Easy Decorating: Great Plate Arrangements
How to Get Your Pretty Plates Out of Hiding and On Display
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Do you have a collection of plates wasting away in a cabinet, just waiting to be used? Chances are you have an extra set you inherited, a collection of flea market finds, or portions of sets. Take them out and incorporate them into your decor. Earlier this week I interviewed a designer who edited and arranged many of her client's collections, which included a lot of pottery and china, into this home.
There is quite an art to displaying plates, whether in a cabinet, on a rack or on the wall. The good news is that after you play around with them a bit it's easy to create a good arrangement. After you've pulled out your favorite plates and figured out your plate arrangement, check out The Secret to Hanging a Plate Collection for some technical advice. Pair that ideabook with this one and you're ready to start hanging!
There is quite an art to displaying plates, whether in a cabinet, on a rack or on the wall. The good news is that after you play around with them a bit it's easy to create a good arrangement. After you've pulled out your favorite plates and figured out your plate arrangement, check out The Secret to Hanging a Plate Collection for some technical advice. Pair that ideabook with this one and you're ready to start hanging!
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Malibu Fish Plates are sold in a set of nine. They are too cute to put food on; they belong on the wall.
When you look at this arrangement you can practically see a square border around the composition. Use painter's tape to create a frame border for reference when hanging the plates.
When you look at this arrangement you can practically see a square border around the composition. Use painter's tape to create a frame border for reference when hanging the plates.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Liz Williams is the designer who got me thinking about arranging plates. She told me, "when hanging plates, I always try to think of them as sculptural and want to compose an arrangement that is interesting." In order to accomplish this, she plays with combinations on the floor to find the right one before she starts hanging the plates.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The texture, color and style of these hanging plates negotiates between the traditional table and mid-century modern chairs. They are arranged like a clock, with the smaller plates encircling the large center plate. You can use this strategy without being so tight; tape an asterisk out from a central point, place the largest plate or platter in the center, and measure out an equal distance for the placement of each smaller plate.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Plates may also create an arc around another object, like this rectangular mirror. The circles of the plates break up the bold stripes and other straight lines. |
|
by Jonnie Andersen
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Here a few plates fit right into a composition of a collected mix of vintage objects. |
by Jeanette Lunde
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A plate rack like this makes it easy to experiment without making a lot of holes in the wall. Scandinavian design blogger Jeannette Lunde describes this image as "my white Scandinavian home. Splash of colors. Old & new. Always in change." She's not kidding...
by Jeanette Lunde
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
...here's the same rack with a new arrangement. It's a great example of how to experiment with different plates and other objects; start with a base of white china and add a few colored or patterned ones here and there until the arrangement feels right.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Here is some more clean and white Scandinavian-inspired style. This plate rack carries the wood from the counter up the wall; white plates keep the Scandinavian style intact. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Plates do not need to be relegated to areas where we dine; in this living room they add ornamentation over the windows, similar to the way medallions would. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
No, this isn't a dining room, it's a guest bedroom. Note the way the designer started out with a background of white platters and plates and added punches of green Majolica pottery. The three small plates across the top add a sense of order, but overall the composition still has a casual feel. This is a balancing act you'll get a feel for as you experiment.
| In this mostly unadorned kitchen the three black and white plates add sculptural interest to the wall. Arranging three identical plates like this makes them appear as one art piece rather than three separate objects. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A plate collection can draw the eye to the otherwise dead space above upper cabinets. All this arranging will require is a few plate stands, a ladder, and quite a few trips up, then down, then standing back to take a gander. I recommend doing this with an assistant who can hand you plates and take some of the steps back while you're up high on the ladder (or vice-versa).
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Here the chocolate brown in the transferware plates and platter picks up on the brown from the cabinets; the light wall needed another punch of chocolate up high. |
Framed paintings, prints or photographs would have cluttered this wall too much. Instead, the collection of plates adds just the right amount of ornament and symmetry. They also detract from the television.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| A lone crab plate draws the eye up and fits right in with a few shells over the stove. It's a charming detail that completes the room. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Here, the plate collection is an important part of the kitchen's design. The kitchen's designer Susan Serra says, "plates can be used as a fun (even important) decorative layer in a kitchen design. Pay attention to size, color, and texture to support the overall design of the space." |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A plate rack right over the dishwasher and sink makes the dreaded "putting away" much easier. Note how the smaller plates dot the shelf underneath, adding order to the display of collected items.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Interior designer Tracy Murdock says: "I love to display plates and china collections prominently when they are available to me on a project. It is a good way to incorporate personal items into a home." She recommends starting out the arrangement with a symmetrical base and then randomly dropping in odd pieces that don't have a mate. She also recommends making these arrangements a focal point,and utilizing art lights to enhance the display. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| This client's extensive collection of Chinese porcelain required a design solution that incorporated display shelves and lighting. While the overall arrangement is not strictly symmetrical, note the way the plates at the top add a sense of balance.
More: DIY: The Secret to Hanging a Plate Collection Collecting without Cluttering Keep Your Collectibles Without Losing Your Sanity |
Comments
battling_betty Here in Christchurch, New Zealand, I have packed my pretty cups, saucers and plates away for safe-keeping until all possibility of earthquakes has passed or until I figure out how to secure my display cabinet to the wall. Having had nothing broken in any of the 'quakes so far, I'm anxious for this to continue. I'll be using museum wax which is similar to florists' clay only transparent, to ensure that all is secure. I suggest that your readers do the same with their precious china. 
24 months ago · Like
samanthastevens Another gorgeous ideabook - thanks Becky! I love the fishy plates, so cute and quirky.
24 months ago · Like
Mandy Brown I absolutely love the first one.
24 months ago · Like
Lisa Egstad I used to have fish-shaped plates on my wall when we lived in Ft. Lauderdale - that was in the 1990's. Glad to see it's back in vogue!
24 months ago · Like
melissaannecolors I love the fish plates. So fun!!
24 months ago · Like
Shannon Kirby Interiors Not being a huge fan of back splashes, instead I used my collection of vintage Tiffany trompe l'oeil plates with an antiqued mirror for visual interest. 
24 months ago · Like
linda_d Love all these wonderful inspiration photos! Thought you mike like seeing this fun idea I saw recently at the Bachman's Idea House in Minneapolis! 
24 months ago · Like
Becky Harris Linda, so cute!
24 months ago · Like
My Romantic Home I love the look of hanging plates hanging on the wall! Here is one of mine... 
24 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on June 7, 2011.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
