Decorating
Styling: 8 Creative Ways With Plates and Trays
Plates and trays aren’t just for eating off, as these creative ways to display them demonstrate
Before you relinquish the remains of an old dinner service to the charity pile, there are some great ways to reuse old china plates, platters and trays in a brilliantly creative way. Hang up a series of pretty print plates in an array of different sizes and colours for a dazzling display, or transform a vintage metal tray into a cute, retro noticeboard. Pick up rattan bowls on your travels and recycle a favourite chipped saucer by simply getting it up on the wall for all to admire. Who needs pictures and artwork when your crockery can look this good?
Explore the exotic
Don’t narrow your choices to traditional china plates and tin trays. Instead, broaden your horizons with woven grass plates and rattan bowls. This nod to the ethnic look is warm and earthy, yet totally modern thanks to dove grey walls and sleek concrete worktop. A display like this helps create an eclectic vibe that’s bang on the money this season, plus it’s a great way to admire all those souvenirs picked up on your travels.
Don’t narrow your choices to traditional china plates and tin trays. Instead, broaden your horizons with woven grass plates and rattan bowls. This nod to the ethnic look is warm and earthy, yet totally modern thanks to dove grey walls and sleek concrete worktop. A display like this helps create an eclectic vibe that’s bang on the money this season, plus it’s a great way to admire all those souvenirs picked up on your travels.
Go for all-over white
Who would imagine that such a simple group of all-white platters and plates would create such a striking wall display? There isn’t even a hint of dramatic colour or print here to set off the plain white china and it still beats any fancy piece of artwork hands down in my eyes.
Be dazzled by more all-white rooms
Who would imagine that such a simple group of all-white platters and plates would create such a striking wall display? There isn’t even a hint of dramatic colour or print here to set off the plain white china and it still beats any fancy piece of artwork hands down in my eyes.
Be dazzled by more all-white rooms
Strike a contrast
I love the soft tranquillity of this bedroom, and the oversized woven tray adds a really pleasing, earthy appeal. It stops the rose pink bedding from looking too sugary-sweet and makes for the most unusual piece of artwork.
I love the soft tranquillity of this bedroom, and the oversized woven tray adds a really pleasing, earthy appeal. It stops the rose pink bedding from looking too sugary-sweet and makes for the most unusual piece of artwork.
Go two-tone
The best part about hanging plates on the wall is that you don’t need any sort of specialist design eye or know-how to pull the look off. Pick two colours, stick loosely to the palette and, hey presto, you have your very own wall montage. You can’t go wrong with a crisp mix of blue and white for any room in the house.
Be charmed by more blue and white schemes
The best part about hanging plates on the wall is that you don’t need any sort of specialist design eye or know-how to pull the look off. Pick two colours, stick loosely to the palette and, hey presto, you have your very own wall montage. You can’t go wrong with a crisp mix of blue and white for any room in the house.
Be charmed by more blue and white schemes
Create a noticeboard
This is a brilliant idea to copy. Hunt down retro tin trays in any random print (fruit, florals, spots or stripes) and hang up on the wall to become a bold, unique noticeboard. What might look like a dull, outdated tray for the kitchen becomes a fabulous place to pin up all your reminders and lists. (And you can pick up a pack of pretty magnets so easily these days.)
This is a brilliant idea to copy. Hunt down retro tin trays in any random print (fruit, florals, spots or stripes) and hang up on the wall to become a bold, unique noticeboard. What might look like a dull, outdated tray for the kitchen becomes a fabulous place to pin up all your reminders and lists. (And you can pick up a pack of pretty magnets so easily these days.)
Fashion a kitsch vignette
Old fashioned trays in bubble-gum pink look fashionably retro when lined up with other kitsch treasures. Offset with one strong shade, such as this apple green, and all the bits and pieces will come together to create a single, stylish vignette.
Old fashioned trays in bubble-gum pink look fashionably retro when lined up with other kitsch treasures. Offset with one strong shade, such as this apple green, and all the bits and pieces will come together to create a single, stylish vignette.
Stick to a single hue
In a busy room with patterned walls and floor, the key is to plump for a single block of plain colour for your plates. If you have a dining set with missing pieces that you don’t use any more, this idea is spot-on for you, or else start collecting china from the same colour palette and hang the pieces up in a striking group formation.
TELL US...
Do you like to decorate with plates and trays? Share your thoughts and tips in the Comments below.
In a busy room with patterned walls and floor, the key is to plump for a single block of plain colour for your plates. If you have a dining set with missing pieces that you don’t use any more, this idea is spot-on for you, or else start collecting china from the same colour palette and hang the pieces up in a striking group formation.
TELL US...
Do you like to decorate with plates and trays? Share your thoughts and tips in the Comments below.
Coloured plates in a rainbow of hues are brought to life when grouped en masse against a charcoal grey wall. Anything goes here, and it’s the random selection of colour, print and size that makes this display work so well. And, of course, if you pick up a new treasured piece, you can simply add it on to your ‘organic’ wall art.