Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Confessions Of A Plate Queen

My office

This is a lazy post. I picked up some more gainful employment, so I am super busy. As my mother told me, be careful what you wish for!

My kitchen
The cabinet fronts are covered with wallpaper
I thought it was funny since I'm the plate queen
and er, the ironstone addict too

So I am posting eye candy, and ideas for hanging plates in every room of your house.

Plates can be priceless antiques, or charming flea market finds. They are so easy to make a statement with.

So take a look, and see if you have a wall in your house that could use a little plate love.







Keep the colors uniform. The pieces do not all have to be the same pattern or manufacturer, but they should all be in one shade. Adding a few solid pieces can help highlight certain items.
• Incorporate other objects for interest. Let the textures of your collections play off one another. Surround a painting with plates and platters. Carved or gold-leaf brackets add depth and contrast.
• Don't limit yourself to the dining room. Plates are always beautiful in the dining room, but they look unexpected and fresh in other rooms. Look for areas such as a hallway, bathroom, dressing area, or outdoor stucco wall.
• Think outside the box. Try unique shapes, such as a sunburst or undulating lines. Or use three or five related pieces to create an arc over a mirror. Vertical rows of graduated sizes flanking a canopy bed makes another impressive display.





21 comments:

Linda Merrill said...

I don't know - I just can't get into plates in a bathroom, or even a bedroom.

I did a post yesterday about the hotel Coopershill in Sligo Ireland and there is a photo of the dining room with quite a large plate collection on the wall.

Glad to hear you're busy!!

Anonymous said...

Richard would be wild for your oyster plates in your office (and me too).

Lazy post?!? You've got tons of great stuff in here get me thinking!!!

Anonymous said...

I love how creative and unique each different image posted is. It really can be a relatively inexpensive form of art/sculpture for a wall. I'm partial to the pale pallet images and those that have traditional bones with contemporary embellishments.

Tricia
Avolli

Debra said...

I love all of your plate collections! Recently saw a whole wall done in blue and white plates- some old and precious and some not so- but beautifully done on this wall!

Anonymous said...

Miz V on a lazy day is a good day for me. I don't have time to hunt down the goodies, so I truly appreciate your image collections. Like Amy, I was drawn to that gaggle of plates by the stove. Also loving old wall plates in modern rooms. Good pics. (So, congrats on obtaining more gainful employment - Nothing to do with that earlier post titled "18 Months Fooling Around in the Bedroom" I hope?)

ArchitectDesign™ said...

So funny you mention hanging plates! I have a gallery wall in my apt and in one corner of it I have a few different plates that I love. Well, I had a photographer come this past weekend (more on that later!) and the first thing she mentioned and was drawn to were the plates! All of that artwork, she didn't pay attention to -she was drawn to the 4 little plates!

Jan said...

Lovely - and not what any normal person would call lazy V!

Anonymous said...

Just wondering how these are attached. The generic plate hangers are not so pretty ... what did you use ? I'm thinking some Gorilla glue and ring on the back ... but then you couldn't "use" them if you wanted to. Help !

cotedetexas said...

i love that picture of your majolica plates - -that is such a gorgeous picture!

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Thank you for all of this wonderful inspiration. Makes me want to hang some more plates on my walls. laurie

Renae Moore said...

wowsers! I have a client now that has a lot of plates hung high in a row...WE are painting and I told her not to put them back up...I want to arrange them for her...great ideas!

Sue said...

I am gaga over your kitchen, love it. We have plates hanging all over here to, can't get enough of these tasty little pieces of art. Love the majolica plates too.
Hugs,
Sue

Karen said...

Once again you've blown us away! I would never think to do that with plates - and I love plates! Thank you again.
I'll be running the RDX Razzle Dazzle down to Ralphs on the Park tomorrow for the Past Presidents lunch for the Newcomb Alumnae Association. I won't get uptown, but I am looking forward to the 28th.

Linda in AZ * said...

*** Deliciously stunning, V!~~~ Each pic offers a new approach to a timeless look, & I enjoy the more "out of the box" ways to display. I DO, however (& just canNOT HELP IT!) worry about the "safety" of plates over the bed, for a multitude of reasons... am pretty sure I just could NOT sleep, knowing they were hanging above my head! Whether hung in an uber-safe way, or APPEARING perilously close to falling, I just KNOW sleep would NOT be comfy/good... it would definitely evade me! (And women MY age NEED our "beauty sleep", ja?). Curious to know, do you think it would bother YOU??? Looks fab, but.....would it possibly affect you??? Thanks, girlfriend! Warmly, Linda

Linda in AZ * said...

***BTW, does that LOVELY blue wall with allll the white plates look like everything's under water, & they (the plates) are pretty bubbles, or is it just ME??? Think it looks STRIKINGLY UNIQUE!!!!!!*** L

Linda in AZ * said...

***Sorry, V, but just ONE MORE THING! I LOOOOVE your kitchen space... may we see M*O*R*E, please??? Thanks!!! Warmly, Linda ***

Maria Killam said...

Hardly a 'lazy' post. These are some fabulous images you've found showcasing decorative posts!
That Kelly Wearstler photo is a classic all time favourite though!

Anonymous said...

Such pretty plate collections! I love the black and white plates. It's very unique! Thanks for sharing these!

pve design said...

A gal who knows how to "dish"-
love.

Sarah's Fab Day said...

Gorgeous!

Irene said...

I've just stumbled upon your blog, I'm so glad. I love plates too. When we last painted I decided I needed a more contemporary feel to our home. When I first started to collect, my sisters jumped on the wagon and bought me all these plates that I'm not terribly fond of so... I'm toying with the idea of selling them off. But, you've now re-inspired me to re-think my decor. thank you for your "lazy" post.