” Grouping things on trays is the equivalent of adding frames to artwork,” we compose in our book Remodelista: The Organized Home. “Trays raise what they contain and produce cohesion.” We utilize trays in every space, whether for serving food, anchoring a vase, confining small objects, or simply standing ready and looking good.
A preferred type, the Scandinavian birch-veneered tray, is a midcentury design star recently popular once again. Made from layers of wood adhered in a hot, high-pressure mold, these trays have melamine-based, heat-resistant coverings that are extremely long lasting and serve as ideal canvases for color and pattern. They can be found in numerous sizes and a substantial series of designs: you can spot them by the stacks of thin birch visible along the edges. Here are 8 geometric standouts.
Above: The 12-inch Circular Pattern Tray,$32.45, is one of a large collection from Desenio Home. Above: The Constantin b11 Tray, 36-by-28 centimeter, ₤ 36, is part of a collection printmaker Stephen Dow of Heraldback developed for The Conran Store.
Above: The 12-inch Parentheses Pattern Round Tray in Pesto, a Home Industries collaboration with Arc-Com Style Studio, is$80 at Heath Ceramics– but presently sold out. Above: That’s a 1954 Alvar Aalto textile style on Artek’s Siena tray, 16.9-by-12.9 inches;$78 through The Finnish Design Store and available in numerous color combos (revealed also in the featured image above ). Above: Pine needles pattern the 15-inch Barr Tray, $51, among
numerous laminated birch trays readily available from Great Little Day of Gothenburg, Sweden. Above: Marimekko’s Piccolo Coasters are $42 for four from Little King in Hudson, New York City. Above: Hem’s 25.6-inch Stripe Tray by fashion designer Arthur Arbesser can be found in several color mixes. This one is terracotta and cobalt;$159 from Per Diem. Above: The 12.5-inch Abstract Square Tray features a Pietertje van Splunte collage;$48. It is among lots of made-in-Sweden birchwood trays from Avenida Home. More trays and other serving pieces: 10 Easy Pieces: Serving Trays A Place for Everything: Eyeglass Holders from Puebco 10 Easy Pieces
- : Round Wood Trays