This Vintage Kitchen Staple Looks So Much Better in Bathrooms (You’ll See Why!)

Vintage plates are just like potato chips: You can never have just one. They come in so many beautiful colors and patterns that many collectors actually hang them on their walls. But if you’re looking to put your prettiest plates to good use, don’t leave them in your china hutch or (shudder!) a kitchen cabinet. Move them into your bathroom (yes, really!) because there are endless ways to enjoy them there every day.

“If you have an obsession collecting vintage plates like me, don’t hide them!” Instagram creator Aimee Kirk wrote in a recent caption. “There are so many ways to use them around the house, they’re not just meant to stay hidden away. Hopefully you enjoy some of these ideas and incorporate your beautiful plates throughout your home to add beauty and charm to any room!”

As Aimee illustrates in her post, one of the best ways to put your vintage plates on display is by reimagining them as soap dishes. Antique tea saucers and small appetizer plates are the perfect size for bar soaps, or you could even place your pump bottle on top of a decorative plate to keep drips contained.

Aimee also suggests using vintage plates as jewelry catchalls next to the sink so you can keep your rings safe while you wash your hands, or give your daily jewelry a place to live at the end of the day.

Plates can also be used to catch excess water from plant pots, or to keep a barrier between a candle jar and a countertop. You can even use them to display bath bombs, as small perfume trays, or as a makeup catchall.

If you don’t yet have a vintage plate collection, you can start by taking a trip to your favorite thrift or antique store. Or check out this set of LoveShackFancy plates from Pottery Barn (on sale right now for under $45!). They have that classic chinoiserie vibe to them, but with a shabby-chic touch, thanks to the faded motif.

“So cute. And great idea; I never thought to use for soap. Adorable!” one person wrote on Aimee’s post. Another said, “So cute! My mom always hung them as decor, but [a] soap dish is a great idea!”

Of course, there are endless ways to use vintage plates throughout the rest of your home, too (spoon rests in the kitchen, a spot to rest your scrub brush, as decor in an antique hutch, etc.). But putting your plates to work in the bathroom may just be the best way to let your plate collection really shine.