How to Style a Vase: Vase Decor Ideas for Any Room

To style a vase, choose a height that suits the surface it stands on. Then pick stems that suit the neck. For fresh flowers in ceramic, stand a glass jar of water inside.

What makes good vase decor?

Good vase decor starts with the shape and finish of the vase. The stems come second.

Treat the vase as an object first. Look at the outline, the finish and the height before you buy. A matte finish gives a soft surface. A glossy glaze reflects light. A two-tier shape or a teardrop draws the eye on its own.

Then decide where it will sit. A coffee table, a shelf and a sideboard each take a different height.

How tall should a vase be?

A vase should suit the surface it stands on. A short vase suits a table where people sit and talk. A tall vase suits a sideboard, a console or the floor.

The table below sets out the six vases in this guide by height and finish. Two products have no listed height.

Vase	Height	Finish
Matte white with handles	19cm	Matte white, lightly textured
Blue stacked	22cm	Matte blue glaze
White teardrop	32cm	White ceramic
Tall green glazed	34cm	Glossy deep green
Smoked grey glass	Not listed	Smoked grey tint
Wall hanging tubes	Not listed	Wood frame, glass tubes

The two shorter ceramic vases suit a coffee table or a shelf. The teardrop and the green vase suit a sideboard or a console table. They also suit the floor beside a sofa.

The photo below shows the shape of a table-height vase with two tiers.

The blue stacked vase is the lower priced of the two table-height ceramic vases. It works with stems or empty.

Can you put fresh flowers in a ceramic vase?

Yes, with a glass jar inside. None of the four ceramic vases in this guide is listed as watertight by the supplier.

That covers the blue stacked vase, the vase with handles, the green glazed vase and the white teardrop. Fill a small glass jar with water. Stand it inside the vase and put the stems in the jar. The jar holds the water and the vase holds the look.

Dried stems need no jar. Grasses, seed heads and dried branches suit a ceramic vase as they are. Dust them now and then with a soft dry brush.

What goes in a narrow-neck vase?

A narrow-neck vase takes a few stems. The neck holds them upright and keeps the shape clean.

The white teardrop vase has a narrow neck that leans to one side in the photos. It suits a single stem or a few dried grasses. The vase with handles has a narrow neck too. The supplier gives no opening size for it. Start with a few stems and add more only if they sit well.

Cut the stems to different lengths. Let one or two rise above the rest. That follows the curve of the vase.

The green vase is the only vase here with a stated opening, at 9cm.

The photo below shows how the teardrop neck curves away from the base.

The white teardrop vase looks finished with one stem. It needs nothing else around it.

How do you group vases?

Group vases by height and keep one colour family. Different heights give the group a clear outline.

Keep one finish or one colour across the group. A matte white vase beside a matte blue one looks calm. Add the glossy green vase and the group gets a stronger centre.

Groups that work from this range:

• Tall and short: the green vase with the vase with handles.
• White and blue: the white teardrop, the vase with handles and the blue stacked vase.
• Glass and ceramic: the smoked grey glass vase beside any of the ceramic pieces.

Leave a gap between each vase. Crowding hides the shapes.

Where should a vase go?

A vase goes where people can see it without it blocking a view or a path. Each surface suits a different height.

• Coffee table: a short vase you can see over from the sofa.
• Dining table: a low vase too. Tall stems block faces across the table.
• Console or sideboard: a tall vase against the wall.
• Floor: the tallest vase in a corner by a sofa or a door.

Our guide to coffee table decor shows how a vase sits with trays and candles.

Should you choose a glass or ceramic vase?

Choose glass to show the stems and ceramic to hide them. Glass suits fresh stems. Ceramic suits dried stems or a jar inside.

The smoked grey glass vase is tapered and wider at the top than the base. Message us before ordering if an exact height matters. The glass is tinted grey and see-through. It suits cut stems that look good below the water line.

The photo below shows the grey tint and the tapered shape.

Ceramic gives a solid block of colour. The green and blue vases add colour to a plain shelf. The white vases suit a room with plenty of colour already.

Can a vase hang on the wall?

Yes, a vase can hang on the wall when it is made for it. The wall hanging vase is a solid wood frame with five glass tubes and a cord at the top.

The tubes hold plant cuttings in water. The supplier lists no measurements. It gives about 400 to 560g across its versions before water. The listing mentions no hook or wall fixings. Choose a fixing that suits your wall and the weight of the water.

The photo below shows the five tubes in a row on the frame.

How do you look after a vase?

Look after a vase with a soft damp cloth and a dry finish. Wipe the outside and dry it fully.

The suppliers give no dishwasher guidance for these vases. The smoked grey glass vase has an electroplated finish and no care advice. Wash vases by hand in warm water. A bottle brush reaches the base of a narrow neck. Dry the inside before you add dried stems.

Which vase should you choose?

Choose the vase by the surface and by what goes in it.

• A table or shelf: the blue stacked vase or the vase with handles.
• A tall statement piece: the green glazed vase or the white teardrop.
• A see-through vase: the smoked grey glass vase.
• Plant cuttings on a wall: the wall hanging vase.

Every vase we stock is in Home Decor.