Vases are a fantastic way to add some decorative flair to your home. They’re one of the most common décor pieces due to their versatility and their three-dimensional nature – as opposed to paintings or other hung art, vases can be placed upon any surface and admired from afar. Vases are great choices to place upon bookshelves, console tables, dining room tables and anywhere else you feel like a little artwork could help spruce things up. But with so many different kinds of vases, how do you even begin to choose one? Here are a few different vase types that can help you transform your home.
Vase By Material
Vases come in a wide range of materials. You’ll find glass vases, ceramic vases, crystal vases, stoneware vases, metal vases, wooden vases… the list goes on and on. If there’s a material that can be molded and shaped, odds are there’s a vase made out of it. To make things even more interesting, each different material type for vases comes with its own benefits and purposes. Here are a few types and how you can expect to use them.
Brass Vases
Brass vases are fantastic accent pieces that add some glimmer and shine to your home. This type of vase material should be used when matched with other brass accents (including kitchen cabinet handles and mirrors), but also works well when paired with rustic and more regal aesthetics. Pair brass with colors like turquoise and deep greens and grays.
Stoneware Vases
Stoneware vases add an instant touch of rustic appeal to any home, but stoneware can also mean a lot of different things for a vase. Stoneware vases range from a beautiful, hand-made ceramic vase to a vase made and shaped from actual stones and minerals like granite and marble. Depending on your type of stoneware vase, it will have different uses and different needs. Ceramic pottery can be used as a subtle accent while genuine stone pottery will often become a centerpiece wherever it’s placed, so keep this in mind when decorating your home.
Glass Vases
Glass vases are a common addition to homes due to their relative ease to make and the variety of colors they can come in. Glass can be transparent, or it can be dyed, so you’ll find glass vases in every color ranging from mahogany to emerald green. Glass vases might also feature many unique patterns like stripes or mosaics to heighten the natural appeal of the glass. Use a glass vase to add accent color to your home or to spruce up a dining room table that needs a good centerpiece.
Vases By Origin
Another important consideration when selecting your new vase is to consider the country of origin, or where it was crafted. Both contemporary and antique vases from different countries will feature different styles, as art ranges greatly from country to country. While vase can come from any country in the world, some are more common than others.
French Vases
French vases are some of the most distinctive vases you might find in an antique store, and they often feature beautiful illustrations and incredibly detailed design work. These sorts of vases will feature flowing handles, painted illustrations, bright colors and are often made from materials like porcelain or even pure gold.
Japanese Vases
If you’re looking something that pays homage to the natural beauty of the world, a Japanese vase is a great choice. These types of vases tend to feature designs with flowers and other natural sights on them, as well as depictions of maidens in kimonos and dragons as well. Crimson red is a common color for Japanese vases, as is emerald green and deep black paint. These vases will often be painted from top to bottom and will feature less intricate shapes to highlight the artwork.
Greek Vases
Greek vases are similar to French vases, but beyond paintings and depictions of art, Greek vases will often feature pronounced, engraved artwork and designs, offering a tactile experience that will be delightful for you to run your fingers across. Greek vases will also often feature geometric designs and intricately detailed patterns placed against static background colors, making them a great choice for a centerpiece.
Vases By Shape
Finally, vases also come in a wide variety of shapes, ranging from large vases that need to be placed upon the floor to small vases that are ideal for a single flower and not much more. Certain vase materials will be easier to shape than others, so if you’re looking for more extravagant vase shapes it’s likely you’ll find more of one material than another. Additionally, a majority of vase shapes are purely for visual appeal, so make sure to match the vase shape to your general aesthetic.
Tall Vases
Tall vases are a great option for adding some visual appeal to your home that doesn’t need to be placed on a shelf. These types of vases are frequently placed upon the floor due to their large size and will come in sizes that are over a foot tall and up to even three or four feet tall. Use these types of vases to add some visual appeal and intrigue to your living room, entryway or other room where there’s available floor space – just be careful to not oversaturate your home with too many elements on your floor!
Abstract Vases
Abstract vases are the perfect centerpiece for the modern home. These vases eschew conventional vase ideas to implement unique shapes, patterns and designs. Abstract vases are sometimes difficult to pair with other décor in your home, so only use an abstract vase as a centerpiece if you’re sure that it can be properly highlighted and won’t just look out of place.
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Lead photo design by Stefani Stein Inc. / Photo by Tessa Neustadt
