffee Table 

How often do you clean your coffee table because it looks cluttered with magazines, books, and other items taking up so much space? If this is a common problem for you, the perfect solution is a large decorative tray offering enough space to put certain items together and make them look less like clutter and more like decorations! You can place a tray like the Olive Distressed White Oval Tray in the center of the coffee table, add something special in the middle, and then surround it with other small things that bring it together. It's an easy way to eliminate clutter and keep your coffee corner organized.

#5. Decorative Trays for the Kitchen that serve Multiple Purposes 

Other decorative trays aren't just for rooms like the living room, dining room and bathroom. In fact, you can put functional and decorative serving boards to good use in the kitchen for multiple purposes. For example, the Brodi Marble Board adds a sophisticated contrast to the Round Black Cutting Board for a beautiful accent of your kitchen counters. Serve coffee and pastries on elegant surfaces, after preparing selections on these multi-purpose cutting boards. Then, position these decorative trays together for a clean sophisticated kitchen that remains inviting long after breakfast is complete.

#6. Decorative Trays for Your Nightstand

The average nightstand can look bare and boring. But, if the only thing you have on it is a lamp, you're likely looking for ways to spice things up and add a bit more personality to the bedroom. Once again, a simple decorative tray like the Keilani Wood Tray comes into play, providing you with an easy and effective way to gather your watch, keys, and wallet beside your nightstand and keep some of your favorite items organized. 

For more space and accessories a larger decorative tray like the Paulownia Wood Tray is perfect for organization with small floral arrangements, pictures of someone you love, smaller bowls, a mini bottle of room spray, beaded garlands, small figurines, and more. Plan out your accessories based on the theme of your bedroom and what you like best with the idea of letting your personality shine through. Once you place the tray full of different items on your nightstand, you'll quickly notice the positive change it can make to harmonize your life and polish your nightstand.

Use Decorative Trays in Any Room Around the Home

There are dozens of simple yet fun ways to use a decorative tray in any room inside the home. If you have one or more trays, get creative and add some of your favorite things to them. Create a custom look that embodies your personality by selecting one of several high-quality trays and adding the best items to them. 

You may want to start using these trays to hold your belongings and keep them organized while helping you avoid the clutter that comes with placing your essentials on coffee tables, kitchen countertops, nightstands, and other surfaces. No matter where you use them and what you put on them, you can expect aesthetically pleasing trays to make a massive difference!

TL;DR Ideas For What to Put on a Decorative Tray

Whether you're looking for a practical way to organize your belongings or an attractive way to display your favorite decor pieces, a decorative tray is the perfect for any room. Create stylish and functional spaces with trays that complement the atmosphere and functionally store the necessities of your rooms. Here are 10 ideas for what to put on a decorative tray.

Potted Plants

Plants are a great way to add life and color to any decorative tray. Choose small, low-maintenance plants that complement your decor style, such as succulents or air plants. Group a few different plants together on your tray, or add a single statement plant as a focal point.

Small and Medium Candles

Candles are a classic decorative item that can add warmth and coziness to any space. Choose candles that complement the color scheme and style of your room, and group them on your tray in varying heights for visual interest.

Books

Books can add a personal touch to your decorative tray and provide a functional way to store and organize your reading material. Choose books with interesting covers or spines that complement your decor style, and stack them on your tray in a neat and orderly way.

Trinkets and Keepsakes

Trinkets and keepsakes can add personality and character to your decorative tray. Choose items that have sentimental value or reflect your personal interests, such as small figurines, vintage finds, or travel souvenirs.

Jewelry and Accessories

Jewelry and accessories can also be displayed on a decorative tray, providing a stylish and convenient way to keep your favorite pieces organized and easily accessible. Hang necklaces and bracelets from small hooks or handles, or place rings and earrings in small dishes or trays.

Art and Photographs

Art and photographs can add a personal touch to your decorative tray and make it feel like a true reflection of your personality and style. Choose pieces that complement your decor style and color scheme, and lean them against the back of the tray for a casual, eclectic look.

Serveware

If you're using a decorative tray in the kitchen or dining room, consider using it to display serveware, such as dishes, glasses, and cutlery. Choose pieces that complement your tableware and arrange them in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Toiletries and Cosmetics

In the bathroom, a decorative tray can provide a stylish and functional way to organize your toiletries and cosmetics. Choose small jars or containers to hold items like cotton swabs, toothbrushes, and makeup brushes, and arrange them neatly on your tray.

Seasonal Decor

Decorative trays are also a great way to incorporate seasonal decor into your home. Choose items that reflect the current season or holiday, such as pine cones and twinkle lights in the winter or seashells and sand dollars in the summer.

Coffee and Tea

Finally, who can forget the most traditional use of decorative trays for hospitality. Make friends and family feel right at home using a decorative tray for coffee cups and/or tea and tea cups. Invite guests into the kitchen, dining room, or living room for time together and functional centerpiece for reconnecting with loved ones.