Not Your Grandma’s Plate Wall
So I’ve told you I’m reviving this townhouse…making this sucker mine. Not caring if it doesn’t actually have my name on the mortgage or not…its mine. I have painted nearly every square inch on the lower level AND upper level, most recently finishing the upper level in Ashwood by Benjamin Moore. Dying over this color. Its beautiful. I’ll definitely be using it in future homes. SO much better than the flat pukey peach that was there before….
Painting is a pain, yes…but then when you’re done you have this fresh new slate. And I never hang things right back where they were…always switch it around. I had Jarrod hang an old ladder above the table and it looked way better in my head, so I took it down. (good thing he loves me.)
Then I thought I’d try my hand at a plate wall.
We search Walmart one night for plate hangers and search forever (they’re in the hardware section, by the way.) I bought packages of three for about 3.50 each. I also had a few from Pier1 that were about $2 each but worked way better.
Before Storytime a couple weeks ago, I told the kids we had 10 minutes to look in Goodwill for white plates and that was IT! Just like magic, a stack of beautiful, thick white plates were waiting for me…50 cents a pop. Yes.
At home, I laid out all my plate just like I liked them.๏ปฟ
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Then I recruited the 4 girls playing in my garage to cut out paper circles to match the plate sizes. And stuck them on the wall to match my shape on the floor.๏ปฟ
I nailed right through the paper, not wanting it to move at all.๏ปฟ
And then I hung them up. Just like that. Simple and lovely. I love the tone on tone. It’s my favorite plate wall in the house. (and only, but who cares.)๏ปฟ
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We also switched out the light fixture and put the dining room one in the kitchen, replacing the horrid florescent light box that gave me heart palpitations. The light fixture was $30 from IKEA. Love that place. ๏ปฟ
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Jarrod tried to convince me that the reason we couldn’t find the plate hangers at Walmart was because all the Grandmas had bought them. Obviously he isn’t on pinterest. I must have a thing for Granny-style because I now have a plate wall paired with a table runner of old Granny hankies. Gotta love Granny-style.๏ปฟ
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I am in the process of getting ugly walls out of the house we are renting. I hate painting, but fresh wall are almost magical. I have some plates to hang in my dining room, but I need a few more for the collection before I hang them. I like the paper circle idea. I did something similar with a group of prints. I laid them all on butcher paper, traced around them, and taped the paper to the wall and nailed through it.
Your rooms look amazing!
You're creating such a cozy home! I love how the plate wall turned out. Love your chairs too! Can I ask where you got yours? I just ordered something similar from Restoration Hardware…I've looked at their pictures 800 times though I'm still not sure if I chose the right color ๐
You're making it YOURS!!! This makes me so happy for you. And it turned out fantastically!
beautiful plate wall…..
looks like a new dining table and chairs, too?
the wall color is so awesome.
It is a switch for us too, to be renting. But I have to make any place I live be cozy and homey. Even the summers I lived in Europe in a tent. ๐
Great work, Alicia.
Fondly,
Glenda
Just love your style! Thanks for sharing!!!
Love the granny style. I have a stash of hankies ; thanks for the inspiration, I think a table runner is in my future!
Love your plate wall; simple and lovely. You're making it a warm home indeed.
Blessings,
Susan
@SugarBeans.org
Love that you're making it home. It looks so pretty. I've got a pile of doilies I've been waiting to make a table runner with. Need to get on that.
Looks lovely! I'm wondering when you move out will you have to repaint and reinstall fixtures? How did you work this out with your landlord?
Sweet girl, you done
GREAT! I am amazed
and awed by anyone
who paints as it is NOT
as simple as it seems…..
There is so much labor
in the PREP work–taping,
etc.
I don't think Granny style
is one that most guys get,
but as long as they don't
object, why not go with what
feels "at home" to the stay
at home momma?
Like how you recruited
help for the plate wall.
That little step made ALL
the difference ~ they look
wonderful!
Have a great weekend,
xo Suzanne
Alicia! I love it! come to Charlotte and help me do a plate wall!
That looks SO good! Way to go! I'm a new follower, by the way, and am enjoying your blog. ๐
That space doesn't even look like the same home! It's amazing what paint, switching around the furniture and a new light fixture can do. And love the granny hankies on the table. It's beautiful! Glad you found the plate hangers for not too expensive…when I bought some years ago they were around $3 each! Thus the paperclip method, lol.
I've fought with thinking too much about others' comments for so long. "You want to do WHAT?!" I finally told myself its not their home, its mine and I'm not making a home for anyone else but my family. If someone doesn't "get it" that's ok. So I love that you went with your gut on this.
It turned great. Its the perfect blend of old simplicity and modern mixings with your furniture(which I'm drooling over, by the way).
Love how you got the girls involved too. I'm all about that;)
Do you know how much I love the simplicity and beauty of this? a lot. I've been wanting to do a plate wall, but feel I don't have enough "cool" plates. But I would've never thought to stick to one color! brillz!
love the plates, and that hankie runner is awesome
Lovin the plate wall! You are much braver than I am!