Tray Tables
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Tray Tables
Plastic
Late 20th Century Italian Space Age Tray Tables
Plastic
19th Century English Other Antique Tray Tables
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Space Age Tray Tables
Plastic
Early 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tray Tables
Wood
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tray Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tray Tables
Plastic
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Tray Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf, Iron
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tray Tables
Brass
1920s Japanese Taisho Vintage Tray Tables
Lacquer
1960s Italian Neoclassical Vintage Tray Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Tray Tables
Metal
Mid-19th Century English Regency Antique Tray Tables
Paper
1890s English Regency Antique Tray Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Tray Tables
Bamboo
1970s Dutch Space Age Vintage Tray Tables
Plastic
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Tray Tables
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Regency Tray Tables
Wood, Lacquer
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tray Tables
Plastic
2010s Italian Tray Tables
Velvet, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tray Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tray Tables
Metal
20th Century American Tray Tables
Tôle
Late 20th Century Modern Tray Tables
Composition
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tray Tables
Metal
20th Century Tray Tables
19th Century French Antique Tray Tables
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Tray Tables
Wood
Antique and Vintage Tray Tables
The popularity of antique and vintage tray tables owes mostly to the 1950s, when the first TV dinners made their way into the freezers of American kitchens.
At a time when televisions were increasingly becoming fixtures in the living rooms of most homes in the United States, the tray table was impossibly convenient. With a deft merging of function and style, the table, positioned in front of your sofa or plush armchair, was a place to rest your Swanson-brand TV dinner, a compartmentalized supper issued on a disposable tray that required minimal preparation. The technological advances of the mid-century kitchen included programmable ovens, so TV dinners were quick and easy, particularly when home-cooked meals were out of the question.
When one had finished the last bite of this square meal, which was packed into sections that assumed various geometric shapes in their own partitioned aluminum tray, the tray table could be easily folded up and tucked away until needed again.
Eventually, designers took to exploring iterations of the widely loved tray table that would better suit household needs. Once a simple, foldable furnishing that was confined to use at mealtime, tray tables are now somewhat of a budget-friendly design staple for many households. Today, tray tables are as versatile as ever, and such a wide range has been manufactured over the years that you’re likely to find a good fit no matter what your furniture style preferences might be.
Tray tables are used as side tables, nightstands, a bar tray when your space won’t accommodate that handsome vintage bar cart you’ve been looking for and desks, particularly as many of us are working from home and especially when a modest-sized apartment won’t allow for larger tables.
Tray tables vary in style, shape and size. When looking for a tray table, you should measure accordingly and ensure that wherever it will land in your space there will be room around the table to allow for easy movement.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of antique and vintage tray tables that includes mid-century modern tray tables, Art Deco versions and more.