Decorating With Plates Simple And Easy

Michelle Meyer

5 years ago

I love decorating with plates. There’s just something about their classic appeal that draws me in. It doesn’t matter if I’m thumbing through a magazine, a book or scrolling on-line, I have to pause and admire them.

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Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion book titled Plates, is one I still pick up often for ideas and inspiration. Her section on majolica is a favorite of mine. Someday when I start collecting majolica, I’ll be on the hunt for brightly colored oyster plates. Bucket list add on!

My approach to decorating with plates in our home is very simple, and basically falls into four catagories. As you scroll through see if any of these will work in your home.

In This Post

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Decorating With Plates

Lighten a dark corner
Fill up an empty space
Add a pop of color
Neutral decorating

I should point out that you don’t have to be a plate collector in order to decorate with them. Around the house I have plates belonging to family members long ago, hanging next to my everyday white dishes.

Lighten A Dark Corner With Plates

Tucked in a dark corner of my daughter’s room are a couple of white plates with small pink and blue details. At night, light from the lamp bounces off the plates and they look so pretty.

Fill Up An Empty Space

Three white plates fill an empty space in the dining room. It’s also a welcome contrast to the all the busy china patterns in the china cabinet.

The same white plates replace three stacked dark framed mirrors on the living room wall. I’m loving how this wall looks now. It’s much more open, yet the white plates still add interest while keeping the decor neutral.

Add A Pop Of Color

Last month in the post updating a bedroom with patterns, I finally figured out what to display over the headboard. The vintage plate in the center, repeats the same greenish blue hues in the bedding for a pop of color. Framing the vintage plate on each side are my everyday white dishes.

I love decorating with sentimental pieces, and sometimes a since of humor. In the guest bath I have both. My dad’s childhood bowl depicting the Old King Cole nursery rhyme is displayed over a simple watercolor for a bit of fun.

Neutral Decorating

One of the best ways to add interest while still keeping your decor neutral is with ironstone. I have a couple of little oval platters on my gallery wall. They break up all the square shapes but don’t compete with the art.

Ironstone is so versatile no matter what style decor you have, it’s a classic that goes with everything. Look for ironstone at tag sales, flea markets and antique malls. Fair warning, once you start collecting it may be hard to stop.

In this post I’ve only touched on decorating your walls with plates, but of course it doesn’t stop there. Don’t forget about plate racks, plate ledges, china hutches, bookshelves, tabletops and tablescapes. More on those to come.

Decor tip: Instead of using wire hangers, I use adhesive plate hangers, which are available in different sizes. They don’t harm the plate and can be removed easily by following the manufacturer’s instructions.