This Tiny Decorating Trend Makes Any Room Feel More Elevated

A small decor upgrade can make living spaces feel more intentional by using a display tray. Trayscaping is a decorating approach that helps pull together accessories into a neat, cohesive moment that also serves practical items. Trays provide a dedicated place for personal mementos, such as bottles, soap, sponges, and decorative vessels for bouquets. A tray should be chosen for impact without taking over the entire surface, with materials like marble, wicker, wood, or metal offering neutral foundations. Displays work best when objects vary in height and texture, combining tall pieces like vases or candlesticks with wider, shorter items like bowls, lanterns, or trinkets, and using stacked books for added interest.

"Does your living room feel a little lackluster? Are you unhappy with your coffee table, or hoping to make your kitchen island more of a "wow" moment for guests? There's a design solution that is rather small, but super impactful: a display tray. It's a trick designers use for a curation moment that turns heads (and provides personality, too!)."

"Now coined "trayscaping" by pros, this mini decorating trend helps you pull together gorgeous displays that look neat and serve as an extension of your personal style. And as soon as you start working trays into your designs, everything else seems to fall into place. Trays give your personal mementos and accessories a place to live - and instantly make a room look more curated (even if it's just necessities, like a bottle of hand soap and a sponge!)."

"Start by finding a tray that you love. It can be any shape, height, material, or color - just make sure it's large enough to make an impact on the surface you're working on, but not so large that you're left with zero surface space. Natural materials could be a great place to start. Marble, wicker, wood, or metal provide a great neutral base that you can build on."

"Then, arrange your display using objects of various heights and textures (it shouldn't look visually uniform!). Experiment with tall vases, candlesticks, or lamps paired with wider, shorter bowls, lanterns, or trinkets. You can stack books to help add height and interest. If your tray is placed up against a wall, you can even work artwork into the space to give your display a fun b"

Read at Apartment Therapy