The Collected Room by Kathryn Greeley

Dear readers, as you know, I am captivated by collecting. The obsession for collecting is a passion that never dies! And it certainly has never ceased to fuel my design creativity and passion! My personal collecting passions have always been steeped in the 18^th century English country house style. Collections come in all shapes and sizes –from finer things to the most humble collections that simply speak to our hearts.  Often our first purchase of what becomes a collection are quiet accidental, but always seem to open “Pandora’s box!!” 

I believe that to fully enjoy one’s collections, they must be displayed. With that thought in mind, I am happy to introduce another new blog category, “Collections on Display.” In upcoming posts, I’ll be sharing more advice for truly using your pieces and keeping them as a flexible part of your overall design scheme.

Today, I’m happy to share one of the simplest ways I know to display a plate or platter collection — by hanging them on the wall.

There are two very simple ways to achieve this look. First, you can opt to use a traditional wire and spring plate hanger like the one shown below. I find these to be readily available at craft and hardware stores.

If you prefer not to see the prongs or if the china you are displaying is antique,  adhesive discs can be a better choice. These discs eliminate the pressure exerted by spring hangers. Activated with a small amount of water,  simply apply to the back of the plate and let dry overnight. Once dry, the disc will safely adhere without damaging your china. These can be removed later with warm water. These are also for purchase in local hardware stores.

After you select your hardware, ALWAYS, lay out arrangements on the floor first and work the pattern out on the floor before “making any holes!”

As you can see a grouping of plates and platters can make a beautiful display in any room.

Have a lovely weekend,

Kathryn

Today, I’m delighted to debut a new feature category here on The Collected Room. Since my style and my design philosophy are all about collections, I am always interested in what others are collecting and what patterns they use on a regular basis. With that idea in mind, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my friends’ collections and china patterns with you. I also believe that a pattern says a lot about a person. For instance, whether or not they like color, what type of style (traditional or modern) they gravitate toward and perhaps even how they like to entertain (indoors, al fresco, intimate gatherings or large parties). I hope you’ll enjoy this new feature category and that you’ll share your own pattern with me in the comments section. 

The Person: Tobi Fairley of Tobi Fairley Interior Design; Little Rock, Arkansas
The Pattern or Collection: Jadeite

Tobi has been a long-time collector of Jadeite in any pattern. Whether it is the classic restaurant ware that has a smooth, durable mold or a floral motif such as Fire King’s “Alice” pattern or McKee’s “Laurel,” (shown below) which was the first jadeite pattern.

Tobi uses her collection, too! She often brings it out for holiday gatherings or luncheons. She has even managed to incorporate some pieces into her design projects. In this room, she hung vintage jadeite plates to create bright wall art.

I hope you will be inspired by Tobi and the different ways she uses her beloved Jadeite collection. I also hope you’ll share your favorite patterns and collections with me.

Have a lovely day,

-Kathryn