Perhaps you’ve been there:  Work’s giving you headaches, but your home is no antidote — you have too many projects pending, with no end in sight, and not enough funding to ease the load.  What do you need?  A lottery win!  No, you’re too prudent to play the lottery.  (Aren’t you?)  Okay, then, how about a little free advice?

This comes from the Home Snob’s friend, Y.*  Her husband woke up grouchy from the above situation, and Y suggested that they deal with it this way: Break the monster down into chunks, and focus on just one chunk at a time.

The Home Snob values the wisdom in this, so this summer when she moved back into a home that looked more like a construction site, she started decorating with a simple act:

She hung a plate.

Hanging a plate is as easy and modest as a decorating project can get. You can find pretty, orphaned plates at secondhand and antiques stores or choose from among what you already own (which is what the Home Snob did).

Plate hangers cost as little as $1.50.  They can take the form of adhesive (www.allplatehangers.com) or wire (www.hooksandhangers.com).  Installation with adhesive hangers takes a little longer, but in return, you get an invisible hanger and a flush installation.  Wire hangers are easier, but you have to remember the trick: Ensure that the hanger’s hook will be flush with the back of the plate – otherwise plates with any depth will protrude unevenly from the wall.  (The Home Snob learned this the hard way.)

If you’re looking for inspiration, the November issue of House Beautiful (pg. 58) and the October issue of Country Home (pg. 31) show some tasteful examples of plates as wall art.

For complex, multi-plate arrangements, Martha Stewart provides helpful tips.

Using decorative plates as wall art is not only more economical than framed pictures; it’s also a lively choice.  You can substitute plates for a picture in the kitchen or dining room (or even the bathroom or bedroom) to prevent your walls from becoming a sea of squares.  All it takes is a plate, hanger, hammer and picture hook, and a few minutes later, you have a little wall art and a sense of accomplishment – not to mention a warmer home.

* Names withheld to protect the innocent.