When it comes to home décor, I’ve always been a tinkerer—the kind of person who reshuffles vignettes around the house at least once a week. Now that I’m spending more time at home, I’m doing even more of it. Something about the practice of evaluating what we have and finding new ways to arrange it, and then being present with those newly created moments of beauty, is relaxing and brings a sense of order to a very disordered time.
Using a vessel like a tray is an easy way to style something pretty anywhere, and right now I have a crush on the floral versions by Utopia Goods. So much so I’ve been playing around with how readers might use trays in their own spaces. Below are a few of my mashups for the bath, the kitchen, and the coffee table.
The Bath Tray
A little self-care time goes a long way right now, and a round tray resting on a low table by the bath will help you make the most of a good soak. A single bloom from the garden (in this case, an insanely fragrant rose from the Antique Rose Emporium in Texas), soaps and tinctures, and my favorite bath accoutrement: natural sea sponges…or whatever strikes your fancy. Plus, of course, this tray.
The Kitchen Tray
I don’t like things to look too perfect, and I’m also a fan of quirk, so in the kitchen I used this tray to corral an old, beat-up vintage champagne bucket we use to store utensils, along with various salts and spices in stone and wood vessels, by the stove.
The Coffee Table Tray
What could be conceived of as clutter in this high-traffic spot—books, magazines, novels, remotes, spare change, drinks, snacks—becomes an objet d’arte when gathered in a tray like this one.
