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Wondering why this particular decorative item is experiencing a second heyday? Remember, trends are cyclical. Just as I am now proclaiming the return of board walls in 2022, writers in 1952 were foretelling their readers of the same return. “A time when a stylish dining room without a plate rail was not seen. My recollection is that it ran above head height, and there the ladies of the house kept their fine and strange plates.” declared the writer in the Courier Journal. “Perhaps it's because the plates that were left behind have collected dirt. Or maybe the plate rails suddenly became obsolete because too many people had them.”
These are still somewhat rare today, making them just as interesting again as they were in 1952. “As with all styles, fancy, weird plates are only going to come back,” said the writer. Suddenly, the decorative plate becomes operational again. ”
Once again, plates have long been confined to the dining room, and are now appearing in hallways, living rooms, and bedrooms. Their return may seem far-fetched, but trend forecasters should have seen this coming, as millennials have been playing with a similar trend for over a decade in the form of woven baskets. These statement walls deftly mix color and texture through circular objects, paving the way for the return of the original plank walls.
However, this comeback may have more meaning than “old and new again''. Board walls are perfect for people who like collecting things. Much like the colorful Depression Glass set from the Great Depression, creating a wall of plates invites a treasure hunt through your entire collection. This is especially appealing in times of social distancing because you can go to thrift stores, flea markets, and Facebook swaps from home. With a treasure hunt in mind, you can stop at every antique store you pass, buy a random plate at a garage sale, or raid a relative's cupboard. Once your collection is complete, it's fun to think about how to display it.
Collecting involves escapism, and in 2020, Smithsonian Magazine found a huge boom in the collectibles market for that very reason. Not only were people itching to do something, but goal-oriented activities helped ease the pandemic blues.
“Collecting provides comfort and mental strength, and a way to stay productive while doing something you enjoy,” says Shirley Mueller, a psychiatrist who has spent decades studying the science of collecting. told the Smithsonian Institution. “Collecting is also about control. We can manage our collections. We cannot control the coronavirus.”
Want to start your own plate wall? Find a complete collection of specific labels and patterns in traditional style, or slowly collect your favorite vintage plates based purely on aesthetics. . You can buy modern decorative plate sets at places like Anthropologie and West Elm, or ironically, you can buy thrift store plates decorated with irreverent phrases by artists like Kamila Majcher. Masu.
These items not only add dimension and color to your walls, but they also add visual appeal. Place them on a rack like Paltrow's, place them on a neat gallery wall, or collect them and display them like a fun hodgepodge. The New York Times wrote in 1972, when the plate wall was briefly revived: It is not a work of art. But the thousands of collectors who buy limited edition and non-limited edition decorative plates don't care. ”