A kitchen island can be the focal point of any cooking space. But without thoughtful design, it can end up cluttered or feeling blah. This is where decorative trays come in. Strategically styled trays elevate your kitchen island with organized utility and eye-catching appeal.
You’ll discover versatile tray styles, clever display tips, and creative ways to corral everyday items. With a tray that matches your kitchen’s aesthetic, you can enjoy a handsome hub that makes cooking and entertaining a breeze. Let’s dive in!
Benefits of Using Decorative Trays on Kitchen Islands
Picture your dream kitchen island. It likely appears organized yet inviting, stylish but highly functional. This ideal is achievable with the help of a decorative tray!
Trays offer many perks for even the most basic kitchen island. Here are some of the top benefits:
- Keep items organized and decrease clutter
- Create an intentional, styled look
- Easily change up the display
- Provide designated spaces for different items
- Add visual interest with shape, color, texture
With everything neatly corralled into trays, your kitchen island takes on a sense of order. But it doesn’t just look organized–it functions better too. You’ll always know where daily-use items reside.
Trays also infuse style into your island. They allow you to carefully curate a display that reflects your tastes. And you can switch out the contents to give your kitchen island a fresh new look anytime.
Let’s look at popular tray styles that can make your island shine.
Tray Styles for Kitchen Islands
Round Trays
Round trays effortlessly match curved islands or bartop eating areas. Their softer silhouette brings a dash of elegance.
Small and medium round trays contain coffee accoutrements, barware, or kitchen tools. Large round trays become ideal surfaces for food presentation and serving.
Round trays come in diverse materials like antiqued metal, hand-painted ceramic, or natural woven rattan. Each material lends a different aesthetic, from sophisticated to rustic-chic.
Rectangular Trays
The classic straight lines of a rectangular tray integrate seamlessly with both traditional and modern kitchen islands.
Rectangular trays promote order with their structured shape. Their range of sizes, from petite to oversized, provide a smart solution for organizing almost anything.
Streamlined metal or wooden rectagular trays lend a polished look. Wire-framed trays with glass bottoms keep their contents visible.
Woven Trays
Informal woven trays infuse cozy texture with natural materials like seagrass, bamboo, rattan, and more. Their loose and airy weave promotes breezy, casual style.
Many woven trays feature handles for ease of transport. The contrasting woods used on some handcrafted trays create rich visual interest.
For rustic or farmhouse kitchens, woven trays add warmth. Their versatility spans from fruit bowls to utensil holders and beyond.
Design Tips for Styling Trays
Now that you’ve selected the perfect tray, it’s time for the fun part–filling it! Follow these design tips to create an eye-catching display:
Use Items of Varying Heights
A collection of objects at the same height looks flat and boring. For more dimension, use trays to corral items of varying heights.
Try combining candles, stacked books or baskets, spices jars, and small decor pieces. These additions will make your tray arrangement pop.
Incorporate Different Textures
Just as varying heights provides visual interest, so too can an array of textures.
Look for trays and items with unique tactile properties, like nubby linen napkins, smooth river rocks, coarse woven baskets. Not only is this dynamic combination eye-catching–it also adds depth.
Use a Color Palette
The hues present on your tray can work in harmony or contrasts. Both approaches have high design impact.
Build a trayscape using tones pulled from your kitchen’s color scheme. Or go bold with vivid fruits and tableware against a neutral tray.
Arrange in Odd Numbers
Odd numbers feel more organic and create better visual balance than even numbers. Aim for groupings of 3, 5, or 7 items.
So gather things in odd quantities. Three candles of varying heights makes a simple yet effective display. Five brightly colored mugs cheer up any coffee station.
Items to Display on a Kitchen Island Tray
Now for the fun part–choosing everyday items to corral onto your trays! Here are some ideas to spark your creativity:
- Fruit, flowers, candles
- Coffee bar supplies
- Kitchen tools and utensils
- Cookbooks, recipes
- Napkins, placemats
- Small decor accents
Many people enjoy grouping thematically. For example, coffee and tea lovers could display their mugs, sugar bowl, honey pot, and spoons on a tray. Or assembling all cocktail-making barware together.
For cooks, gathering spices, oils, utensils makes for an ultra-handy culinary tray. Placing cookbooks and tablet stands encourages recipe access.
You can also rotate what’s showcased seasonally or for parties. Fill a tray with lemons and limes for summer, then swap in pinecones and candles for winter.
Organization and Style
A decorative tray enables you to corral items that otherwise might look cluttered on a kitchen island. Smaller objects become organized into a single coordinated still life.
For instance, gathering assorted bottles and jars into a tray instantly transforms them into an attractive display. The tray edges provide definition, giving the vignette purpose.
Likewise, stray mail, keys, and gadgets seem cluttered placed individually on an island. But corral them in a tray, and they become a handsome catch-all.
So don’t be afraid to get creative with your trays. They offer the best of both worlds–organization and style!
As you can see, adding decorative trays is one of the easiest ways to elevate your kitchen island’s form and function.
With a tray tailored to your space, you can corral everyday items into organized arrangements. You’ll also infuse your own personalized sense of style.
Experiment with different shapes and materials to find options suiting your kitchen decor. Then have fun styling eye-catching trayscapes with height, color, and texture.
Every time you use your island will feel like a treat. You’ll gain handy access to daily necessities amidst an inspirational still life. So unlock your kitchen island’s full potential with the transformative power of trays!
