Have you heard of UK designer Lou Rota before? If you’ve browsed Not On The High Street lately then perhaps you have. They carry some of her collection of recycled mis-matched ceramics and they’re certainly worth a look… especially if you enjoy collecting quirky plates and share her passion for nature themes and vintage china.

The latest indie trend seems to be bugs on dinnerware — have you noticed? What do you think – yes, no, sometimes? I have two opinions. If I display them on the wall or in a cabinet only — fine. Cute! If I serve dinner on them, not fine unless it is to close friends who share my sense of humor. I’m not too keen on bugs peeking through my salad greens though, I’ll admit. Then again, it may be a good way to stay on a diet! ha!

View all of Lou Rota’s fantastic creations here.

(images: not on the high street)

30 Responses to “Lou Rota”

1 Pixie commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:15 am

No bugs on my china! I’m a slight bug-a-phobic…lol. I have nightmares about bugs in my bedroom. My sister is crazy about frogs, but they freak me out too. :)
.-= Pixie´s last blog ..No. 32 — The Higline Park =-.
2 French furniture commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:20 am

Bugs on dinnerware? Why not? These plates look fun and original, so it’s a yes from me.
3 visualingual commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:23 am

Oh, wow! These are truly gorgeous; thanks so much for posting!
.-= visualingual´s last blog ..Cloverleaf Interchange Trivet =-.
4 Amanda commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:27 am

omg, i am in love with these! too bad i just starting building my kitchen and platewares around a completely opposite theme and color scheme. maybe one day…
5 Nathalie commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 10:38 am

It’s not really my style… but I think it’s very cute!
.-= Nathalie´s last blog ..4th of July weekend! =-.
6 simply hue commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 11:29 am

Lol. Got my morning giggle from your post, Holly. :) I agree with you on this one…. I’ve had the joy of finding a real bug in my salad before and seeing ANY kind of bug on my plate is not a good thing! These plates are definitely fun to look at, though.

Have a great week, Holly! :)
.-= simply hue´s last blog ..Monday Morning Inspiration…………. =-.
7 bananas. commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 11:55 am

hmm i’ve never heard of her but i LOVE her LOVE plates. very cute!
.-= bananas.´s last blog ..nerds rock my weekend =-.
8 Amy commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 11:58 am

Not a fan of bugs on dinnerware – but letters on dinnerware I vote yes to – especially these – so pretty!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Sweden does it again… =-.
9 Amy commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

I’m thinking no. Bugs in the house (on the wall, or my table) just don’t work for me. But I love the whimsical style of these plates, and anything without the bugs would be absolutlely lovely!
.-= Amy´s last blog ..reverie =-.
10 Laura commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:16 pm

Oh no. No bugs on plates for me, thank you. But I do love the trend of upcycling old mismatched china & reinventing it in a new way! And the LOVE plates are awfully sweet :)
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Let’s Be Beside The Sea =-.
11 yansy commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:23 pm

I’m not a fan of bugs period but I am enjoying the one with the letters. Holly, I would love for you to come by my blog and tell me what you think of the forest I just created in my master bedroom.
.-= yansy´s last blog ..A Forest In Our Master Bedroom =-.
12 SixDifferentWays commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:26 pm

No bugs for me! These plates are lovely to look at but I’m too bug phobic to eat off of them.
.-= SixDifferentWays´s last blog ..Bicycle Meets Modern Furniture =-.
13 City Chic - Jamie commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Definitely the cutest bugs I’ve seen, but it would have to be the right kind of guest for me to pull those ones out. However, maybe it would be fun to have them at the lake cabin. The fish plates would be perfect for the cabin!
.-= City Chic – Jamie´s last blog ..Dinner at W.A. Frost =-.
14 tiina commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:53 pm

lovely, but bugs on a plate..? i got a flashback from my days in china :)
.-= tiina´s last blog ..lovely frames at laura ashley =-.
15 Nichole commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 12:58 pm

No bugs for me please. I lived with cockroaches for one year and prefer to never have anything similar to that experience ever again, real or not. ;) The fish plates are adorable though, and I hate fish.
.-= Nichole´s last blog ..things-I-love Thursday: 7/2/09 =-.
16 Nuit commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 1:18 pm

LOVELY….
.-= Nuit´s last blog ..Chair it!!! =-.
17 Iva commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 2:33 pm

I have to say that I agree with you – they are absolutely the cutest, but having them on a plate I am eating from – no,no :)

I absolutely love the ones with the flowers and letters though! Great find :)
18 Travelingmama commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 4:16 pm

If we are being honest, I’d be totally freaked out by those bugs on my dinnerware. We’ve lived in two houses that were infested with roaches and I have a ridiculous and unreasonable fear of those little buggers. They seem to like the kitchen so I’d probably scream and throw my food across the room every time I used them! :-)
I think the alphabet plates are a great idea and very pretty! They would probably be a much safer option!
.-= Travelingmama´s last blog ..creative space 101: day {one} =-.
19 jennifer ramos commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 4:29 pm

I had these on my harddrive to post…but i totally forgot about them…you beat me to it. Anyhow I LOVE them. Great for hanging on the wall.

Jen Ramos
‘Cards & Prints You’ll Love…’
http://www.madebygirl.com
madebygirl.blogspot.com
.-= jennifer ramos´s last blog ..UK’s James Merrell (photographer) What an eye…. =-.
20 mykonos commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 6:22 pm

pretty plates!! Just love them!!
.-= mykonos´s last blog ..SALE – Pixy =-.
21 Penny Patten commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 7:05 pm

so fun!
.-= Penny Patten´s last blog ..Picking Strawberrys… =-.
22 Kathryn commented:
July 6th, 2009 at 7:59 pm

wow, love these and I’d have to think twice about eating on the bug plates as well but the LOVE plates are so great!! so nice to look at.
.-= Kathryn´s last blog ..the greatest marie antoinette…. =-.
23 Chantal - luxxury livving commented:
July 7th, 2009 at 1:48 am

Wow, these are just gorgeous, I especially luv the “love” plates.
.-= Chantal – luxxury livving´s last blog ..Hello My Friends… I’m Still Here =-.
24 steven commented:
July 7th, 2009 at 4:27 am

Holly, I love these! the bugs are great … fish too! I’d seen these once before but lost track of them, thanks for the reminder!
.-= steven´s last blog ..Alexa Lixfeld – Metamorphose =-.
25 Chiara commented:
July 7th, 2009 at 6:39 am

These plates are fun and gorgeous. For some reason I would enjoy eating breakfast from them, but not so much dinner.
26 Magdalena commented:
July 7th, 2009 at 9:15 am

The ‘love’ plates are gorgeous! I like when different floral pattern are mixed.
Bugs plates would be fun to display, like you said…or maybe for a party with black humor theme ;)
.-= Magdalena´s last blog ..Grass zwana traw? =-.
27 Julie commented:
July 7th, 2009 at 9:33 pm

I would totally serve dinner on the bug plates! So fun! If my guests couldn’t laugh, they’d probably have to go home.
28 Petra :-) commented:
July 8th, 2009 at 1:49 am

I love the plates with the sprout and the flowers *supercute* :-) …the plates with the green bugs are nice, too…but I would not buy them. I “forced” within the last two weeks some “cockroach familys” in Morocco to die….;-)
.-= Petra :-)´s last blog ..the faded… =-.
29 Shunter commented:
July 8th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

I like the bugs on china trend…..it’s surprising for your guests….especially with a pretty cupcake on it :)
30 STYLE NV commented:
November 8th, 2011 at 7:00 pm

I love Lou Rota’s work; it reminds me of an idyllic English summer’s day (sadly over for another year). A big garden party full of strawberry’s, cakes, tea and pretty bugs crawling over the discarded plates!

I chatted with Lou over a nice cup of tea and a cake (on a bug, bone china plate).

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