We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
For most of us, buying art is no easy feat: It’s often expensive, and there’s pressure to choose pieces that are meaningful or timeless enough that you won’t eventually tire of seeing them. While a well-curated gallery wall featuring a mix of artistic mediums is the classic route, we’ve got our eyes set on another style of vertical decor that alleviates some of that aforementioned stress. Let’s talk about the decorative plate.
Whether you’re hanging one by itself or in a cluster, this nonfunctional use of your finest dinnerware evokes charming cottage vibes. The best part? Fancy plates you might never imagine buying in a full set can have a place in your home because you’ll need only one to put on display—the price of a designer decorative plate ($150 or less if scored secondhand) compared to a piece of framed art (at least double that) doesn’t sound too bad. For those who want an even more budget-friendly option, we recommend shopping for sets of four or six to give your plate gallery wall more bundled bang for your buck.
We love the idea of mixing and matching styles (the only rule is that there are no rules). Fine china next to thrift store finds is very welcome. When shopping, look for decorative plates with a strong focal point—the less empty space, the more it will read as a work of art. And if you really want to make things eclectic, bring some baskets into the mix. Adhesive stickers and brass hooks are a good place to start for hanging. But if you’re out of wall space, we’re also a fan of leaning plates on shelves or any surface—which, for support, requires just a stand.
Without further ado, peruse our 20 picks of the moment—from big statement-making singles by designer stalwarts like Ginori and Fornasetti to affordable sets we found hiding out on Wayfair and Amazon.
Cabana Anatolia Dinner Plate
A dream collaboration between two incredibly luxe Italian legends, Ginori and Cabana, brings us this wall-worthy dish. The 27-centimeter ceramic plate is inspired by Ottoman era motifs.
Fornasetti’s Tema E Variazioni Wall Plate
This Italian-made porcelain plate is actually designed to be hung. If you love Fornasetti’s iconic illustrations, you’ll have fun perusing the extensive selection. Warning: You may need to buy more than one.
AtelierBoemia Bullseye Appetizer Plates, Set of 4
The graphic bull’s-eye design of these ceramic appetizer plates is hand-painted by a team of artisans. Whether you choose to cluster them together or display just one, the visual impact will be electric.
John Derian x Astier de Villatte’s Bolet Comestible Dinner Plate
While mushrooms are no doubt trending, this whimsical illustration is from the 19th century. In our opinion, Astier de Villatte’s thin glazed terracotta is a little nerve-racking to actually eat from, which makes hanging it the perfect solution.
The Ark Elements’s Bukowina Fruit Plates, Set of 4
Romanian folk motifs drawn from history, life, traditional customs, and natural elements are hand-painted on these fruit plates. Their slight imperfections make them one-of-a-kind.
Laboratorio Paravicini’s Serpenti Plate 2
This handcrafted plate is from Milan-based brand Laboratorio Paravicini’s Snake collection, which includes six plates featuring a serpent and a floral motif. It’s offered in both dinner and dessert sizes, which comes in handy if you want to add size variation to your plate cluster.
Alcott Hill Garden Salad Plates, Set of 4
For a very cottage-y vibe: We’re envisioning this set of four stoneware salad plates, featuring a subtly scalloped rim and hand-painted floral design, hung on the kitchen walls of a country house.
Gracie Oaks Reiber Porcelain Dinner Plates, Set of 4
At $30 for a set of four, these sheep-stamped porcelain plates are an absolute score. The overall aesthetic is a more modern and playful take on the often-tired farmhouse trend.
Ginori’s Oriente Italiano Porcelain Dessert Plate
This blend of traditional Italian and Asian motifs is made even more fun in cotton candy pink. Finished with a gold rim, the more-is-more vibe is giving all the right kind of tea party vibes. Fun fact: The green colorway appeared on the poster of the movie The Menu.
Serax x Ottolenghi Feast Small Plates, Set of 4
A decorative plate idea fit for hanging inside a child’s room. Born out of a Serax x Ottolenghi collaboration, this joyful duo was designed by artist Ivo Bisignano and is crafted from glazed stoneware.
Les Ottomans’s Ikat Ceramic Plate
We love an ikat textile, and the same is true when the pattern is in ceramic form. It’s rare to come across the Indonesian pattern on a plate, which makes this a particularly unique find.
Cabana’s Horezu Ceramic Dinner Plate-Green
We are forever mesmerized by the swirly details of Romanian pottery. The Horezu plate is a great option for those less drawn to bright colors, as earth tones easily blend into even the most neutral spaces.
Anut Cairo Royal Palm Hexagon Dinner Plate
Joyful, vibrant, rustic: All words that come to mind when admiring Anut Cairo’s hexagon dinner plate. A gestural painting style and cool edge would juxtapose beautifully with some of the more refined options in our mix.
Ginori 1735 Viaggio Di Nettuno Dessert Plate
White Lotus superfans: Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s “Renaissance” plays as you sip from your extra-tall martini glass, the Testa di Moro–esque Ginori plate gazing down at you from the wall overhead.
Portmeirion Botanic Garden Bread and Butter Plates, Set of 6
If you (a) really want to go all in on the decorative plate gallery wall, and (b) are very into the cottagecore aesthetic, then we recommend this set of six earthenware bread and butter plates. Crafted in England by the ceramic brand Portmeirion, the lovely 5-inch dishes contain botanical depictions ranging from daisies and cyclamens to pansies to forget-me-nots.
Sharland England Splatter Coquillage Dish
Tack it up and call it your lucky shell. The fortuitous ceramic piece—made in England by former fashion and lifestyle journalist Louise Roe—features a splatterware look on a gorgeous shape.
Villeroy & Boch Hamlet Bread and Butter Plate
Who needs a landscape painting when you can capture the whole pastoral scene on a bread and butter plate? Heritage German ceramic company Villeroy & Boch boasts a delightful selection of these picturesque plates in a range of sizes—from dinnerware depicting farmers plowing the fields to dessert dishes featuring country folk tending to their gardens.
Carolina Irving & Daughters Andaluz Dinner Plate
For darker, moodier spaces, this maroon and blue option might be just the find. The trippy illustration offers a little intrigue while still reading as playful.
Anthropologie Floral Stripe Side Plate
Clocking in at under $30, this stoneware side plate and its hand-painted design will add just the right amount of colorful zest to a bare wall.
Vintage Faience Wall Plate
Etsy is the place to go if you’re looking to score big on affordable antique plates—like this pretty design from the 18th century. The hand-painted piece is glazed earthenware, and has a whimsical scene perfect for hanging on the wall. The shop, Two Birds Antiques, is flush with a stacked assortment of vintage dinnerware gems.
How to Hang or Display Your Decorative Plates
