Breaking News: Project Completion! (How You Can Too)

I admit I’d LOVE to be one of those people who “decorate & forget it” — putting up displays when they move in & then going on about their lives. For better or worse, I am not born with this gene. I inherited art, antiques and a restlessness for personalizing one’s house that I can easily blame/credit to my mother and her mother — who both had more style in their pinky than most people have in two hands! Even though they are both gone, I learn from them still every day - the way they put things together, the little tricks they passed on & the magic of how they collaborated with talented artists and craftsmen.

So in my mind the bar was set HIGH for how and where I was going to install my mom’s collection of antique Canton china, which she amassed from dealers and flea markets over many years. Intimidated, I did the obvious: left them in a tacky plastic box in my living room for 2 years, feeling sheepishly guilty and inadequate every time the plates stared in my direction.  Finally on a buoyant afternoon at one of my all-time favorite shops in the world, The Kellogg Collection (which has 4 stores from Baltimore MD to Richmond VA), I asked them who did their beautiful installations. Before I knew it, I was hooked up with the Kellogg Collection’s chief magician, William, and my mom’s plates were going up!!

While there are many gadgets and hardware types to use to actually hang the plates, William favored the simple plate hanger I’d seen before (avail at any hardware store for about $5, or click here to order from Amazon). He diplomatically made me feel l was in charge of where the plates should go but in truth he had such a keen eye, it was clear his choices were going to be spot on. The whole process only took about an hour, but hopefully the plates will be very happy there for a long time to come!

Do you have a design project you want to get done? My advice is to ask for help, whether a professional (ideal) or a friend, so you can get a hand and make the progress you want. If anyone is in the Washington DC area and wants William’s contact info, email me at lee@elegantmayhem.com and I’d be glad to share.