I have a ton of serving dishes and hostessy type items. I guess I could pack them away safely until I was serving someone something or hosting a baby shower but, I’d rather use and enjoy them all the time.
I use this two tiered platter thing {what are these called? I know they have a name} in my bathroom. Stocked with soaps and brushes I’ve collected or been gifted over the years it looks lush and reminiscent of a bread and breakfast. For those of you wondering, I don’t have a sofa in my bathroom, just really bad lighting so I had to take the photo in the living room.
You are sick of me talking about my plates on the wall. I reserve this space for serving dishes and platters and plates that I don’t really need to use. Dishes can be found so inexpensively that you can cover a wall with them for a lot less than a piece of art.
I use plate hangers found at Hobby Lobby or Wal-Mart or Lowe’s Depot to hang my plates.
I’m not sure if this urn is a serving dish, but I use it for silverware when we have a buffet so I’m calling it a serving dish. When we don’t have a buffet, I use it for markers and such.
Our fall centerpiece was anchored on a square tray.
Some other fall stuff looked all nice tucked in a pitcher and square urn thing.
Grouped with my apothecary jars is a cheese cover and a dessert stand. Can you find them?
And of course the hutch is another great way to decorate with your serving dishes.
Look, another one of those things, this one has 4 tiers and I usually keep it in my office, again, bad lighting today.
This over sized white ceramic tray looks great holding a turkey but for all those nights when I don’t prepare a whole turkey for dinner, it serves up candles and other pretty items.
Sometimes I use a ceramic tray on the coffee table to hold the remote {warning, do not try this at home if you have toddlers}.
Other times I pretend like my platters are art and set them on a display thing.
How are your serving dishes serving you?
Love the hutch display!! I have plates and platters everywhere in my house, “decorated in” to a room, but with easy access when I need it to serve a purpose!
~kristin
I love them but have a hard time finding places to store them
helen–me too! That’s why I don’t ever store them, I USE them!
xoxo
Love it!! I do the same with my big bowls and cake stands…. but I do have a question!! Say you host a big get-together and want to use some of the serving trays on your walls – what do you do? I have a feeling I would never again use the serving trays as servings trays again if I did this (despite how much I LOVE the look) because I wouldn’t have anything to fill the hole on the wall (and nothing to serve on either). Thoughts? Maybe I just need to go to Salvation Army and get a bigger collection!!!
Most of the big trays are not on my walls but I do have to usually change up my centerpieces so i can use the trays, and once I DID have to take one off the wall–actually it was a conversation starter and everyone seemed to get a kick out of it!
I love them all! Especially the tiered standy things. Cake stands maybe? I too have a plate wall, but its filled with Dollar store finds spray painted white. I also have a hutch, which holds pretty much the rest of my serve ware. I try to display it as pretty as I can, and have fun switching it up every few months. You are such an inspiration, so many great ideas!
I have a collection of depression glass. I need to go buy some hangers! All the colors would look nice on the empty wall in my dining room!
I love all of this! I am going to be working on a wall of plates soon!!
I *love* the use of the “tiered-thing” (I don’t know what they’re called either) to hold all the soaps and scrubbies in the bathroom. It looks so luxurious! What a fabulous idea!
Great ideas as usual! You inspired me to do a plate wall last year, and I have been gathering them one at a time, but in the meantime, I use them on easels all around the house in different displays..it’s fun to shop the house isn’t it?
Lots of great pics today Nester!!
I love this!! I mean dishes are too darn pretty to be in the cabinet! I totally follow this rule!! I hate having gorgeous dishes I only see once a year. They have so many uses in decor. And you have even given me more ideas!! Thanks!
This has been a goal this year. To use my serving pieces more and stop saving them for the parties I never throw! Good to see I am not the only one that doesn’t bother to take the price stickers off! Is that wallpaper behind your hutch? Love it! Lovely yellow/gold.
I love how you used your two tiered plate holder thingy for toiletries! I’m getting mine out today! Great ideas!
I agree with using what you have. What good does it do anyone if it’s left in the cabinet?
On the wall? Yep.
On display in the china cabinet? Uh-huh.
Stacked and serving fruit on our island? Yes M’am.
Showing off in a plate stand on a bookshelf? You got it.
Also: storing jewelry, showing off flowers or sea stars, cradling soap and toothbrushes, and more!
This is a timely post for me! We recently inherited a large number of cut glass and silver serving dishes and I’ve been going around the house finding jobs for a lot of them because they’re too pretty to be hidden in a drawer somewhere. (even if I had a drawer somewhere with space in it.) Some are holding office supplies, some are holding jewelry or cotton balls. It’s rather fun!
I love the way you used your serving dishes. My tend to stay in storage but after we move I will try to find ways to use them around my home.
I’ve been noticing the serving dishes and use of dishes in your posts and love them. I have been inspired by you for sure and we actually just bought a big serving bowl on clearance to use on the counter to keep our keys, cell phones and such instead of just throwing them on the counter.
I love this post! I have a cake plate on my desk at that holds a candle and a julep cup that containts my pens. All your plates are fabulous!
I love it……and your sophistecated way of explaining things. right on my level!!! :D
I’m gonna go scope out some things and pull them out to use them. Thanks!
Suzanne
FYI…those “thingies” are called servers. In your particular case, a two-tiered server. But that is boring. Another blogger always calls them “whatchamacallits.” I think that is much more colorful. ^^ Also, I have three!
Other than that, I love your love for dishes! I always find cool ones I like and think maybe I’m a little crazy. Seeing your displays, I feel I have the all clear!
Great ideas!
I call them a wrought-iron plate stand. Wow, I thought I was the only one that had so many. It drives my husband crazy, because they hold all my collections of plates. I use them to store all my decorative plates, but never thought of using them to store other things so beautifully, ie. yours in the bathroom. There is a wonderful store in UT called Rod Works that has so many beautiful wrought iron stands like this, that I can’t ever resist. Thanks for giving me more ideas on how to use them!!
Only in my kitchen. Boy, I guess I am not creative at all…
I love that you use all your dishes as accessories too. I think that makes things so much more interesting. Using the tiered server in the bathroom to hold soaps and brushes is such a great idea. I have one of those and never know what to do with it. This would have been the perfect post to hook up to Table Top Tuesday today. I am taking over the meme for the first week and I would love if you would hook up to Mr. Linky. So many wonderful ideas for everyone to see. Hugs, Marty
I like your tiered stands. I’d like to get one or two myself ~ one for little doo-dad thingys for crafting or office stuff. They seem like they fit in anywhere.
They are taking up space in my island in the kitchen but I’ve love what you have done with yours. Thank you for the great tips! :)
My friend told me about your website a little while back b/c I started re-doing everything in my house and was looking for the “style” I wanted to acheive. Can I just say that I am LOVING!!! your style and methods of acheiving fabulous decor!?!? Everytime I look at your website I find ONE MORE THING that I am sure I cannot live one more day without trying in my own home! And not to mention the fact that I have spent an embarrassing amount of time going back thru the archives to view what I’ve been missing! Fabulous stuff!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!
Hmmm. This makes me want to dig through my cabinets to see what I can find that hasn’t been used since Thanksgiving! I never thought to use my big, white platter for anything beyond the holidays. But it is white, so why not? No one will know it had a turkey or Christmas cookies on it a few months ago. Ha.
WOW.. Love it all! It is all so beautiful! You’ve given me some great ideas for my tucked away items. Thanks so much!!
I don’t have many serving pieces. I will be on the look out for plates to hang on the wall! I will probably just talk myself out of buying them though, I usually do! If only I could do that with other things. :) You have such a lovely home, and I enjoy your blog. Thanks!
The soaps and brushes look amazing displayed in this way…Janell
Who knew I was so cool? I think I’ve used serving pieces in every one of these ways! I also keep a giant platter filled with favorite photographs on my coffee table…
Michelle is correct…you have a two tiered buffet server! Well don’t you feel special now ;-) I have one on a sofa table and my hubby tosses his car keys, cell phone and contents of his suit pockets on the plates and picks them all up the following morning on the way out the door. Very convenient and while he is at work they are empty and very pretty! I have a gorgeous large <a href="http://www.replacements.com/webquote/HLCHLC3143.htm"<Homer Laughlin Kraft Pink Turkey platter that I keep on my vanity for my brushes and make-up. It makes me smile every morning.
I am also addicted to plates and platters! I have a wall of them for sure, and I use them in my kitchen for little groupings (s&p, sweeteners, utensils look better corralled). I have a GW silver platter holding perfumes in our bathroom and even some hung over the toilet. {Is that way too gross? We’ve never eaten off it…} And of course some on my makeshift buffet in a stack with napkin rings and napkins on top. I also keep finding cheese covers {that match!} at GW and am anxious to use them somehow. I think that might be all. Good post! It’s always fun to see new ways to use them!
I am so going through my cupboards today and see what I can find to use!!! Love this.
Plates on a wall make me smile! I also love your dishes leaned on the shelves with finials and such centered in front of them. Very striking.
I just did a fun display on my kitchen table this week of some of my grandmother’s tea-ware that gets little usage around here. It is fun for Spring – I’ve got egg cups and twine balls and pears mixed in there , too. I’ll be posting to my blog this week!
I love the concept and have used it. As I type this, my makeup brushes are in a large glass candle votive which nestles inside an iron stand. Very pretty.
I came across this link and thought of you and your frugal yet beautiful decorating.
http://www.inmyownstyle.com/inmyownstyle/2009/12/how-to-make-a-plate-hanger.html
Tasha
What a great idea for the tiered serving dishes. We have several of these that I used in our B&B, but we have recently closed the inn and I am certain I will not be using them as much as I once did for serving guests! I had been thinking, “Why do I need to keep all of these serving pieces when I no longer have a B&B?” Now I know! I need to creatively find ways to reuse them somewhere else in the house. Thanks for the great tips!
Paula
Great ideas! I’ll be on the lookout for more serving dishes, and maybe do some shopping in my own cupboard. It’s like a puzzle getting them all to fit in there – this is good solution to that problem!
Oh Nester, you & I must be kindred spirits. I do some of those very same things.
I have a huge white wooden serving tray on my sofa ottoman, that holds the remote, drinks, and a pretty bowl with good smelly stuff.
I have the VERY SAME white urn-y thing, that I store my pens in. At Christmas time, I used it to hold all of my pretty white & red clothes pins. As Christmas cards came in, I clipped them onto a pretty red & white polka dot ribbon hanging on my wall.
I ♥♥♥ the way you arranged your dishes on the wall. It’s fabulous. My goal is to scour every yard sale this season to find plate hangers, & all of those other things that can be expensive when you need a ton.
I could stare at these pictures all.day.long.
But that would be lame. So I won’t. But I do love them.
Ever since visiting your home and seeing you use the tower of plates to hold tassle-making supplies, I have been inspired to do the same! I have a marvelous 4-tiered plate holder that holds scrapbook supplies in my workshop. On the rare occasion I need it, it isn’t a big deal to clear it off and put it to work on the buffet line! I love that you encourage us to USE and SEE all our pretty stuff, not just hide it away until the someday we might remember we even have it! Blessings!!!
I’m still trying to find the perfect set of contemporary dishes to do my display with….and a wall to do it on :). Fabulous ideas as always!
I love it! I love how you always say to “shop” your own home. When I first heard (read) you say that, I thought, “Yeah, but she has cute stuff to shop from and I don’t.” But the more I look around, I have found stuff all over the place that I can use in a different place or a different way and I end up loving it! I have tons of trays and platters (I’m kind of addicted) and guess where they all are? In the cabinet, waiting to be used. No longer, I’m pulling them out today. Thanks for all the inspiring ideas!
Love it all! I have serving pieces all over that I don’t serve with, lol. And yes the ceramic platter for remotes is a no no with a 19 month old. However baskets do the job nicely too! I have a little urn that I put my pencils, pens and etc in as well! So much fun! :)
wow, i love the white dishes as hosts for the fall decor– especially the white pitcher with “wheat” in it. oh, and i love anything with gourds and pumpkins, so i really love those displays too. i think i’ll start collecting white serving dishes… it will come in handy during the holidays!
Brilliant ideas! I’m going to break some of mine out of their places in the back of my cabinets!
I love decorating with platers as well. I have become a bit obsessed with them lately. Thank you for all your ideas.
I love the back of your hutch — the harlequin patterned paper (or paint?) it’s beautiful!
Only in my kitchen and there is one on the front entryway table… can’t say I have an appreciation for them on the wall though. I think that’s why they invented framed artwork.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
My serving dishes are not currently serving me, but after reading this post I have decided that they need to start earning their keep. ;) I have a cute cute tiered tea cup holder that looks a lot like your plate holder. I bet I can come up with something fun for it this Spring. Thanks for the inspiration! :)