Blog

Dec 13, 2023

21 Designer

By Mel Studach Decorative trays may be one of the last home decor items

By Mel Studach

Decorative trays may be one of the last home decor items considered in a design project, but ask any of the makers featured below, and they’ll likely remind you that the best is often saved for last. The tray serves myriad purposes: as a dedicated spot for keys or other everyday items, a serving platter for drinks or hor d’oeuvres, or a catchall for books and periodicals. AD100 designers and architects share the decorative trays they often use as a finishing touch below.

All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors or contributors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Take the party outdoors with Serena and Lily's Bedford tray, a charming cane and rattan platter available in round or rectangular frames. serenaandlily.com

From the hand-painted lacquer frame to the burnished brass hardware, no detail went neglected in the Eglomise tray, designed by Steven Gambrel for the Lacquer Company. thelacquercompany.com

Sourced from Swedish tannery Tärnsjö, tinted leather panels provide a cushy and protective landing within the brass Karui trays by GamFratesi for Skultuna, available at Suite NY showrooms. suiteny.com

Available in a rainbow of colorways, Alexandra Von Furstenberg's acrylic Infinity Nesting Trays pack a neon punch in three graduated sizes. alexandravonfurstenberg.com

The spacious Renata shagreen large square tray from Aerin features embedded brass handles for optimum convenience, whether you’re transferring drinks from an at-home bar or arranging periodicals on the coffee table. aerin.com

Circle Factory artist George Peterson—the same one who crafted the popular apple bowl in the Obama-era Oval Office—draws inspiration from wood-turning doyens Finn Juhl and Bob Stocksdale when designing his own serving pieces. circlefactory.com

Designed by Michaël Verheyden, the beveled gray marble tray puts everyday objects, be it a snack or sink-side accessories, on special display. marchsf.com

The slotted rim of the Ottoman Denston tray by Veere Grenney for the Lacquer Company is neat, but perhaps the tray's most appealing quality is its ample proportions. thelacquercompany.com

The winding curves of a topographic map served as the starting point for L’Objet's Isles rectangular tray, featuring a resin-coated Macassar ebony wood with brass hardware. l-objet.com

If its buoyant, marbleized pattern and lightweight birch veneer construction weren't compelling enough, designer Beata Heuman's Marbleized tray is also dishwasher-safe. So go ahead, let cocktail hour get a bit rowdy. shoppa.beataheuman.com

Look past its classic rectangular wood frame and Aero Studios's Medium walnut tray reveals a bit of whimsy in its offset oval handles. aerostudios.com

Stripped of ornamentation, the Wooden tray by Muji makes for a classic catchall in a lightly veined ash wood. muji.us

Lacquered fabric printed with dazzling concentrics, a pattern derived from the agate-like banding found within select minerals, envelopes Liz O’Brien Editions's Malachite tray. Palette options for the ready-to-ship piece? Expectedly jewel-toned. lizobrien.com

Handwoven stalks of a water hyacinth plant leave just enough space to offer a peek at what's inside the rectangular basket from Waterworks. waterworks.com

Named after its pod-like shape, the walnut Peanut tray by India Mahdavi was designed as a fitting tray-top to rest on a set of the designer's Bishop stools. india-mahdavi.com

A spirited wave motif becomes even more playful in the high-gloss lacquer of the Belles Rives lacquer tray, designed by Rita Konig for the Lacquer Company and available at KRB. krbnyc.com

Skilled craftsmen from Paraguay's Chaco region hand-stitch the leather-wrapped Rectangular trays, which are unique thanks to the natural markings and characteristics retained in the cow leather. solxluna.com

Abstract patterns get silk-screened onto glass to produce the designer-favorite tray assortment at artisan accessories studio Notre Monde, which merged with Ethnicraft earlier this year. ethnicraft.com

Addressing the yearning for rich materials and tactile forms in a digital age, Studioilse partnered with woodcarving specialist Zanat to create the walnut Touch bowls and food platters, named for their fingerprint-like sculpting. zanat.org

Ben Pentreath and Bridie Hall, the designer-artist pair behind London shop Pentreath & Hall, know a dynamic duo when they spot one. So it comes as no surprise that the pair selected a captivating palette of color combos for their Medium tray design for the Lacquer Company. Take your pick from delectable pairings of kelly green and Tiffany blue, olive green and orange, or brown and pink. thelacquercompany.com

Designer Michaël Verheyden's Black Leather tray recalls his studio's early days as a producer of leather bags and accessories. marchsf.com

By Mel Studach

By Kathryn O'Shea-Evans

By Stephanie Sporn

By Kathryn Romeyn