Tip 4: Dress those flat surfaces

{This is part of the series "Top Ten Tips for Decorating on a Budget"}

We all instinctively feel that a flat surface is a boring surface. I love my countertops and dining room table uncluttered, but when they are completely bare they just look… sterile and boring. And too many bare walls just seem to lack personality.

A flat table or ottoman often needs a tray to anchor it. In fact, adding a tray to an ottoman adds instant table space. The Parisian Ottoman Tray shown here adds instant interest and functionality. It’s also versatile for entertaining as it can move easily from living room to kitchen and back again. If you’d like a different look, the Napa Tray with its pressed metal might be just your style.

The Eclipse Serving Platter isn’t quite a tray, but that’s easy to forgive because its beauty blends with any décor. Whether it’s a catch-all for your mail and keys, or creating a spa setting with riverstones and candles, it adds just the right touch to that flat, boring table surface. As a plus, it’s food safe and can be borrowed for entertaining.

The Covington tray is a great multitasker, as it works beautifully on your table with a grouping of candles or vases, and looks equally nice personalizing your wall with a lovely monogram. Wouldn’t it look great in a grouping of family pictures? (Thanks to Stacey Everett, fellow Willow House design consultant, for sharing this photo with me.)

For another personal touch, try using a hanging metal tray as a great display for family memories. A few photos, a few magnets, and you have the makings of a great conversation piece. I snapped this photo while visiting the home of my friend, Ann Marie Brezina -- who is also my Willow House sponsor. I always find great ideas at her house!

Mirrors can often mimic trays on a table and add depth to your arrangements. And, of course, mirrors always add brightness and light to a room without dominating the scene.

So take a look around? Got any bare surfaces that need dressing up?

Note: It's easy and economical to take your surfaces from flat to fantastic with a Willow House Makeover Design Workshop, especially when you can earn free and discounted products for hosting! If you’d like to know more, contact me.

© Suzanne Jackson 2011.
{I'd love for you to share this post with friends, but please share the full link. Common courtesy dictates that you do not copy the post into your own blog without proper attribution. Thanks!}