The scalloped edge is the whole reason. Square it off and these are two ordinary lacquer trays.

That shaped profile runs along both long sides, rising and falling in a soft wave, and it does two things at once. It gives an otherwise plain rectangle a genuine silhouette, and it lowers the sides at the centre so you can lift things in and out without reaching over a straight wall.

The two-tone lacquer is the second detail. A pale blush on the outside, a warmer taupe within, so the interior reads as a shadow rather than a flat block of the same colour. It also means whatever you put in the tray sits against a slightly deeper tone, which flatters the contents rather than competing with them.

High-gloss lacquer over a smooth MDF body gives a hard, even surface with a genuine sheen to it. Set against matt textures like linen, timber, stoneware and rattan, that gloss is exactly the contrast a neutral room needs, and it is the reason a lacquer tray reads as considered where a wooden one reads as practical.

Two sizes, and the smaller nests inside the larger. Use both on different surfaces, stack them for height on one, or store one inside the other.

• Set of two, so one tray can live in the living room and one in the bathroom
• Scalloped sides that give a plain rectangle a real silhouette
• Two-tone lacquer, pale outside and warm taupe within, so the interior reads as depth
• High-gloss finish that provides the contrast a room full of matt textures wants
• They nest, so the smaller stores inside the larger when only one is out
• Low sided at 7cm, deep enough to contain and shallow enough to see into
• Neutral tones that sit with almost any palette
• 1.88kg for the pair, light enough to move around at will
• Genuinely good gifting, which very few practical objects are

The smaller nests inside the larger, so storage is never the problem.

Check your surface depth. At 34cm and 30cm deep respectively, these need a reasonable surface. A narrow console under 40cm deep will leave the tray close to the edges, and a standard bathroom vanity at 50cm takes the small one comfortably.

The most common mistake with a tray is filling it corner to corner. Leave a third empty and the arrangement reads as curated rather than crowded.

Something tall, something low, something flat. A candle, a small bowl and a stack of two books. Three objects at three heights beats four at the same level, every time.

A tray of purely beautiful objects reads as staged. Let the remotes or the coasters live in it too. That is what makes a coffee table look like a home rather than a photograph.

This is where a lacquer tray earns its place. Put it on a timber surface, beside a linen cushion or a woven basket, and the contrast in finish does more for the room than another matt object would.

You do not have to stack them or line them up. Two trays doing the same quiet job in two rooms is a more useful set than two on one table.

The large tray, with a candle, a low vessel and the remotes. It gives a coffee table a defined zone and stops small things spreading across the whole surface.

Keys, post and sunglasses land in the tray rather than on the console. The simplest fix there is for a hallway that never stays tidy.

The small tray for jewellery, scent and hand cream. The scalloped edge suits a dressing table particularly, since it is the one surface where decoration is the point.

Candles, diffusers and hand care corralled into a deliberate group. Our candles and diffusers range is made for exactly this. Keep the tray away from standing water.

Lacquered MDF. Worth being straightforward about, because it matters in both directions. Engineered board with a high-gloss lacquer applied over it, not solid timber. That is what allows the perfectly smooth, even surface and the crisp scalloped profile, both of which are difficult to achieve in solid wood at this price.

It also keeps the pair to 1.88kg, so the trays are genuinely light to move rather than something you leave in one place.

Two-tone finish. Pale blush on the outer faces, warmer taupe within, so the interior reads with depth rather than as a flat single colour.

Scalloped long sides. Shaped on both long edges, rising at the corners and dipping at the centre.

The trade for a lacquer finish is that it is not a surface for hot or wet items placed directly on it. See the care section below.

Wipe clean with a soft dry or barely damp cloth, then dry immediately. Never soak the tray or leave water standing in it, as moisture reaching the MDF edge is what causes swelling over time.

Not for hot items. A lacquer finish will mark under a hot mug or a candle placed directly on it. Use a coaster inside the tray, which is exactly what a tray is for anyway.

Use a liner for food. Put anything oily or wet on a plate or a cloth rather than directly on the lacquer.

Avoid abrasives. No scouring pads and no harsh cleaning sprays, both of which will dull a gloss finish. A dry microfibre cloth keeps the sheen best.

Gloss shows fingerprints. Honestly, it does. That is the trade for the finish, and a dry cloth takes ten seconds. A matt tray hides more and reflects less light.

Bathroom use. Fine on a dry vanity, less so directly beside a shower. Persistent steam is hard on lacquered MDF over time.

Both trays are checked and packed before they leave us, since a gloss finish needs protecting in transit. Delivery details are on our delivery page.

If they are not right, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

Not sure whether 48 x 34cm suits your table? Send us the measurements via our contact page or live chat. Styling a hotel, a shop or a holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.