Wall Trays – With a Vintage look

March 20th, 2009

When I mention the word trays, many of you reading this are thinking of the serving tray. Yes, trays do have a very functional purpose but can you visualize a stunning pair of our trays by ibride hanging on your living room wall? I like to think of trays as multi-functional items. For instance, in one of my recent daydreams I was sitting on the shady veranda of a Victorian three-story reading a book. A tall gentleman, (my butler of course), was bringing me a frosty pitcher of iced tea and a glass of ice on a beautiful serving tray which looked a lot like this tray from this website.

'Anna' Victorian Tray

'Anna' Victorian Tray

I almost gasped at the butler in my daydream , “don’t use my favorite tray for the iced tea! I intend to make a wall grouping!”

Trays have been used for decorative and advertising purposes for hundreds of years. Most trays are made of tin but some are crafted from wood and, I have a particulary interesting jumbo tray that was made in the 1940’s and it is two-dimensional. The floral outer edge was formed from hammered aluminum. Right in the center of the aluminum section is an American Limoges dinner plate with a hand-painted still life of fruit and wine. Some trays were hand-painted but most of them were machine- made. Many trays were designed by famous artists as a sort of artistic work sans canvas.

A famous company that issued many different pictoral, advertising trays was the (you all know this answer) Coca-Cola Co. You don’t need to be an antique lover to know that many of these old Coca-Cola trays have fetched thousands of dollars from an avid collector.

CocaCola Tray

I have a serious fondness for trays and have always had at least one on display in each of my “digs.”

If you look under “ACCENT DÉCOR” on this site, there is an entire section on TRAYS!!!

You are not limited to hanging them on the wall in the kitchen or dining area. Last night I noticed that the house in the movie that I was watching had two large trays hanging on the wall in an upstairs hallway. I like to set the larger trays around. If I have a particularly empty space and lack room for furniture in the spot, I set a decorated tray on the floor and prop it against the wall.

A counter display with a tray and flowers is particularly awesome.

Vintage Pictorial Printed Tray

Vintage Pictorial Printed Tray

I love the lattice edging on this stunner by ibride. I think it is lace and gentility and innocence.

There are eight other oval trays that are sold on burkedecor.com that if I had the wall space, I would have to purchase them all. The colors are stupendous, cloudy, misty, charming. These, too, are designed by ibride. I’d like to pair them up or have three together.


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