DECORATING WITH PLATES

For centuries people have hung plates on walls as decorations

(Axel Vervoordt)
The Dutch had crudely fabricated but beautifully hand-painted portraits painted on wall-hung plates; the Moors had rustic multi-colored plates with intricate geometric patterns on their walls while Europeans displayed finely detailed China and porcelain plates on their walls. 

THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW!

USING PLATES ON WALLS

This sprightly ensemble with funky, old plates hung in an asymmetrical way looks free and fresh creating a happy look.

This space I did in 1997 won "Best Decorator Showhouse Room in America." The Mirror needed some additional weight and I didn't want to add art creating a focus so I hung white Wedgwood salad plates which give texture.

This super contemporary kitchen has antique Delft plates which are unexpected and add some warmth to the space.

Inexpensive Blue Willow, Flow-Blue and Delft plates create a crisp, casual and bright spot above this mantle.

LOVE the pop of color this assemblage offers this room.

You can't beat inexpensive things used creatively; a few odd-lots plates from a sale shelf at Target, and voila!

My client owned this beautiful Limoges fish plate set but never used it - so we hung the plates around the mirror and put the platter on the buffet.

This super chic bathroom has Flow-Blue platters and chargers which gives a textural ensemble and a great burst of color.

An inexpensive grouping of variously sized white plates are hung asymmetrically on a graphite colored wall which creates a more modern contrast and interest point.

Six plates handed down to my client from her grandmother happen to match perfectly with her new pink and taupe bedroom; they were also the perfect scale to flank the large window.

Narrow halls are hard to decorate, especially with art as you often need to step back from art to get its full effect - not with plates, they offer a design element without being a focal point.

This super chic white on white bedroom fills in the blank wall above the window with a 'Palladian' effect of white plates.

Country homes are always being reinvented; this cool grid of oyster plates against the sage green walls looks lean and artsy - not so staid like we're used to.

An interior I did for House Beautiful Magazine.

The American country vernacular works beautifully with the brown transferware. Notice there's not massive groupings of plates - just a few to enhance the transferware inside the antique hutch.

Very often rooms have no place for art or accessories. This breakfast room feels cozier with the Majolica plates hung over the windows, it adds color and interest.

A 21st century version of the room above; instead of using large art pieces in this loft they've created an unexpected whimsical, lineal display of plates having humorous characters and designs.

I be lovin' me some lavender transferware!

How freekin' cool is this bedroom with this antique assemblage?!?!

This modern home in the Hampton's has a large and varied collection of pottery fish plates hung on their dining room wall. LOVE it, it's beachy, food-related and different!

Even though this kitchen is gorgeous with the green island and gingham ceiling, it's the Majolica plates over the range hood that make it pop!

How freekin' easy is this? An old-fashioned painting is zhuzhed up by using two green Majolica plates, easy - done!

This grouping of black and white plates creates drama (the good kind) in this pale grey-blue dining room.

Charlotte Moss created this European-style ski lodge for herself in Aspen which looks as if a 'crowned' head will come shushing through the doors at any minute.... The polychrome Delft jars and plates on the wall totally add some necessary European style and depth to the decor.

I love this crazy collection of sizes and colors in this one tightly displayed grouping. It's cozy and modern at the same time.

Fun, casual, colorful and super chic!

I love the daring drama of this assemblage.

These mismatched plates work because of the rigid grid pattern to display them, otherwise it would look like Sanford and Sons.

Here, the four Mottahedeh leaf pattern plates are hung to flank the banquette. They add a small bit of color - continuing the scheme without being too too.

This swanky retro-remix uses fun recycled furniture and accessories which are hot today. The old antique plates add visual weight and ramp up the glam-factor to the rather small-scale mirror.

The creamware above this bed in this quiet country-style bedroom works perfectly as it adds subtle contrast and doesn't interfere with the harmony of the room.

Known for his traditional interiors - this is a smokin' departure for Easton. The white ribbon-edge creamware looks perfect in this modern house which is eclectically furnished.

The bedroom of an old dowager in Newport, RI has two large antique orange Chinese Famille Rose patterned chargers above the bedside tables. It's nothing new - but still very elegant.

ARRANGEMENTS

HOW TO DISPLAY THEM

This masterful assemblage of plates and intaglios with the Irish mirror is genius. The symmetry is what makes it look powerful and elegant. If it were hung asymmetrically it would look too cluttered.

This tightly grouped symmetrical collection looks fantastic!!

The white in the plates stands out against the dark blue wall color creating a beautiful focal point.

LOVE this asymmetrical group of white plates with gold decoration; it looks contemporary and fun, better than art for this particular place.

This traditional arrangement is perfect for these turkey plates; they'd look odd if they were clustered together asymmetrically. I love the charm of turkey plates. I see them all the time in the Goodwill and other thrift stores too.

This super feminine room has a very whimsical swail of floral plates hung casually across the wall - creating a romantic notion, less rigid and more girly.

These variously sized old white plates are in a tightly assembled symmetrical grouping - looking clean and simple. The lack of pattern on the plates makes them more interesting (you can pick these up at any thrift store).

This successful and very colorful grid-pattern adds architecture to the room. These two very different types plates work exceptionally well as they both have red and are used on a red wall.

In an outdoor seating area Wearstler used a massive collection of inexpensive white plates and black transferware to create a majorly impactful assemblage, it works, they're weatherproof and there wasn't a huge investment. The plates make an artistic statement and simultaneously covering up the huge dark wall.

OMG this Chinese restaurant covered the entire 75' long by 14' high wall with blue-and-white Chinese rice bowls!

I freekin' love that!!!

WHERE TO GET GREAT PLATES

Of course you can go to any antique dealer and purchase Sevres, Meissen or Limoges porcelain, or even rustic Faience pottery with a hand full of cash, but I like to encourage people to take the less expensive road. I found this 1950's grouping above from a thrift store for $15. /set. They're so retro-groovy I'm using them in one of my stylin' new properties.

ALWAYS CHECK LOCAL THRIFT STORES

Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. They're always flooded with beautiful and quirky plates.

This beautiful plate is not from a thrift but a pair or more of these will brighten any room.

DON'T DO THIS, EVER

DON'T Mix portrait plates from different sets, looks like hell

DON'T use a plate rack from Pier 1, just hang them on the damn wall

DON'T create a nasty clusterf*%k of everything you can get your hands on

DON'T line up a bunch of incongruous ugly plates

DON'T feel like you have to use every plate in the set

NOW, GETTING IT DONE....

HOW TO HANG PLATES

• Arrange the plates on your floor the way you want them on the wall, face up.
• Keep diddling and rearranging them until you have something interesting that will enhance your room. Try different asymmetrical and symmetrical groupings and grid patterns.
• Place a square of masking tape encompassing all the plates on the floor making a large square around them - but close to the outside edges of the plate layout.
• Measure the masking tape on the floor then mark those same boundaries/measurements on the wall where you want to hang your plates (which the plates will go inside of).
• Turn the plates over face-down on the floor and apply the disc hangers to the back following the directions on the package.
• Measure your walls inside the pre-measured square and locate where the plates will go using the easy picture hanger.
• Hang the pictures on small picture nails as you may want to move one or two during the hanging.
• Stand back and pat yourself on the back.