The dating game and home decor share more than you might think. Trying out an intense paint color, for example, can fill you with the same sort of apprehension as a first or blind date. And once you get the wall color just right, maybe you hedge about accessorizing in the same way you put off one admirer hoping another will make a move.
If you can’t decide what you want in a long-term relationship with your walls, consider an arrangement of plates, platters and/or shallow bowls. Too complex? Here’s a dozen plated idea walls, some hanging tips, and a few shopping links to help you feel like a pro straight out of the gate.
1. Double date
Contributors.luckymag |
Start simple and play it safe by partnering with another couple. As gorgeous as this chinoiserie mirror is, it would melt into that grasscloth wallpaper without those snappy blue-and-white plates flanking it. They repeat pattern and color and add another texture to the room.
2. Round up the group
There’s comfort in a gathering of like minds. In dating, a group event involving trusted friends makes getting to know someone new a little easier. This plate grouping is a lot like those friends. All elements are varied shapes of cranberry transferware. From the outside in on each side is an oval platter, an oval serving dish, and a round plate. Then front and center is a square platter–the new person–in the same color and style. Arcing the plates over the rectangular painting and distinguished sideboard softens the edges of both pieces and draws the eye upward. See more photos of this home on The Everyday Home.
3. Go with the flow
Speaking of softening edges, the graceful swirl of this arrangement stands in contrast to the box-on-box style of the adjacent cabinet. I like the “formation” as well as plates in all colors, patterns and sizes. In dating, sometimes you just have to hang in there while things develop.
4. Branch out
5. Play it straight and narrow
Found on The Budget Decorator |
6. Broaden your horizons
Kati Curtis/Nirmada Interior Architectural Design |
Who would we be without others to show us new things? My husband got me to try broccoli, for instance, and animal and vegetable changed my life! Likewise, no two plates in this grouping are remotely similar, and that’s the beauty of it. Color, pattern, shape and size combine to give a plain wall in this neutral bathroom the curated look of a curiosity shop. I like that the entire wall between the window frame and the corner is covered from chair rail to ceiling. See more photos of this home at Kati Curtis Design.
Here’s how I’d plan out such an intricate arrangement:
- Mark out the dimensions of the wall space with masking tape on a bed or table, then lay in the plates.
- Keep moving plates around until the fit and the look is right, then snap a photograph of it with my phone.
- Using the photo as guide, begin building the arrangement on the wall from the bottom up
Choose the hanging hardware for your anxiety level:
- Wire plate hangers: Four prongs on springs clamp the edges of the plate. On the back is a slot for a picture nail to rest in. Shows a bit, but this is the most secure hanging method.
- Disc adhesive plate hangers: A circle of adhesive coated material with a hanging ring attached. Wet the fabric, stick it to the plate and allow it to dry. Once hung, invisible. I’ve never used these, but some people swear by them.
- Command picture-hanging strips: Work well as long as the plate bottom isn’t recessed much. Invisible when hung and leave no marks on wall or plate later when you redecorate. If you’ve recently repainted be sure to give your walls a few weeks to cure or you may find yourself with some broken plates (or a broken clock and picture frame, in my case).
7. Seek safety in numbers
Found on Decoist |
8. Expect the unexpected
Plates by Pierre Frey. Found on House to Home |
9. Stick to the high road
Meredith Corp./One Kings Lane |
Varying heights within a space adds to its visual interest, and nowhere is that more important than in a space with high ceilings. These plates not only call attention to the architectural niche in which they’re placed, but they lead the eye up all the way to the elaborate crown moulding. Doesn’t make sense to invest in elaborate trim if no one ever sees it, right? So give the eye a ladder to climb and the spirit will follow.
10. Be yourself
11. Act natural
Gourmet magazine |
12. Cultivate a sense of humor
Found on AGO: A Girl Obsessed |
13. Baker’s dozen tip: Money isn’t everything