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These are probably nothing like what you are thinking...but just in case you want to think outside the box...

Here is a link that might be useful: Row House Nest plate displays

When we started the update on my kitchen (20 years ago) I hoped we would be getting rid of our soffets. DH had other ideas. :( BUT now when I dream of a brand new kitchen after winning the lottery, I realize if I didn't have them I would have no where for my America the Beautiful plates.

Thanks for all of your ideas and photos! Here is a photo of one of the decorator plates.

Carol

Do you have a spare bedroom? Seems like the B&G plates (I have several myself, including the one you have posted) could be a wonderful jumping off point for a guest room decor.

Pale butter color walls, the plates, crisp blue and white bedding in a toile or paisley.

Otherwise, I am thinking the stair wall might be the spot.

I would do the Hummels as a separate collection. Perhaps the plates on the wall to the right of the triple window in the DR, and the figurines on the shelves opposite where the bookcase is in the DR.

Thanks for the inspiration photos olychick. Arcy, do you have your plates on a plate rail up at kitchen soffit level or just attached to the wall with those wire plate holders? Maybe part of my blue plate collection could go at soffit level in my kitchen.

les917 thanks for your helpful advice. We do not have a guest bedroom as our four children occupy at present all bedrooms. However, I think the staircase wall would make a good location for most (maybe all)of the 20ish blue B&G plates (neat that you have some of these plates too). How do you think those blue plates can be safely and attractively displayed on this wall? I worry about active boys knocking one of them off the wall so they will have to be secure. Should these plates be displayed at eye level as opposed to high up? Should we consider a built in niche area in this area with lights?

As per the Hummel plates and figurines, I think they could both fit on the wall to the right of the triple window in dining room (plates on wall, figurine on a dark wood shallow shelf sold by Hummel). I think I have around 6 Hummel plates and 10 figurines. I was a bit confused by where you meant by "the figurines on the shelves opposite where the bookcase is in the DR".

BTW there are two rectangles under the tall skinny windows on either side of the china cabinet. These were going to be window seats, but we were told by our designer recently that they should be left off as they would not look that built in beside the honey oak china cabinet. So, you can ignore those two rectangles under the low skinny DR windows.

Your mention of pale butter colour looking good with the plates made me think the cream coloured kitchen cabinets and matching built ins in the the great room might work in well colour wise with the plates. At this point we haven't even thought about wall colours.

Your help is very appreciated.

Carol

When we had this house built I had custom plate rails built on 3 walls in the LR and one wall of the DR because of my collection of 35 B&G plates. I no longer collect them as there is a limit to how many I want to display. The shelf part is almost 4" wide so I also put various decorative items with the plates. I have a collection of transferware and other plates so rotate them for a change.

Here's an old and not very good pic showing the plate rail with other plates, etc. As well as plates and small paintings I place small vases, cups and saucers, and various vintage/antique items, whatever will fit in the space. It gives more interest than only using plates. With the blue B&G plates I often use DH's collection of pewter mil. mugs, or small silver items.

{{!gwi}}

Hi luckygal,

That is a very nice plate rail -- I like the thick paintable trim that was used. Thanks for sending the photo.

Carol

Luckygal, thanks for the picture of your plate rail moulding! I have a sizable collection of antique flow blue Middleport Pottery that I've always wanted to attractively display. I love the way yours looks. Do you have any more photos of your moulding that you could show us? It's stunning!

you could have a plate rail built over the big kitchen window - and over the patio doors.

I too have a large collection of Christmas plates from Bing and Grondahl, as well as from Royal Copenhagen and Porsgrund---also blue and white. I had a spare room we redecorated around the plates with a a yellow gold wall, blue and white Ralph Lauren bedding, etc. The plates look lovely on all shades of white and yellow, but surprisingly to me, not on blue walls.

In your case I would keep all the blue and white plates in the kitchen, perhaps on the soffit as mentioned above, and all the Hummels in the adjacent family room. You could use the same shade of yellow or cream for both rooms--- which indeed you will have to do anyway because of the layout. I would try the Hummel figurines and plates together in a group on the shelves. Maybe use a few figures on each shelf bookended by two plates? You can come up with a pleasing arrangement once you start playing with it. Make sure these are at the eye level shelves if you want them to be noticed. Your blue and white plates on the kitchen soffit will command attention because of their color and the number of them.

Thanks kswl for your great ideas. I appreciate the colours suggestions too. Les917 also likes yellow behind the plates so we are leaning towards yellow. I am not sure the B&G plates will all fit in the kitchen, but we can certainly put some there.

When you referred to the shelves for the Hummel figurines and plates, were you suggesting the built in shelves that are planned to go around the fireplace and near the window seat (both in great room)? If so, we had imagined these shelves to be full depth shelves (around 12"). Is this not too deep for plates and small figurines? Or will they be fine at that depth. We can of course change the depth of the shelves too as they are not built yet. Also, given we have more figurines than Hummel plates, I think they would need to be arranged more like two figurines and 1 plate per shelf. As you said we would need to play with it.

Thanks for your help.

Carol

Thanks for your input desertsteph!

Would you suggest limiting the upper plate rail to just over the French door and kitchen window? Are you thinking that would look better than a full plate rail that would go around all the available walls?

Thanks,

Carol

Hi Carol, yes, I had imagined the Hummel collectibles on those built in shelves in the family room. I would go ahead with full depth shelves so that you can put books there also (every shelf to me is a bookshelf). I would put the figurines close to the front of the shelf, with some on wooden display stands to vary the height. Think of your placement of these things as though you were arranging them for display in a shop----having them grouped together on three or so shelves will give them presence, and varying the heights and combinations will lend interest. I hope you will post pictures of whatever you decide to do, I'm sure it will be lovely!

I have mine just on plate wires attached directly to the sofets. DH re-did my cabinet doors in Italian curly maple. They are flat panels so I think a rail would look too top heavy. At Christmas I take them down and replace them with my Norman Rockwell Christmas tins. I also have a display of Rockwell plates on my dining room wall, come to think of it. It is a small wall. And yes at Christmas I have NR Christmas plates to exchange them for. My MIL used to put a collection of Christmas plates on plate stands on her mantle at Christmas. I always like the look it gave. There is a thread on art for the seasons. Going with the idea that less is more sometimes, I prefer to swap many of my things out as the seasons go by instead of having it all out all the time. Speaking of MIL, she had a large collection of bird plates she displayed sitting on top of her cupboards. No sofet for her. She had fashion plates in one bathroom on a wall too. Her four sons thought the plates were silly, her oldest was quite vocal about them, so for years we shopped garage sales for tourist plates and sent them to him. My in-laws both died last year and we never did find a buyer for all those plates!!

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your great ideas and clarification! It is nice to find other people not only willing to help a design challenged stranger, but who also have an appreciation for decorator plates too! I will certainly post a picture when I am done.

Thanks for your help,

Carol