Decorating With Baskets and Trays

Trays & baskets can add something extra to your decor.  You put all the right furniture in place then you start to add in some accessories.  Things look a little scattered or flat, so what to do – try Decorating With Baskets and Trays.

I love to add texture with baskets and trays.  Wicker baskets always add interest, no matter whether it’s a big storage basket or a small tray.  You could put these same items you see in the picture above on the table and they would look cluttered.  Put them in this basket tray and they look interesting.  People always tell me they don’t have the right items.  Use your imagination, you can change this one tray up with several different kinds of accessories.

This time I put some fruit on one of those $5 Target finds and added some ceramic fruit I had.

Just gather up a few things that you like and put them in a tray, you’ll be surprised how fabulous they look.  I looked around my living room and just grabbed all these different things.  It doesn’t matter how different they are, when you put them all together in a tray,  they just look like they belong.

Trays can be used in every room of the house.   I love this DIY Acrylic Tray for my desk.  This looks amazing and you can make it for a little over $5.  What a great way to keep all those small desk items handy.

Kitchen counters are another area that could use some tray love.  Look for something unexpected.  I found this brass tray in a thrift store.  A little brass cleaner turned it into a real treasure to dress up my kitchen essentials.  This could be a wicker tray, or how about one of those wonderful wood slabs that are so on trend now?  Think outside the box.

While we’re in the kitchen, how about the island?  I love having a small vignette on our island and baskets are a great way to add texture again.  (Did you notice this little fruit cloche makes the rounds.)

Some of the same pieces are displayed a little differently.

This large serving tray is perfect for some goodies at Christmas.

Nothing fancy here, just some simple normal kitchen items.  When I put them all together in a tray,  they look much more interesting.

How about bathroom vanity areas?  Anything you can corral on a tray gives it importance and adds that extra something.

This bathroom uses 3 trays.  One on the shelf to hold hubby’s colognes.  One on the toilet to hold the tissue and plant and one on the counter to hold his everyday things – soap, cup & clock.

My small loft/office/girl cave is a favorite spot for me to hang out.  Storage is always fabulous.  This wonderful basket chest acts as the perfect coffee table and adds tons of character to this room at the same time.  Layering a basket tray on top was a great way to corral my accessories.

Sometimes a basket tray isn’t the main focal point, but it adds interest on the second level.  By adding a tray on the bottom shelf the coffee table looks more “finished”.

I also like to use baskets to hold my plants.  You’ve seen me use them for small plants, but I think they are fabulous for large plants too.  I could have used some fabulous ceramic pots for these plants, but I think the texture of the baskets adds way more interest to this room.  (There’s another basket on the bottom shelf of the coffee table too.)

Look around your house, if there is a spot that needs something extra to add a little interest – think about how you could decorate with trays and baskets.  It could be the perfect solution.

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