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How To Arrange A Decorative Plate Wall

Plate collections are one of my favorite things to use to decorate large areas of wall space.  They are so versatile, and can be used in almost any style of home, from the most contemporary to the ultra traditional and everything in between.  Plate walls can also be done very inexpensively, with mismatched plates from yard sales and thrift stores, or cheap plates from discount stores like Ross and Marshall’s.  Since the debut of Kelly Wearstler’s mother of all plate walls at The Viceroy in Santa Monica several years ago, the popularity of decorative plate walls has remained pretty constant.

I personally have one wall (pretty much the only expanse of wall space I have in my tiny little condo) in my living room that I’m considering decorating with a plate wall.  So I’ve gathered up some inspiration, not only for myself but also for you, from various sources.  Ready for some plate wall inspiration?

Decorative plate wall with blue and green plates, from the 2011 Princess Margaret Showhouse

2011 Princess Margaret Showhouse, via Canadian House & Home

random plate wall with white plates

Randomly organized monochromatic plate wall via Nesting Place

freeform decorative plate wall with colorful plates

Freeform colorful plate wall via Sunset

colorful plate wall with overlapping plates

Colorful plate wall with overlapping plates via Better Homes & Gardens

free form plate wall wrapped around a corner

Freeform plate wall wrapped around a corner, via View Along The Way

free form decorative plate wall

Colorful free form plate wall via Apartment Therapy

free form decorative plate wall in entryway

Free form entryway plate wall via Mmmcrafts

monochromatic decorative plate wall with white plates

Monochromatic plate wall via Liz Marie Blog

graphic decorative plate wall in bedroom--white plates on black wall

Graphic white plates on black wall, via The Nesting Game

dining room plate wall

Dining room plate wall via Eclectically Vintage

bedroom plate wall

Bedroom plate wall via My Romantic Home

plate wall with wording on plates

Plate wall with a quote, via Country Living

plates inside a frame

Plates accented with a frame, via Nest. Nesting. Nested.

plate wall with plates wrapped in jute twine

Plate wall accented with jute twine, via Adventures In Decorating

free form colorful plate wall over turquoise piano

Free form plate wall, from Cassandra’s dining room makeover

decorative plate wall in stairway

Plate wall in stairway, via Reese Dixon

Colorful free form plate wall in kitchen

Colorful free form plate wall, via Dwell

symmetrical plate wall

Symmetrical plate wall, via AB Chao on Flickr

decorative plate wall with linear arrangement

Linear plate wall arrangement, via Creative Home Idea

decorative plate wall vertically arranged

Monochromatic plate wall, via Cottage and Vine

Aren’t those amazing?  I personally have such a hard time deciding if I like the colorful ones or the monochromatic ones better.  And I’m such a stickler for symmetry, so I love the ones that are perfectly symmetrical, but there’s just something about a free form arrangement that really grabs me.  How about you?  Do you have a favorite?  Do you have a plate wall in your home?  If so, be sure to leave a comment with a link!  I’d love to see it.

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30 Comments

  1. It’s amazing how much value a few well place plates can add to a room. You have some very pretty examples here. I’m always looking for plates with green in the thrift stores but they are either very rare or someone has gotten there before me 😉 I’m not going to give up though.
    Have a wonderful Christmas, Kristi!

  2. What FUN … thank you so much for including my plate wall (plates wrapped in twine) … such a great surprise! The other plate walls are amazing … such inspiration! Thanks again! Becca

    1. I agree the one that is creeping around the corner was great, a matter of fact I am going to see if I can do that with my Plates.

  3. Those are beautiful. What do you use in sticking them on the wall? I like both the colorful and monochromatic designs. The monochromatic design looks elegant and sophisticated. Thanks for sharing. I might be trying this out next year! 🙂

  4. Fantastic arrangements! How do you hang the plates on the wall without using the metal plate hangers? Do the adhesive plate discs really work?

  5. Hi Kristi – sorry I am only seeing this now – but you have really amassed quite a collection of plates collections! I love your project as well (truly lovely and creative!). I have been thinking of doing a plate wall – with one central piece of artwork…and the plates surrounding it – over my bed. I have quite a collection of Quimper plastes from France – and I want to add some newer plates as well to mix it up a bit. I love the asymmetrical look, but I think I’ll be going for symmetry in my bedroom. I just have to get my husband to OK it – he’s afraid of plates and artwork falling on his head!

    I’ve purchased those Disc plate hangers – but I have the old fashioned kind as well. Any advice on the best ones to use in situations like this – the ones least likely to fall off and hit us on the head? I feel confident about either one – but I have to convince my husband that he won’t get a concussion while he sleeps!!

    Thanks…Linda

    PS – Love your blog. And thanks for having CommentLuv – it helps get more people to my (and others’) blogs! Plus, it defintely makes people want to comment more…and that’s what we all want!

  6. Hello – I love your posting! Such beautiful ideas for hanging decorative plates. I paint plates, and have them listed in a shop on Etsy – http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMagicWithin. With your permission, I would like to post the link to your site on my shop page in order to give the shoppers some ideas. Please let me know if that would be okay with you.

    Thank you,
    Lari

  7. Hi! Thank you for sharing these wonderful ideas on how to decorate bare walls using plates. I’m considering hanging some in our dining room but I’m a little hesitant to drive a nail through the walls! Anyway, thank you for sharing these ideas! xo, Yami

  8. Wall plate decoration is a unique and new way of decorating the dull walls. I love how the arrangements are done especially the fourth picture. Thank you for sharing this one.

  9. I like your graphic white plate on walls! Very classy… I think that would be perfect for my bedroom. Thanks for this blog!

  10. please advise from where i can source/buy these plates for my apartment in india. really want to include these to my wall.. pls help.. thanks

  11. I’m so glad I found your article! Very Nice. I love the pattern. This is such a creative artwork!I have been wanting to try this for so long, but I have worries if they will fall. I think I should start it right now, I would love to do this in my living room. Thank you for the inspiration.

  12. I had never heard of this, but it looks absolutely amazing! I am so in love with the creativity behind this project and i definitely feel it is time to get out and start thrifting for some wonderful finds. I would love to be able to have these sweet little accent pieces in my home, it sounds wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing!