Bring In a Little Summer With a Coastal Style Tray

To celebrate the new season, today I’ll be joining a group of amazing blogging friends for another “On a Tray” tour. Organized by our favorite hostess, Katherine of Katherine’s Corner, the theme for this tour is “By the Sea.” ( Thanks so much Katherine!) Follow me as I bring in a little summer with a coastal style tray!

If you’re coming over from My Hubbard Home, welcome! The theme today is the same for everyone. Still, it is always so interesting to see the different ways these talented ladies incorporate it into their homes. I just love Rachel’s take on it, don’t you?

Although she is a tough act to follow, I’ll do my very best! Here we go!

What is Coastal Style Anyways?

Well I’m just so glad you asked!

Coastal style is casual, relaxing, and fun. Soothing colors and natural elements. Think sand, sun, and surf. Coastal style brings everything you love about a seaside vacation to the forefront. In short, all things beachy!

With this definition in mind, bringing in the summer with a coastal style tray is a breeze!

Choosing a Tray

For the summer months, I tend to use a lot of seagrass and wicker trays around the house. However, there is no shortage of coastal treasures here so I wanted a little more space for this project. I settled on a distressed wooden two tier that I love.

Choosing a tray will depend on the size, shape, and the number of elements you want to include. Three to five items on a flat tray are normally just perfect. Using a two or three tiered tray, ten to fifteen will do nicely.

Choosing Your Elements

If you’re a Pinterest lover as I am, decorated trays are everywhere. There are so many different styles to drool over. All unique in their own way. They are unique because the person who designed them chose items that spoke only to her. (Tray Design 101)

Perhaps your favorite part of a trip to the coast is the sea itself. In that case you’ll want to choose elements with a nautical vibe. Navy blue, white, and the vibrant shades of the sea work well. If it’s the sun and sand that draws you in… shells, driftwood, and tones of beige, white, and soft turquoise are perfect here.

Since I absolutely adore everything about the sea, my tray is a combination of it all. The hardest part of this design was choosing my favorites. Being boaters most of our married life, there was no question that I needed to include at least one.

Shells saved from one beach or another were a must.

I also needed a bit of the beach itself. I added in a pretty bottle with some Kaanapali sand from our wedding day.

Since the tray is visible from both sides, I filled it in with a few more beachy items.

Some of my favorite times on the ocean were the days a school of dolphins would join us. They loved to play in the wake of the boat. Sometimes they would stay all day and I, in turn, never tired of watching them. So adding a few dolphins seemed important. One is a weathered bell I found in a seaside shop in California.

The second was a gift from my oldest friend. So pretty!

Of course it’s impossible for me to put together a tiered tray without at least one sign! You can find this one in the Printable Library.

Filling in the Blanks

For me, adding greenery is a big part of any tiered tray design. While using all the bright, green, picks and sprays on a coastal tray would never do, a few potted ferns were perfect!

In addition to the plants, you’ll see fish net in several of the pictures to fill in the blanks as well.

The End Result

So much of the fun in designing a tiered tray for any season or holiday is actually the trial and error of it. This tray went through many transformations before I was happy with the end result. Don’t be afraid to move it, add it, or take it out. All that matters in the end is that it makes you smile.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! The tour continues with Masterpieces of My Life. Whatever Mary Jo has put together for us today, I know you won’t want to miss it!

If you are already a subscriber of My Home of All Seasons, be sure to stop by the Printable Library for your copy of “The Beach is Calling” sign. You will find it in the tiered tray section. Simply add your password, download, and print. It is a 4 x 4 and will be the perfect size for your own coastal tray.

If you haven’t joined us yet, I sincerely hope you do! Your email in the form below will have your welcome letter, complete with password, to your inbox in seconds. You’ll have immediate access to everything in the library and be the first to know when new prints are available. In addition, the weekly/bi-weekly newsletter will keep you up to date with all things trending in seasonal decor. Come join us as we decorate our way through the summer season!

See you soon!