Gallery Walls Are Cool, But Do You Have a Plate Wall?
Our current decor crush.
Updated Apr 5, 2023 6:07 PM
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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 30-plus picks—from big statement-making singles by designer stalwarts like Ginori and Fornasetti to affordable sets we found hiding out on Wayfair and Amazon.
Cabana x Ginori 1735’s Olga Glazed Ceramic 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 19th-century Uzbek pieces, featuring a painted floral motif that’s finished with the brand’s time-honored airbrushing technique and glaze.
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 Neiman Marcus’s extensive selection. Warning: You may need to buy more than one.
Casa Nuno’s Green and White Dinner Plate Set
You don’t have to travel all the way to Portugal to bring these hand-painted beauties into your life. Because they come in a set of two, you can admire one on your wall and serve food on the other—talk about the best of both worlds.
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 Historical Majolica Shell Plate
The tie-dye-esque glaze and shell shape make this funky vintage option more like a sculpture than a plate. It’s one of a kind, which makes it feel even more wall-worthy.
Emporio Sirenuse’s Flower Ceramic Dinner Plate
From the team behind the dreamy Positano hotel Le Sirenuse, Emporio Sirenuse’s Italian-made plate is actually inspired by textiles made in central Asia. We’re loving the graphic swirls and blooms.
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.
Cabana’s Blossom Yellow Dinner Plate
These hand-painted dinner plates are reminiscent of traditional Italian wares, so it’s no surprise that the ceramics are made in Umbria by local artisans. If you gravitate more toward cool tones, it comes in blue, too.
Tamam’s Antique Kuznetsov Pansies Plate
A rare collectible find, this Russian Imperial Kuznetsov decorative plate is from the late-19th century. The punchy palette and spray paint–like effect make it truly special.
Gracie Oaks Reiber Porcelain Dinner Plates, Set of 4
At $35 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 recently released movie The Menu.
Serax x Ottolenghi Feast Small Plates, Set of 2
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.
World Market’s Blue and Aqua Floral Salad Plate
It’s hard to believe that this hand-painted plate is less than $10. If you ask us, that sweet bunny is worth a million bucks.
Wedgwood Wonderlust Golden Parrot Plate and Waterlily Bread and Butter Plate
We couldn’t choose between these two beautiful bone-china designs by British tableware classic Wedgwood, so we tossed in both. We fancy the idea of hanging this golden-parrot pair together, playing off the contrasting energies of the illustrated scenes; it’s giving fever dream meets daydream.
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.
Vietri’s Maccarello Assorted Canapé Plates, Set of 4
If you’re all about coastal Mediterranean vibes, look no further. We love how the swimming blue mackerel interact with each other when clustered together just so—making a strong case for hanging the full set of four.
Malaika’s Red Bloom Dessert Plate
Festive, vibrant, rustic: All words that come to mind when admiring Malaika’s Egyptian dessert plate. A gestural painting style 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 Fortuna Side Plate
Tack it up and call it your lucky plate. The fortuitous ceramic piece—made in England by former fashion and lifestyle journalist Louise Roe—features hand-painted clovers and vines in your choice of green, pink, and brown colorways.
Polish Pottery Stars & Stripes Dessert Plate
Accent your wall with some good old Americana by hanging up this quaint reimagining of stars-and-stripes à la plate. The double-fired stoneware piece is handmade and painted in the Polish town of Boleslawiec.
Aerin x Casa Lopez’s Empress Bread Plate
It’s impossible not to be charmed by the dainty flower on this 6-inch bread plate. Like a little medallion for your wall, the Mediterranean earthenware is from Aerin Lauder’s sought-after collaboration with Paris-based brand Casa Lopez. And to top things off, it’s on sale.
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 Cobalt Tulip Dessert Plate
For darker, moodier spaces, this deep blue option might be just the find. The tulip illustration offers symmetry while still reading as playful.
Anthropologie Elin Dinner Plate
Clocking in at under $25, this glazed stoneware dinner plate and its hand-painted harvest-inspired design will add just the right amount of colorful zest to a bare wall.
Etsy Vintage Polish Faience Wall Plate
Etsy is the place to go if you’re looking to score big on affordable antique plates—like this pretty Polish design from the 1980s. The hand-painted piece was specially crafted for wall display, featuring pendant holes built into the backside of the plate. The shop, LillAntique, is flush with a stacked assortment of vintage dinnerware gems sourced locally from Hungary.
Rhode’s Dinner Plate Set
While Rhode is most known for its clothing, its home collection is nothing to snooze on. Having this animated face on the wall would bring instant joy.
