Here’s a helpful piece of marriage advice: when your husband doesn’t like a home project you’ve done, just redo it, inject it with steroids and make it wilder and crazier than ever.
I’m not saying he’ll love it, but maybe you’ll make enough nail holes in the wall that he’ll decide it’s not worth fighting over it. Right? {Don’t listen to that tip.}
Remember my controversial plate wall?
Andy never loved it hated it with all his soul because he thinks plates on a wall are “grandma,” and I never loved it because it wasn’t a bold enough statement, and maybe the symmetry was a little too formal. So I took ’em all down, scrunched ’em together and injected ’em with botox for that youthful, “cannot move my forehead” look.
I was going for a more organic look than what I had before, so I could add to it over time and play with it, and I wanted it to crawl around the wall.
Crazy? Possibly. Weird? Probably.
I laid them all out on the floor and took a picture <– that was critical, because I instantly forgot what went where and had to refer back to the picture four hundred times.
Then I got all wild with a hammer and nails and my silly plate hanging-hack, and ended up with this:
I think it needs more plates – lots and lots more plates – so I’ll keep adding to it… and I know, I know: my breakfast nook is screaming in agony for window treatments, but let’s pretend like it’s perfect.
Actually, “pretend like it’s perfect” is a good mandate for reading this blog. Can we just make that standard practice around here? Squinting and imagination mandatory?
Andy hates the rectangular trays because he said it looks like the “M” plate threw up and it’s dripping down the wall:
What do you think? Better? Worse?
Want to tell me what to do with my window treatments? That’d be fantastic.
Hi, I'm Kelly. Glad you're here! This little blog is where I chronicle our efforts to fix up our beaten-down home on a tiny budget. We're not there yet, but here's a peek at the view along the way...
I think it's better, love it! Very original and the plates are so unique but blend well together. 🙂
I love it! I also like the long tray. I am going to try one!
It cracks me up how opinionated your husband is and the comments he comes up with! I stare at my husband awkwardly and point with my eyes until he notices whatever new thing I did. Then says something generic like, Oh it looks good.
I really like the new arrangement of the plates! The long trays don't bother me AT ALL!
I actually like(don't hate) most of Kelly's decorating but those plates are horrible! It used to be a blob on one wall and now it's spreading like a virus all across our house. I vote that we replace the plate wall with some of my old Star Wars posters from college. I'll even build a custom frame for them and they'll be cute.
Gloria – Hahahaha. 🙂 Your comment cracked me up. I have to do that awkward "eye pointy" thing when I get a haircut or a new outfit, then there's this silent moment when he realizes he's supposed to be noticing something but doesn't yet.
…and I'm not sure the Star Wars posters will be making an appearance any time soon. 🙂
i think the new, youthful, botoxed plate wall is AWESOME and andy needs a new pair of glasses that focus in on SPECTACULARNESS because clearly he is missing out on the AMAZINGNESS that is your new plate wall.
curtains: drop cloths hanging from limbs that you spray painted white.
wait – ignore that. i think i am going to do that. 😉
I actually thought your first arrangement was great but now it's even better. I've been looking at thrift stores for plates that aren't too grandma-like to do this. I think your plate selection is awesome. Just remind Andy of the lamp that had to go back to the store:(
I love how the plates are sneaking around the wall! (Though Andy says it's virus-like). 🙂 Rick is anal about nails in the wall and would totally allow me to keep something he hated if only to spare his walls from being dotted with abandoned holes.
Maybe you could decoupage a picture of Yoda to the long rectangular plate as a compromise? 😉
LOL, I fully laughed out loud and almost spilled my coffee! So happy to hear that I am not the only one with a hubby who has opinions on home decorating projects:)
I do like the wild-crazy-on steroids version a lot. (eyeing some empty wall space over here…)
I really like it! Your plate choices are great! Your husbands comments crack me up. Do you mind sharing your wall color? I LOVE it!!
Thanks, Kristi! The wall color is Benjamin Moore Brittany Blue.
You are so awesome that I featured you!
Stop by and grab a button if you'd like.
xoxo
Allison @ House of Hepworths
Ha ha, I love Andy's comment about it spreading!
I like the original, but I love the new setup. Sorry, Any!
Here from HOH.
i LOVE the plates. Especially the rectangular ones. You have a great eye – keep up the good work! Can't wait to see the plates crawl up over the window… 😉
I love love love the plate wall. Especially the one under the M. No vomit there! I love that it goes around the corner. Now I wanna get me some plates and do something like that. See, awesome!
I absolutely love this! Plates on the wall are classic, but this looks SO modern. Pinning straight away! Thank you!
I LOVE the plate wall!! Have always loved plates on the wall but never thought about it anywhere except the kitchen. I wouldn't change a thing. Love the way it goes around the corner. Love the rectangular ones too!! Curtains? I would put light, thin airy white cotton ones with a little black ribbon embellishment along the top. Put on a wrought iron rod with black curtain rings.
omg, this might be the cutest plate wall i have ever seen. you are talented lady….i never could have pulled this off. jealous of your wall, natalie @ http://www.sawyerjean.blogspot.com
WOW! I love this 🙂 Come on over and link up to MMM!
http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/2011/06/making-monday-marvelous-58.html
Andy gets the hook! That wall, that uber wall is: marvelous, stupendous, anthropologie- ish, the height of creativity, a 5 star 'em 'nuf superlatives? Way to let loose! Did I mention I like it? Keep 'em comin'. xoxo. Vicki ven@horizonsatellite.com
I LOVE your plate wall. Not grandma at all! So unique and clever!
I am totally in LOVE with your plate wall! It's fabulous! Give hubby his own wall to design… in the basement or garage maybe? Then make a big fuss, and tell him its lovely! Totally pinning this NOW!
http://www.woohoogal.blogspot.com
Love the plate wall, but love the color of the wall! Would you mind sharing the name of the color. I just love it! The dark floor just looks so nice with the blue color.
Thanks,
Emmie
Jerseycgirl@yahoo.com
You are genius! I LOVE your plate wall – so clever 🙂
I featured it in my "Inspiring Finds of the Week" post at 3 Meadow Lake Cottage. Feel free to come check it out…
http://www.3meadowlakecottage.com/2011/06/inspiring-finds-of-week-3.html
~Erin
I love the plates creeping around the corner!
the plate wall is so great i love the way you have positioned them xxx
LOVE IT!
LOVE! I liked the ‘grandma’ plate wall before though (maybe because I have one? and never even considered it to be ‘grandma’). But the final solution is really great.
Ohhhhh my land. I think our husbands would be best friends. Love the wall color BEHIND the beautiful plates, too!
What paint color is on your walls? Love it. Your hubs comments sound very familiar except mine would be NASCAR posters. Lol
Haha! Let me know if you find a good compromise for the ugly posters. 🙂 The color is Benjamin Moore Brittany Blue, color matched to Lowe’s Valspar Paint.
LOVE the plate wall – especially the way it wraps around the wall!
I have a plate wall too and would love for you to check it out
http://www.eclecticallyvintage.com/4/post/2011/11/dining-room-tour-fun-art-five-vintage-collections.html
By the way, both of our plate walls are being featured today at Addicted 2 Decorating
http://addicted2decorating.com/how-to-arrange-a-decorative-plate-wall.html#comment-10882
Following along!
Kelly
Looking so much more fun. Great adaptation of your lovely plates.
As for curtains? I am seeing a full length navy trellis on white fabric with a sassy flat one inch trim about two inches in from the edge.
Gonna be checking on your progress. 🙂
mb from big D.
Please tell your husband he made me laugh out loud with that “m” plate comment! Just love the way this turned out. Nothing grandma about it! Stopping by from Not Just A Housewife …
I saw this on pinterest and I love it! The plant is perfect there too. I have seen some really cute curtains with ruffles lately.
What a lovely collection of plates and your wall turned out gorgeous! I’ve got this linked to my plate walls post too today, well done!
LOVE it! Such a creative idea to wrap the plates around the two corners, and I really like them scrunched together. Definitely a modern take on a traditional design. Plus this way, you don’t have to do all sorts of measuring and getting each plate positioned just right. I hung a gallery wall yesterday, and it was NOT fun lining everything up!
Love it…especially how it wraps around the corner! Consider it pinned! The walls are such a beautiful blue, too. Would you mind sharing what color paint you used? I’m looking for a blue for my bedroom and yours looks perfect!
I’m also your newest follower! I would be thrilled if you dropped by Moose Mouse Creations to say hi!
Hi Kelly,
I’ve seen your plate wall pinned before and I’m so glad Karah @ thespacebeweenblog told her readers to {go.there.now} visit your blog … I’ve been wasting hours and hours trying to make a plate wall installation work in our house, my hubby also thinks it is “grandma”, and I have the same “tar-jay” melamie plates including the long rectangle ones that I’ve been trying to incorporate. I love your installation / design and I’m just going to keep working on mine (need many more plates) because having seen yours I know it can work, is young and cool, and so not grandma’ish. I see that you’re expecting (that’s an understatement!) so congrats in advance 🙂 BTW, I’m your newest Linky follower.
Robin
happilyhomeafter.blogspot.com
I love this around-the-corner arrangement. I love that long blue plate. I don’t care for the M plate, at least not in that spot. Maybe because I am partial to blue-and-white china.
I am dying to know the color and maker of your flooring!!! It is GORGEOUS! It is laminate or hardwoods?
Thank you!! It’s engineered hardwood by Home Depot, South American walnut. We installed them ourselves a few years ago and I gotta tell ya – I still love them every bit as much as the day we bought them!
I already commented on this but I saw it again on Pinterest and LOVE THOSE CHAIRS! need them.
Love the plate wall but have a question…how are they hung? From the picture it looks like there are no plate hangers attached to the plates.
I did a post on how I hung the plates. It depends on the type of plate but some of them are hung using a free little hack I explained in the post: http://viewalongway.wpengine.com/2011/05/a-plate-hanging-hack/
Thanks for your quick response. I will be getting rid of all of my old plate hangers. Your wall looks great!
I came across this one today. Totally love it. I have a pretty similar awkward wall that could use some crawling plates in my breakfast room too. Convincing my husband of it might be a totally diff story. 🙂
love love love this… I actually just browsed your whole house tour and really love everything. but this is my favorite 🙂
it’s better, looks more interesting than it was, but i don’t like the tree in the corner
Your plate wall is so very shabby chic and I love it. Love the way it goes around the corner. I have a long rectangular blue and white plate and am always looking for ways to display it but hadn’t found a way until I saw your wall. Now I am heading over to the hanging tutorial to see if I can dispense with my ugly plate hangers. The plant in the corner softens the whole look and just finishes the display nicely. As for your husbands comments – just ignore him, and the pointy eye thing you have to do is something I have to do as men just don’t notice ANYTHING. It’s a man thing so best we just live with it and take no notice. Your blog has me in stitches – best laugh I have had for ages.
Semi-new follower! I clicked over from your then and now post. Love this plate wall! Definitely better =)
I love the unexpected creativity of the new plate wall(s)!
Love it!!! Definitely better. Best pic on the original post was the blue overlapping one from Casa Sugar.
Um, I’m with Andy on this.
Amazing!!
I learned to count by counting plates, as punishment. I was the lookout for the older kids so I got in trouble a LOT. My grandmother had several THOUSANDS on her walls. I love plates on the wall, they make me smile and think of the good memories of my grandmother. If they do the same you should have plates on your wall. When you go on vacation, buy a plate. When you go to a thrift, buy a plate. I like mismatched plates in the kitchen too… if you break one, take one off the wall!
Hello. I have to tell you I shamelessly recently copied you. 😉 Your plates go over and outside corner, while I did an inside corner. I still have some tweaking to do by adding more plates but I love it’s uniqueness. I have to say it make me smile at people’s reactions because I can instantly tell who really isn’t into it, which of course doesn’t bother me at all. It’s been up almost two weeks and I put it up while my hubby was away. I usually surprise him with my projects, but this time I sent him a picture via text. No reply, which isn’t unusual since he doesn’t text much. However, not. one. word. since he’s been home. Not. one. I will ask him about it eventually but I know he isn’t a fan. Knowing him I’m sure he thinks it’s better not to say anything since it won’t be positive. I still find it comical. Anyway, all of that to say, thanx for the inspiration or rather for sharing and letting me copy. 🙂
I LOVE!! your plate and the first thing I noticed was the wrap around the wall. The second was that a fantastic rectangular plate! Adore this!
How did you anchor the plates to the wall? They usually have those ugly metal prong thingys that hang them and yours appear as if they are floating… great job… do tell me please….
Sorry, I am with Andy. Don’t like it at all!! Too busy and intrusive. LOVE everything else. I would just pick the top 4 favorite plates and put them up on the wall they were at before they began to creep over.
Hi there,
Love your blog!. Can I ask what kind of tree that is in the last picture of this post? I’m trying to think of indoor plants that might not die on me and was inspired by your Fiddle Leaf Fig tree post… Thanks!
🙂 Eloise
so of course I just HAD to pop over and see the plate wall. Sorry Andy, but Kelly wins this one–I love it…WAY more than the posters.
Nope sorry, gotta side with Andy on this one. I LOVE most of your stuff and would do it all in a heartbeat in my own house but I don’t love this arrangement. Love the plates, liked them before you redid it, but not a fan of it looping around the corner.
I think the plates are absolutely perfect! I’d suggest a key lime green curtain.
Uhhhhh … I have to agree with Andy. The plate wall is …. errrr….. well, not feeling it! I also have to agree with Andy’s assessment of the M plate and the rectangular plate. Your other projects are fantastic, but this one … not so much. Sorry!!!!! Just being real here. 😉 lol.
Love your blog and your sense of humor (which is the only reason I feel I can get away with this comment!!!). Beautiful family, lovely home!! Eager to see you return to regular blogging … even if it’s just one post a month!
Abundant blessings!!
(I’m NW of Atlanta!) =D
That was a wonderful idea to create some pattern on 2 different walls. That nice, and ofcourse I just came up with something different. And just buy old and used plates. In a retro style.