I have one of the lacquered trays from West Elm and it's lovely! My only complaint is that the bottom of the tray isn't lacquered like the rest of it, so it has a tendency to scratch wooden surfaces if you try to slide it.

@ATS1980 - I had the same issue with the West Elm tray. I put small rubber disks on each corner, like the ones you'd use inside a cabinet door or on the back of a picture. You could also use small felt circles.

We have a dozen or so of the Format Tray from CB2 at our office. While they're wonderfu for serving coffee and collecting random inspirations, they end up being filthy from everyone handling them. they require constant attention with the microfiber cloth to keep them looking good.

The blogosphere is full of DIY ideas for trays, and many are surprisingly easy. Some paint, stain, or fabric/paper and modpodge, plus some funky (e.g., branches) or standard handles can give you a one-of-a-kind piece. I've seen small windows, kitchen cabinet doors, so many things turned into handsome trays. Might be useful to include a roundup of DIY trays as a companion piece to this post.