The Butler's Pantry at Fox Hall is now adorned with various blue and white plates. Mummy purchased the large round platter, over the coat closet door, when we lived in Taipei, and trust me, it weighs a ton!
If you’re an avid collector of china patterns, such as myself, you’d agree that one can never have too many china designs. Plates, platters, service pieces, oh my! Like me, if you have a penchant for collecting various sets of china, it can be a challenge to find ample storage space for them. Fortunately, many historic, or turn-of-the-century houses, have Butler’s Pantries designated for this purpose. Even so, what do you do if you are challenged with a lack of space to store your acquired stacks of pretty plates?
Here is part of the answer! First, let me share a short story…
The week before Lady Carnarvon flew over from Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey, to attend a luncheon I hosted on my verandah at Fox Hall for 45 ladies, the plumber came to change the faucet in the laundry room, located just above our Butler’s Pantry. He neglected to turn off the water main… old house, old pipes! Yes, indeed. The pipes broke and water instantly gushed through the ceiling, ruining the Butler’s Pantry cabinets, floor, and beyond. A temporary ceiling was installed a day before the party, not that I was inviting anyone in to see the disaster area, but because the show must go on!
New cabinetry was designed, which offered a vast amount of new storage space for more plates. Hmmm, a silver lining in that black cloud, right? I was on the search for a replacement wallpaper too. My vision was to have a blue and white Canton porcelain design, but as each wallpaper sample arrived, while pretty, none were quite right.
In a pinch, days before another dinner party, I had the walls painted a deep blue. When I stored all of the china away during the renovation, I discovered some old boxes with stacks of blue and white plates that were long forgotten! It was an ah-ha moment! I would make my own wallpaper design out of china plates. In essence, I hung plates all over the painted walls as a faux wallpaper design. And that is what I refer to as my “porcelain wallpaper.” It features a charming dimension and authentic sheen that only plates can achieve! Dinner on the wall, anyone?
Fox Hall has the original "Butler's call-box," pictured in the center. When the ringers are pressed from various rooms, the little arrows dance back and forth. The children used to push the call buttons in their bedrooms, hoping the butler would magically appear. I imagine he must have been hard of hearing!
Grandmillennial Tips:
If you inherit an abundance of plates, platters, or saucers, or when you spy a box of plates for sale at an estate or church sale, think “porcelain wallpaper” in a kitchen, Butler’s Pantry, laundry room, or even in a bathroom! Not that we are all entertaining during COVID, but we do have the time to re-design and decorate while repurposing pieces we already own.
Hang plates on your cabinet doors, unless you have a heavy-handed family! It works well in the Butler's Pantry, and I was able to display the Meissen cobalt blue plates that I never used, and Mummy's Imari plates, too. Over the window are some antique tiles that my daughter, Alexandra, purchased in England and gave to me. Do not hesitate to mix and match patterns, shapes, and sizes, as long as the color theme is consistent.
Plate hangers are available at any hardware store or online on Amazon. I also use a dab of posterboard putty to hold them in place.
Extraordinary French decorative arts and porcelains are displayed in the many well-appointed rooms at Hillwood Estate.
Treat yourself to a visit to the Hillwood Estate, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s home, heiress to the Post cereal fortune, in Washington D.C. Mrs. Post was not only an avid collector but one of Washington’s most exalted and admired hostesses of her time. To put her hostess adroitness in perspective, her other house was Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Yes, she could entertain on a rawwther grand scale! Observing her vast collection of stunningly remarkable porcelain service pieces, as they peeked through the glass cabinet doors in the Butler’s Pantry, I left with an indelible impression and could relate to her appreciation for pretty plates. Put this venue on your “must-visit” the next time you are in Washington.