The simple rotating serving tray has gone by many names over the years: dumbwaiter, butler’s assistant and, most famously, lazy Susan. Accounts of its origins are similarly varied: Some say it was invented by Thomas Edison; others credit Thomas Jefferson, claiming he named it for one of his daughters, who would complain of always being served last at meals (though he seemingly didn’t have a child called Susan). What’s more certain is that these dishes have been used since at least the 1700s, beloved as handy receptacles at dinner tables and organizers in kitchen pantries. And while they’ve come to be seen as retro in the past century — a relic of 1950s cocktail-and-canapé culture (toothpicked aspic cube, anyone?) — a new generation of makers are now revisiting them, producing elevated versions in unexpected materials.
“Lazy Susans are an aspect of the maximalist revival going on right now,” says Matt Heide, the 44-year-old co-founder of the Montreal-based design studio Concrete Cat. “And they definitely add a touch of ‘more’ to your table.” Indeed, there’s something theatrical about lazy Susans, especially the ones Heide and his wife, Shawna Heide, 44, make from high-performance concrete swirled with mineral pigments in pale pinks, blues and oxidized greens. Equally dramatic are the spinning trays by the designer Karim Molina of the Mexico City-based home goods line Ayres, which are hand-carved by artisans from chunks of volcanic rock sourced from nearby mountains. “The size of each piece is determined by the type of stone block we can find, which makes them all unique,” says Molina, 49, who likes to serve tacos, arepas and ceviche on hers. Below, a few suggestions for your own table.
