apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Yeah, no.

Umm... That looks like a 1950's Florence Knoll Brazilian Rosewood table!!! Wow! I hope she realizes what she has.

If these are "throwaway" plates this is fine, but if you value them, be careful & use plate hangers that are the right size/tightness. Too loose & the plate can slip off and fall, too tight it can damage the plate. You can also scratch or chip the plate with the coils, and the pressure can cause the plates to crack over time. If there's an earthquake they'll fall right off the wall.

I have some large ceramic platters and use those wooden folding "easels" (Pier One, any Asian supply place). Of course, that means they're on top of bookshelves, not hanging.



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I love this. It's not my usual style, but it makes that bare wall so dramatically nicer and the colors work well. I think the shelves make at least as much difference as the hung plates. Curtains next?

Brittanykate--

Pay no attention to Pretentious. Unless you want the opinion of someone whose past "contributions" to AT have been "Hey! A kitty!"

it's really too bad she doesn't have an oregon sasquatch (samsquanch, bigfoot) plate. that would really round out the collection. otherwise i'd say it's acceptable kitch.

and i'm pretty sure it's a 60's knoll table.

I really like what she did with the souvenir plates. But I'm also intrigued by the way chandelier looks with the modern furniture. I have a French 1920s chandelier, not as elaborate as hers, mixed with Danish modern dining furniture, and I'm on the fence about how it looks.

Rubytubs-- I happen to really like the chandelier in this photo because I think it's fun. :)

BrittanyKate-- your room is dramatically improved, imho. You should be really excited! Congrats on a great jumpstart!

SoutheastPDX--I think her chandelier is fun too, which is what I was hoping to achieve with mine. I don't want a matchy, modern fixture with my furniture. I like her space because it has a sense of whimsy.

Small change, but huge impact. The display looked forlorn before, but now it looks nifty.

Um... I'm pretty sure i'm not alone in this sentiment, but I think the table and chairs are much more of an interesting focal point than the collection of plates. Okay, I know I'm a furniture whore, but hear me out.

The table and chairs represent one aspect of 50's decor: modernism, which is about stipping away unnecessary element and keeping things clean and simple. The plates are totally counter that - the height of 50's kitsch. As do the curtains, and the chandelier. That doesnt mean that these two themes can't exist in the same space - I just dont think this works. To me this feels a lot like two world collided unintentionally.

Love it. The arrangment looks very professional and balanced.

Thanks for comments. I'm pretty happy with it.

For the people who aren't into the mixing of high and low (or modern vs. kitsch), my response is that I have a sense of humor and I want my home to reflect that. I don't think there was a "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" moment in the '50s when everybody picked one side or the other. I like it that people's homes have gradients of both. Also, isn't everyone allowed one kitschy collection?

Kryz--Yes, I'm aware. My boyfriend has a good eye and spotted that at the bins (icky goodwill reject center) and claimed it for ten bucks before he even checked for the sticker. I love it because we can have dinner for eight at it.

I think the mixture works fantastically - it reminds me of my grandparents' bungalow, which actually was put together in the 50's and 60's. It was an amazing mixture of simple modern wood and metal furniture, and patterned rugs, ceramics and textiles (lots of them made by my grandparents). The overall effect was so simple and personal and calming, and I think it reflected the way that lots of ordinary people with good taste chose to live with mid-century style.

Oh, and that reminds me - I think you need a rug in here, it could really tie things together.

Also, I am now green with envy at that table story, why doesn't that ever happen to me?!

Love the story about the table find! While it may not be everyone's taste, I think it is visually interesting, injects humor and makes a statement that's worth hearing.