Decorative Plates & Bowls

The world – and our member base – is divided between those who use decorative plates and bowls for their specific purpose, and those who literally keep these items for mere decoration with no intention of them ever being used. Often regarded as a popular gift or wedding present, decorative items of crockery are designed to elevate the appearance of a home by adding intricate designs and features to your surfaces – but does that mean they shouldn’t be used?

Many of our members tend to limit the use of decorative bowls and plates for only very special occasions, leaving them for the majority of the year on display or stashed away in a cupboard for safe keeping. However, we believe that it is important that if you own such items as these, they should be out and admired, rather than put away – with the preference being to use them or at least keep them out for others to see.

Top uses of decorative plates or bowls

Of course, the most obvious way to use decorative plates and bowls is literally as just that – plates and bowls. Often saved for special occasions, these items can be used as a centrepiece to hold the dessert or to serve the highlight of the meal on, or could simply be used as a centre piece. Either way, the table is the most obvious place to showcase your decorative crockery items.

Another option is to keep your decorative plates and bowls confined to your personal space, using one or other of them as a jewellery plate or similar means of storage. This is particularly popular with those who have modern homes and want to add a little personality to their own space – adding vibrance to a dressing room.

On a similar theme, decorative plates and bowls work really well on surfaces in the main living area of the home, either as standalone features or holding other decorative pieces such as pillar candles or pot pourri. Just like in the dressing room, these decorative plates and bowls can add vibrance to a modern living space and elevate the décor to something with more depth and texture – particularly if the decoration happens to be intricately patterned or filled with block colours. Of course, this will depend on how the items are decorated, but the chances are that in a modern and neutrally decorated room, any kind of decoration can work.

The final and one of the most popular ways of using a decorative plate or bowl is in a glass fronted cabinet – quite literally to provide decoration. Whether it be mounted on a plate stand or simply sat flat, this means of decorating is very traditional and when used in a country house kitchen or rustic dining room can add a new depth of grandeur very easily.

Things to consider

If you intend on using your decorative plates and bowls, be aware that over time these kinds of items can be subject to damage or even breakage. Another thing to consider is whether the plates are designed to be handwashed or placed in a dish washer, with many of the decorative plates and bowls on the current market actually being hand painted and so unsuitable for really hot water.

And finally, does the décor suit your home or will the colours on the plate or bowl clash? When it comes to finding the right location for your decorative crockery, knowing where the colours on the surface will fit in is key to selecting the right place.

Decorative plates and bowls are most often found in designer homeware stores, department stores, and gift shops.