THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The Great Wall of China, built and maintained between the 6th Century BC and the 16th Century, stretches over 4,000 miles. It was erected to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire and at its peak was guarded by one million men. To maintain the beauty of my favorite China (and to protect it from clumsy men) I decided to create a special place for it on the north wall of our dining room. Even though I rarely use it, I love China because it serves as a window into far off lands, it's beautiful and creates an interesting focal point in our dining room. While I don't want our place to look like Granny's place, I do love when things (art, furniture, photos) tell a story. That, I think, is one of the key ingredients of making a house a home. What story does your home tell about you?

SPEAK CHINESE:

I took a couple of key pieces of my China that I love (and that have minor cracks which have rendered them useless for dinner parties) and I created a little area on a buffet. Purchasing a $1.99 plate hanger from the local discount store, I hung one plate on the wall (if you go too crazy your place might start to look like Crate and Barrel, so be careful and edit). I've created a focal point, a conversation piece and turned China into art!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Fifteen Minutes

COST: $1.99 or plate hanger

STRESS LEVEL: Protecting my China: LOW