Decorative Trays to Style Your Kitchen Island

A kitchen island can be the perfect focal point in your kitchen, but without the right accents it can end up looking bland or incomplete. This is where incorporating decorative trays comes in! Not only do decorative trays add visual appeal to your kitchen island, they also serve functional purposes like organizing items or designating spaces for different tasks.

From materials and sizes to clever ways to display everyday items, read on for pro tips that will have your kitchen island looking pulled-together in no time.

Benefits of Decorative Trays for Kitchen Islands

Before jumping into styling tips, let's look at why you should even bother adding decorative trays in the first place. Here are some of the top reasons to incorporate trays into your kitchen island design:

• Add visual interest - Even the most beautifully constructed kitchen island can appear stark without the right decorative accents. Trays add warmth, texture, and just the right amount of visual weight.
• Designate spaces - Round trays, rectangular trays, small trays...the varieties are endless. Use different sized and shaped trays to designate areas for meal prep, entertainment, storage, etc.
• Conceal clutter - We all have that one junk drawer or clutter catch-all space. Trays instantly neaten up the look and keep necessities within reach but out of direct eyesight.
• Elevate everyday items - Mundane kitchen items like fruit bowls, utensil caddies, and napkin holders get a stylish upgrade when placed artfully atop a decorative tray.
• Protect your investment - Accidents happen, spills occur. Position attractive trays as the first line of defense against scratches, stains, and other damage over time.

Now that you know what decorative trays can do for your kitchen island area, let's explore how to choose the right ones for your space.

Choosing the Right Decorative Tray for Your Kitchen Island

With so many sizes, shapes, materials, and design options available, decorative trays may seem overwhelming initially. Keep these tips in mind while you shop to ensure you select pieces tailored to your kitchen island.

Size Considerations for Decorative Kitchen Trays

First, determine if you want trays to lie flat or hang over the edges of your island. Extending over the edge softens straight lines and adds dimension, but flat-laying trays maximize workspace. The size and shape of your island itself is key here.

Oversized trays better suit large kitchen islands and smaller tray options keep compact islands from appearing cluttered. Round trays take up more surface area than rectangular trays of the same length and width. If maximizing functional workspace is important, rectangular trays make smart choices.

Material Options for Kitchen Island Trays

From rustic charm to sleek modern and everything between, decorative trays come constructed from diverse materials to fit any design scheme. Consider the pros and cons of each before deciding on tray materials.

Wood Decor Trays

Handcrafted wood trays exude comfortable, timeworn character in natural wood grain tones. Teak offers water-resistance and longevity while mango wood lends unique personality through knots and whorls. The organic texture of wood makes an ideal backdrop for everyday items.

Metal Decorative Trays

For cool, contemporary contrast against natural stone or wooden islands, metallics like stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized tin, and hammered copper gleam. Metal effectively highlights contents without competing. Modern spaces or industrial style kitchens suit metal's sleek, streamlined aesthetic.

Rattan Trays

Woven rattan, with or without handles, brings breezy, beachy appeal through its casual, porous look and feel. Double-walled or reinforced rattan withstands spills better but still requires extra care. The textural contrast between rattan and smooth countertops delivers visual interest.

Glass Trays

Glass tray options range from patterned stained glass to clear tempered glass in round, square, or rectangular shapes. Their transparency showcases decorative contents while easily blending into their surroundings. Durability and safe handling are key considerations with delicate glass trays in frequently used kitchen spaces.

Kitchen Island Tray Functions

Determine your intended uses for added trays to zero in on styles tailored specifically to how you'll interact with them. While almost anything goes, typical kitchen island tray functions fall into a few main categories.

Serving Trays

Use decorative trays like mini tables to serve appetizers or garnished cocktails when entertaining. Look for ones with attached handles for easily transporting items from tray to guests. Built-in compartments corral lemon wedges, olives, and other accessories for a tidy presentation.

Storage Trays

Opt for deeper trays to conveniently organize go-to kitchen tools like utensils, dishcloths, or cooking oils to have necessities at your fingertips without constant drawer rooting. Particularly useful for narrower kitchen islands, vertical in-tray storage affords form and function.

Decorative Tray Styles for Kitchen Islands

While nearly any decorative tray style can work on your kitchen island, ones that coordinate with your overall kitchen design scheme achieve visual harmony. From modern to farmhouse and everything between, identify aesthetics you gravitate toward then choose trays accordingly.

Farmhouse

Chippy paint finishes, metalwork details, and natural wood pieces embody the comfortable charm of farmhouse style. Incorporate galvanized metal buckets and tin pails for a nod to utilitarian kitchen tools or whitewashed and distressed wood trays for laid-back sophistication.

Coastal

Easygoing coastal kitchens welcome trays handwoven from water-friendly rattan or banana leaf materials alongside driftwood and shells for casual, carefree living. Look for woven textures and light, beachy hues like sea glass greens, sandy tans, sun-bleached grays, and ocean blues.

Modern

The clean lines of stainless steel, mirrored glass, stone, or lacquered wood lend high-gloss refinement for contemporary kitchen spaces. Geometric patterns, unexpected shapes like crescents or ovals, and metallic or glass materials align with modern design aesthetics.

Decorative Tray Placement on Your Kitchen Island

With so many possible spots to position trays on your kitchen island, deciding on placement may seem overwhelming initially. Follow these simple guidelines when determining optimal location:

• Consider traffic flow - Situate trays away from high traffic zones around the island to prevent accidental bumps and spills.
• Evaluate sunlight - Prolonged sun exposure could prematurely fade certain materials over time. Arrange trays at an angle or place away from direct light if concerned.
• Accentuate architecture - Align the lines and angles of rectangular trays with your island's structure for an orderly appearance. Or place round trays at an asymmetrical angle against straight edges for pleasing contrast.
• Leave clearance - Allow ample surface area around trays for setting down ingredients when cooking, glassware while entertaining, etc. Avoid cramming too many items together in small spaces.
• Highlight focal points - Draw the eye tovent pieces like statement light fixtures, backsplashes, hardware or barstools by positioning attention-grabbing trays nearby.

Remember--there are no hard and fast rules. Decorative trays afford endless opportunities to add personalized flair while serving functional purposes. Simply incorporate trays in spots that feel most useful and attractive based on your kitchen activities and overall aesthetic vision.

Once you've selected and positioned gorgeous decorative trays, it's time for the fun part--artfully filling them! Treat the tray as a blank canvas and layer everyday kitchen items in pleasing arrangements. Or leave trays empty to showcase their visual appeal.