Breakfast in Bed

Winters have finally set in. And the very thought of getting up early morning and preparing breakfast makes me feel cold. So I am allowing myself to dream today. Breakfast in Bed; Fancy someone doing that especially for you!! French toast, Pancakes with maple syrup, strawberry smoothie and a flower with a vase can put you in such a good mood. Include the morning paper & chocolate muffins too ;)

So, what I require now is one smart breakfast tray so that I may dine and wine in my bed ;) I have seen them in Fabindia, Good earth and in almost all large format stores. I quite like the wicker ones at Fabindia and must go and pick the same. If you don’t have one, a nice and round cane basket or a simple tray with some napkins should do the trick (Though I would recommend the ones with collapsible legs as they are much more functional and you don’t end up spilling the breakfast on the bed).

Here are some offbeat ones created by international designers that I have put together for you. I will be covering the body of work done by them in a separate post sometime soon. Enjoy and get inspired to create your own versions of the same.

Lap Dog Tray

Designed by: Eric Pfeiffer, Offi & Company, Emeryville, California
It’s a dual purpose tray that can carry your laptop and breakfast. It features a beverage wing with cork inserts. What’s great is that it is designed both for righties and lefties!! It comes in Ply birch and Walnut veneer with a cork finish. Try and see if you can your version of the same in India since it looks like a must buy for people working from home.

Perfect Breakfast Tray

Designed by: Leonhard Pfeifer
Manufacturer: Roomline
A perfect breakfast tray that comes with folding legs and has this lip on the top, to avoid spillage on the bed. He has designed the tray inspired by the surroundings of his homeland New Zealand. The oak and walnut colors represent the woods and the blue lip stands for the brightness of the sky. There are these waves of metal on the tray which may not be visible in the picture posted here that is there to create a sculptural element. Wow, how much thinking has gone into making this awesome piece!

Now I know the following trays are not typical “Breakfast trays” but I just had to include them cos I just love them.

Urban Flower tray

Designer: Asli

This particular tray is in laminated natural wood and comes with chrome fitting. I just love the laser engraved flower on it . Check out that curve at the end to hold the paper. Perfect, how I wish we could get it here but you can only get this at UK.

Cork Collectors Tray
I have picked this tray because I love the of recycling everything at home. And this particular artist (I don’t know the designer’s name but he belongs to the Artisans on Web community) has created a wonder with corks. What an idea to show off your collection. The artist has arranged the cork and installed a plexiglass to keep them in place. I am sure this is something all of us can try out with our collections at home. (See gifting ideas right at the end)

notNeutral Trays
Designer: Rios Clementi Hale Studios
Manufacturer: notNeutral (True to the manufacturer’s name they are indeed Not-neutral)

These look so bright and cheerful and can of course add some splash to your breakfast. And kids would definitely love something like this. Check out the matching mugs..Hot chocolate would be nice in it ;) I have seen melamine plates in assorted colors in the Indian market so since we cant get our hands on these we can definitely do our mix and match Indian versions of the same.

Gifting Ideas: Breakfast trays can make wonderful gifts too. Just add a little spice to them while gifting and they will floor the recipient.

• A novel gift for your loved ones could be all of their favorite breakfast goodies all wrapped up in a breakfast tray.
• Like the cork collectors tray you could show off your collections like stamps, coins etc or simply glue few of your favorite snaps on a sheet of handmade paper (cut to the size of the tray). Stick the sheet on the tray and get an acrylic sheet or glass fixed on top.
• Throw in some ceramic plates, a coffee mug and a tall glass with the tray and it makes a brilliant gift (Remember to buy them in their favorite color).
• Hide a card or a letter or movie tickets under the plate to surprise your partner while serving breakfast ;)