Simple Kitchen Tray Styling 3 Different Ways To Make Your Apartment Kitchen Shine
Rentals and Tray Styling, A Love Story.
When it comes to renting, interior design options can be incredibly limited. Especially if you don’t have a flexible landlord. If you are feeling like your hands are tied and you want to update your rental apartment, the two tried and true methods are furniture design and tray styling.
Furniture design is easy, pick the vibes you like and stick with it! But tray styling can be the same way. Having a place or a “home” for everything is key. Putting like items together can create a vignette that works for your home, and makes everything organized and practical.
In my apartment, I was in desperate need of some sprucing up in the kitchen. I felt like everything on the counter was just hanging around. Sort of the vibe when boys live together in college…. but cleaner. Definitely cleaner. Here are some before picture of what we’re working with. Take note there are noooo cute things in here. </3
I decided I would like a nice coffee area, a better way to store knives and cooking utensils, as well as a bar tray. Because that’s what seemed like was already happening, may as well make it look intentional right? Commence, tray styling.
Coffee Bar Tray
Okay, this was the hardest kitchen tray to style!! I love love love my coffee pot. I got it a few years back, when one of the contractors that worked for my company got me a gift card for Christmas. THE BEST GIFT. It makes coffee for me and tea for Brandon. However, it’s big, and I think it’s kind of weird to style it in a tray. But I did it anyway and ended up liking it.
The coffee tray styling was a great way to separate it from the clutter on the counter and style it up! I added a container for stir sticks and glass straws, a coffee filter holder that keeps packaging out of my cabinets and off the counters. Here is how it turned out!
Cooking Utensils Tray
Alright, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t realize I was going to need this. I’ve had the same set of knives basically since I started living on my own at 19. I inherited them when my grandma passed away, and I like to think that she’s with me while I’m chopping away.
Unfortunately ole Paula Deen no longer makes the knives so I can’t link them. BUT, after scouring Pinterest for the best way to style a knife block, I realized that the best place for knives is in the drawer, out of site. So, I bought one from Walmart and it got the job done. I cannot find the one I bought in store, but here is another option.
The clutter of the huge Tapatio bottle, a revolving door of different olive oil and coconut oil plastic bottles…. I needed some organization. I bought these salt and pepper shakers from Target, and oil & vinegar bottles. How did I make it to 29 without these purchases? NO idea. Love me anyways.
I also snagged a little placemat from Walmart as a way to separate the space. Last but certainly not least I just slid over my cutting board to rest behind, and voila! Easy cheesy tray styling.
Bar Tray
Ohhhh the bar tray styling. I was torn on whether or not to do one since we hardly drink at our house aside from when we are entertaining. And when I decide I need red wine. BUT the whisky bottles have to live somewhere right?! We have a wine rack and a wine cooler but no bar cart. I’m not sure if it’s just me but sometimes I swear if there is one more piece of furniture lining the walls I will lose my freakin mind. So I didn’t do a cart, I did a tray. And I love it!
I started with a thrifted (!!) lazy susan I found at Goodwill. Check here to find out how to get a great deal on secondhand items. It’s just big enough for a couple of bottles and accessories. After adding the bottles I used these amazing cocktail glasses I found in target dollar spot They’re plastic, not glass but I’ve lost too many glasses to drunk friends…its all for the best. Next I added a few cocktail accessories, a thrifted silver goblet for good measure. Bing, boom, bam, pow – we have a bar tray.
