Home decor has always been a way of self-expression. And with celebrities and stars doing walk-through tours of their homes, people are now taking a lot of pride in decorating their homes with curios, knick-knacks and more.
One such article that seems to have gone from traditional to contemporary chic and made a comeback on the home decor front are wall plates. These wall installations are a great way to add accents and character to your home, all while showcasing art.
A Kolkata-bred artist highlighting the wall plate is Trina Mukherjee, who owns the brand Bag of Bong, which is based in Mumbai. Her quirky, hand-painted wall plates showcase stories from Bengal’s culture.
Bengal on a plate
“I started in September, 2020, driven by the urge to do something different and unique in the space in Bengali, which is my mother tongue,” shares Trina.
She loves wall plates and has collected them while travelling around the globe. But it is the hand-made ones that always stood out for their charm. “I wanted to try the same thing, but in a different style. My plates are stories about Bengali characters from folklore and films — things that appeal to me and are not done by other brands,” she adds.
Bag of Bong has five collections of wall plates, on themes like The Bridges of Kolkata, The Devi Series and Ray Movie Posters to name a few.
“I think people have started investing more time and money on home decor. And during lockdown, when we were all locked up inside our homes, doing up the interiors became more common,” she says.
Each of these artisanal pieces take up to three hours to paint by hand. Once painted, they are baked, cooled and varnished, ensuring that every plate has a shiny finish that looks perfect on the walls of your home.
Shop from Trina’s collection here.
If you’re looking for wall plates for your home, here are some recommendations for various aesthetics.
Studio Ekasth
Love mandala art? These contemporary wall accents, inspired by a sheesh mahal, or hall of mirrors, combine the traditional and modern. The art of thikri, which uses glass pieces to create portraits, is given a chic makeover with brass details. This wall decor also doubles as light accents to add that extra oomph to the mood decor.
Shop for them here.
Earthen Wall Plates
Run by mother-son duo, Sucheta and Dhruv Jaitly, this brand creates intricate and detailed handmade wall plates. With four collections to choose from, their website gives you the choice to mix-and-match designs to create your own set. From the porcelain-like blue-on-white and monochrome stories to colourful mandalas and kaleidoscopic patterns, they have a huge collection to choose from.
Shop here.
The Decor Circle
If you want to accent your walls with a pop of colour, and also like outlandish prints, this Disco Lady wall plate will be the perfect addition to your home. The Decor Circle’s plates are hand-made by local artisans and take some time to make and ship, so order in advance.
Shop for them here.
Nestasia
If you’re looking for colourful accents that are a little different, these basket weave-inspired wall plates will surely do the trick. Along with a pop of brightness, these will add a unique aesthetic to your space. There are a number of colour combinations and patterns to choose from to suit your tastes.
Shop for them here.
The India Craft Project
If you love to highlight indigenous art through your home decor, then you will fall in love with these hand-painted wall plates. This stylised version of Telangana’s Nakashi art is called the Cheriyal Scroll Painting. It is intricate, colourful, and depicts a variety of motifs inspired by mythology and nature.
Shop for them here.
