I thought today would be a good opportunity to go into a little more detail about how I put together the inexpensive plate wall in the dining room that has become such a focal point in there.
It’s Thrifty Style Team day again! I’m starting to really look forward to these days and I love seeing what everyone else on the team comes up with each month. One thing is for sure: As I get older and I have more of a budget to put towards home decor, I actually find myself appreciating clever and budget-friendly decor solutions even more. Isn’t it funny how that works? I was pretty inspired last month by some of the thrifty dish-themed posts put together by some of the other bloggers, so I thought today would be a good chance for me to go into a little more detail about how I put together my inexpensive plate wall in the dining room.
The Actual Structure of the Inexpensive Plate Wall
First of all, I have to say that this project was pretty clever, even from the very beginning. I actually used 4 IKEA picture ledges to create this wall. They were super affordable and even easier to put up. As you can see this idea is also super effective and allows me to change the plates out whenever the mood strikes!
If you remember seeing this wall way back when I first installed it, you may have noticed that the concept was basically the same, but it wasn’t nearly as eye-catching as it is now. Adding in all kinds of interesting and colourful plates, along with a few other objects really brought it to life. This particular version features my blue and white collection and some Eastery goodness as well.
The Plates on the Inexpensive Plate Wall
The cream coloured plates that serve as the foundation of this wall are Pottery Barn Emma dinner plates. Not exactly the most budget-friendly option, but considering how much use I’ve gotten out of them over the years and the fact that I reuse them over and over again, not bad. I’d recommend the IKEA Are plates as an affordable alternative to these ones.
The blue and white plates that you see are all thrift store or garage sale finds, mostly from quite a few years ago. When I’ve been lucky enough to find little saucers like the ones you see here lately, they’ve been around $5, but I only paid about 50 cents for them.
Some of the more interesting, modern-ish looking plates that I added in keep the whole look from being too old-fashioned. I found them a few months ago at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $1 each. They don’t usually have dishes there, but you just never know what you’ll find!
The light blue plates are ones that I’ve brought out for the spring/Easter season. The round ones nestled in behind came from my grocery store a few years ago and I think they were about $1.44 each. Sometimes when you find a deal like that, it just pays to grab them and hold on to them until a good opportunity to use them arises!
The cute little egg-shaped plates always make me so happy when I bring them out. I’ve seen some really expensive versions of egg plates, but these were from the Target dollar spot a couple of years ago and they do the trick just fine! 🙂
Other Elements on the Inexpensive Plate Wall
Of course, having lots of interesting plates on your plate wall is a great thing, but if you really want to bring the whole look to life, adding a few other items really works quite well. I’ve added in a few little bowls that are part of my blue and white collection and they fill in the gaps quite well. Some of the bowls were found at thrift stores and some were found at kind of a Japanese dollar store a few years ago. They weren’t really a dollar, I think the were about $4 each, but still a great deal!
Adding a few taller items really helped with the overall look of the plate wall as well. The vases all came from the thrift store over the years and I think the extra height they bring really makes a difference. The greenery in the vases is just a few little clippings from the boxwood hedges in front of my house! Can’t get much more thrifty than that! 🙂
My thrifty blue and white collection is actually getting so big that’s it’s started to take over other parts of the dining room. And I don’t mind one bit.
When I add everything up, all of the blue and white items on this wall including plates, bowls, and vases cost me less than $30 total! If I were to use more basic white plates as a backdrop, this whole eye-catching wall could easily be pulled together for under $100! Not too shabby!
Do you decorate with plates and dishes around your house? I’ve always been drawn to them when I’ve visited thrift stores and garage sales so I’m happy to have a place to display them in our dining room!
Make sure you follow these links below and check out all of the other thrift decor ideas for this month!
- Easter Egg Craft Ideas from DIY Beautify
- Dollar Store Spring Centrepiece from The How-To Home
- Vintage Linen Uses and Care Tips from I Should Be Mopping The Floor
- DIY Mason Jar Chandelier From Hearth and Vine
- Quick and Easy Embroidery Hoop Easter Wreath from Homeroad
- Thrifted Prayer Basket with Prayer Slips from Salvage Sister and Mister
- Thrifty Spring Foyer from Redhead Can Decorate
- Thrifty and Stylish Change to the Bathroom from Duke Manor Farm
- Route 66 Beer Tote from Bliss Ranch
- Simple Thrift Store Shelf Makeover from The DIY Village
- Easy DIY String Fringe Tutorial from What Meegan Makes
- Cottage Style Magazine Rack from Cottage at the Crossroads
- Painted Shelf Makeover from Two Bees in a Pod
Love all of these super creative projects! Such a great group of talented people! Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with next month!
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.