Tray Chic!

When you last sat in front of a tray, taking your glass of wine from it, or absent-mindedly picking nuts from a bowl, were you thinking about the tray's history?

We thought not. No one really ever does.

And yet, we know for a fact, that trays have been used at least since the 7th or 6th century BCE, thanks to the black Etruscan earthenware tray that sits in Glasgow's Hunterian Museum. In 17th Century England, the "salver" or silver tray was used frequently in service, and had multiple functions. Not only was it used to transport food and drink, but the "salver," a word derived from the Latin word "salvare," or, "to save," indicated that what it carried had been tasted to ensure nothing was poisoned. This of course gave the tray a certain cachet, as its use suggested that the food and drink was worthy of royalty, and so the tray became an indication of social standing.



Today, trays are still valuable for both their functional and suggestive powers.

Take our large bamboo tray, for example. An attractive object in its own right, it could sit bare on a table, suggesting that yours is a home that entertains, or it could sit on a console and house your bar, or it could be used to serve cheeses or crudite at a party.

Our casually elegant mesh trays, brightly colored and light, could help set the tenor of a casual summer party, each filled with tumblers holding a specialty cocktail, and set around a patio. To continue with the light, summery theme, you might pass hors d'oeuvres on one of our Rush Bateau Banana Boat trays.

At an afternoon tea, our oval, rectangular and rope trays would look perfect dispersed around a living room, filled with sweets.



Oval Rope Tray with Handles

Rectangular Rope Top Tray

Large Rush Bateau Bowl

Faux Croc Gallery Tray with Handles

Last, but not least, trays can help organize a room. Take one of our faux croc trays, for example, and place it atop a dresser or a vanity, so that you have some place to neatly arrange the contents of your purse or your pockets every evening.

Trays carry not only what you place on them, but a message as well: one of effortless elegance and efficiency.