Pair of Vintage Ercol Model 268 Solid Elm Wall Display Shelves / Original Plate Racks

A wonderful pair of vintage Ercol Model 268 wall-hanging display shelves / plate racks, an enduring piece of British mid-century design and a lovely example of Ercol’s beautifully simple solid wood furniture.

The Model 268 has a long history within the Ercol range. It appears in Ercol’s period catalogues from the 1950s and was still being offered in the late 1970s, remaining in production for several decades before eventually being discontinued. No longer part of Ercol’s current collection, original examples are now only available on the vintage market.

Originally designed by Ercol as a wall-hanging plate rack, each has two generous solid elm shelves with shallow grooves designed to balance and securely position plates. Their simple design makes them wonderfully adaptable for today’s home, however, and they work equally well as wall-mounted display shelving for framed photographs, artwork, books, small collections and treasured objects.

Constructed in solid elm, the broad shelves beautifully showcase the distinctive swirling grain, figuring and natural variation for which vintage Ercol elm is so admired. Softly rounded edges and shaped side supports complete the understated design, allowing the quality and character of the real wood to take centre stage.

Both have a very similar warm, honey-golden colouring, loosely reminiscent of the Ercol finish later known as Golden Dawn. As Ercol offered the Model 268 in different finishes during its long production life, we have chosen not to attribute a specific factory finish to these examples. Instead, the photographs show their lovely natural colouring and elm grain as accurately as possible.

Interestingly, these two racks were acquired separately and retain different original Ercol badges – one blue and one gold, suggesting they may originate from different periods of production. Despite their separate histories, the tone, construction and appearance of the two are remarkably well matched and they sit beautifully together as a complementary pair.

Both have been carefully degreased and lightly sanded to remove years of accumulated polish before being re-oiled to nourish the solid elm and enhance its natural grain. They are clean, solid and sturdy with no loose joints, while retaining the minor marks and signs of use expected from genuine vintage furniture.

The original-style metal wall-mounting fittings are present on both racks.

Period Ercol catalogues give the Model 268 at approximately 97 cm wide × 50 cm high × 13 cm deep. Please refer to our measurements for the dimensions of these individual examples.

Shown styled with framed photographs to demonstrate how easily these traditional Ercol plate racks can be repurposed as beautifully simple wall display shelves in a contemporary interior. Equally at home displaying artwork, photographs, books or ceramics, they combine a genuinely useful modern purpose with classic Ercol craftsmanship and heritage. Some of these images have been AI generated.

Decorative items shown are not included.

Approximate Measurements

Height 50 cm
Width 97 cm
Depth 14 cm

CONDITION

Please bear in mind that all our vintage and retro items have had a life
before you purchase them (sometimes quite a long one!) therefore they will show signs of wear and use, these may include knocks, dents and scratches, bumps and scuffs which are commensurate with age and previous use. We never sell items that we wouldn’t be happy to have in our own homes and provide images detailing any significant damage or unusual wear. Please carefully read the details and examine the images prior to purchase. All our items have been thoroughly cleaned and de-greased, re-oiled and polished (where necessary) and are fit for purpose. If you’re unsure, or would like some more information, please contact us, we’re always happy to help.

OUR DELIVERY POLICY

THERE ARE EXCLUSIONS TO OUR FREE DELIVERY POLICY - PLEASE SEE BELOW.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU PURCHASE FROM AN OFF-SITE ADVERT FOR ETSY, FREE DELIVERY WILL NOT APPLY (AS WE ARE CHARGED CONSIDERABLY MORE).

FREE DELIVERY DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY APPLY TO ANY SALE ITEMS.

Safely delivering items you purchase in a timely fashion is both our priority and also one of the most challenging aspects of our business.

Wherever possible, we try to offer free kerbside delivery, contact-free, to most mainland UK addresses, either by ourselves or via our dedicated, trusted, couriers. This ensures that your purchases arrive in exactly the condition they were in when you purchased them, as accurately described on our site. You should expect delivery to be within 1 to 3 weeks of you placing the order. We will contact you directly with a firm delivery date and advise you in advance of a two hour delivery window.

Exclusions to free delivery apply, including where tolls or congestion zone fees apply, for which there will be an additional charge.

Free delivery does not apply to locations a long way away from our location in Cambridge or to areas of mainland UK not routinely covered by our trusted couriers - if this applies to your purchase, we will simply charge you what we are charged for delivery, less any Etsy fees, and notify you of this as soon as practicable after the sale goes through.

We are able to package and export items beyond mainland UK and have done so as far afield as Hong Kong and New Zealand. We regularly export to Northern Ireland and Eire and the majority of Europe. Please contact us directly for a tailored quotation.

When ordering, please supply us with your mobile ‘phone number, so we may liaise directly with you regarding delivery. Please advise if there are any delivery restrictions that will apply (such as anything other than ground floor access, parking and access restrictions etc.). We reserve the right to charge for deliveries outside of our standard terms.

Please note that if we are unable to deliver on a pre-arranged day, you will be charged a flat fee of £50 for re-delivery.