My Favorite Vases for the Home

CB2

One of the keys to living beautifully is bringing nature inside your home.

I love having vases on-hand for clippings from the yard or whenever I treat myself to blooms at the market.

But I’ve found that a lot of the vases we all wind up collecting over the years from flower deliveries or hostess gifts are stock-type vases that have no sentimental meaning, and honestly aren’t the best shape or fit for most arrangement types.

So here are 8 types of vases to have on-hand in your own home, types of flowers and foliages to use for each, the best places to display them, and my favorite places to source them. I hope you enjoy and find this helpful!

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1 - THE BUD VASE

First thing’s first! Whenever you find yourself with a bouquet of fresh cut flowers, grab 1-3 of your favorite blooms from the bunch and showcase them in bud vases around the house. Bud vases are ideal for smaller nooks and crannies, as they typically fit anywhere from 1-5 stems and are anywhere from 2-6” in height.

Ingredients: shorter or more delicate blooms, like daffodil, grape hyacinth, sweet pea blooms, or dried flowers

Placement: your bedside table, bathroom vanity, or any little nook or vignette that’s special to you

H&M ($4)

Blomus ($25, Set of 3)

Heath Ceramics ($26)

Sarah Kersten ($28)

Notary Ceramics

2 - THE FROGGER VASE

A shallow ikebana-style vessel with fool-proof designated holes or pins that are perfect for a few select blooms or vines. I love how these let the flowers speak for themselves. 

Ingredients: the really really special stuff -- like a honeysuckle vine or a hellebores clipping

Placement: kitchen counter, bathroom vanity, dresser, or bookshelf

Etsy ($32)

D:Ceramics ($38)

Notary Ceramics ($50)

Floral Society ($106)

CB2

3 - THE STATEMENT VASE

You know those big, bold arrangements you see in interior design mags, hotels, and restaurants? A hefty, tall vase starting at 14” in height is the foundation for those. Make sure the vase you pick is extra heavy, durable, watertight and won’t topple over!

Ingredients: big blooming branches found in your yard like camellia, cherry blossom, or quince, and arrangements with large sweeping movements

Placement: entryway table, kitchen island, or coffee table

CB2 ($60)

Pottery Barn ($79)

CB2 ($100)

4 - THE CLASSIC BOUQUET VASE

The bouquet vase is a one-stop-drop when little arranging is required, and a good ole glass vase is classic for this. Go for a vase that’s around 8-12”h. Bonus points for anything that is sourced vintage or from Grandma’s house, and has character, like etched or ribbed glass. 

Ingredients: an all-sided farmer’s market bouquet or incoming hostess gift

Placement: coffee table, dining room table, or kitchen island

Jamali Garden ($13)

Zara ($50)

Pottery Barn ($99)

Louise Roe ($141)

5 - THE PITCHER VASE

This is the best ‘starter’ vase, as you likely already have a pitcher on-hand in your kitchen! This is the closest thing to a one-size-fits-all in my opinion. You can truly plop anything into a pitcher.

Ingredients: tulips, poppies, daisies, dahlias, ranunculus, the list goes on …

Placement: coffee table, dinner table, or kitchen island

IKEA ($15)

CB2 ($25)

Bloomist ($60)

Farmhouse Pottery ($165)

Studio-McGee

6 - THE URN VASE

Anything that’s fluted in shape with a pedestal foot is a classic. While urns can feel more traditional in style, there are a ton of fun and modern ones on the market these days.

Ingredients: big bouquets of hydrangeas, or arrangements with sweeping movement and drapey or viney elements that dance down toward the foot

Placement: dining room table, fireplace mantle, or kitchen island

Jamali ($8)

Etsy ($28)

Studio McGee ($148)

Pottery Barn

7 - THE EARTHENWARE JUG  

V Studio McGee if that’s your vibe. These are generally heavy and sturdy, stone or ceramic, have a more distressed look, and may come with handles on the sides. Ideally 10-12”+h, but with these it’s more about the width and roundness (10-12”+w).

Ingredients: an oversized bunch of olive, tall berry branches, or tree clippings from the yard -- all of which can last weeks in a vase depending on hardiness

Placement: kitchen island, entry way console table, or coffee table

Pottery Barn ($69)

Etsy ($69)

Lulu and Georgia ($71)

CB2 ($40)

Zara ($69)

Pottery Barn

8 - THE FLOOR VASE

A floor vase is a great way to dress up a corner of a room or add some flare to an unused fireplace. Generally these are at least 24”h. Make sure the vase you pick is extra heavy, durable, watertight and won’t topple over!

Ingredients: larger branches or tall dried grasses like pampas -- both last a long time and can become a semi-permanent decor element

Placement: a corner of a living room or beside a (non-lit) fireplace

Crate and Barrel ($90)

Pottery Barn ($99)

Pottery Barn ($199)

SOME MORE OF MY FAVORITES …

Where and when possible, I always recommend first trying your local ceramicist, flea market (cannot wait to get back to Alameda Flea), antique shops, Etsy, or Facebook marketplace to source locally and sustainably. Some of my favorite ceramic shops are D:Ceramics, Sarah Kersten Studio, and Earthen Shop.

In addition to these, here are a few easy online places to source vessels:

Food52

CB2

Pottery Barn

Jamali

Crate and Barrel

Zara Home

H&M Home

Lulu and georgia

McGee & Co.

Arhaus

How to Plan a Modern Micro Wedding During COVID-19, featured on Martha Stewart Weddings

I’ve watched and worked alongside so many couples who have been forced to rework their wedding plans due to COVID-19, whether that be postponing entirely, downsizing their headcount, or hosting their wedding in a loved one’s backyard. I feel for them and the tough decisions they have to make, especially as they grapple with what elements are most important to them. 

If you find yourself in a similar situation, I’m here to say that regardless of your Plan B or C, you can *still* accomplish a killer sense of style for your reinvented wedding day. One way to look at this scenario is to acknowledge that there’s potential for more opportunity to invest in the small, super intentional details that can make a big impact for you and your guests. 

Scroll on to see some examples of ways to do this, including:

• setting the tone for your design from day one 

• nontraditional floral installations that create experiences for your guests 

• how to warmly welcome (cough, spoil) your VIP guests 

• bold moves when it comes to attire and personal flowers 

• smaller but bolder tablescapes to ensure the most memorable celebration meal 

In collaboration with a phenomenal vendor team, I am so excited to share this inspirational editorial feature with you, recently featured in Martha Stewart Weddings. Read the article How to Plan a Chic, Modern Micro Wedding During COVID-19 here for more design tips and inspiration. 

Thank you to the amazing Sarah Eichstedt Photography for capturing these beautiful images.

SET THE TONE EARLY ON 

I love when couples choose an intentional paper suite because it truly kicks off the overall design vibe for their day while getting guests so excited for what’s to come. This clean, modern, and unfussy paper suite from Bourne Paper Co. truly set the tone for this day. 

CONSIDER PETITE PERSONAL FLOWERS 

For an intentional and cohesive wedding day design, keep your color palette simple. For this petite bridal bouquet, I honed in on the palette and the ingredient mix. The anthuriums were bold, but softly contrasted by grasses and yarrow to give this bride an intentional look. The perfect pairing for her more laid back bridal jumpsuit from Amsale. 

A petite arrangement of caramel phlox, smokebush, and grasses dress up the groom's sleek suit and modern turtleneck.

SKIP TRADITION

There’s no wedding rule that says you *must* stick with traditional florals. With this install, Lea Stafford Events and I wanted to work with unexpected plant materials instead of florals to create a natural feeling for an intimate ceremony. The contrast of the soft grassy elements against the concrete pillars made for an impactful moment for guests and grounded the ceremony.

It was really important for me to create something entirely sustainable and foam-free. This was primarily designed using potted grasses and moss, so the install was able to be repurposed (and re-potted!) afterwards.

PUT IT ALL ON THE TABLE 

A smaller table setting does not mean you need to skimp on style! 

For this table setting, I wanted to lean into the contract of these black modern wishbone chairs from Theoni Collection against the soft linens and candlelight. So I added textured flower arrangements in modern shallow black vessels, paired with simple ikebana and bud vase arrangements. The table was the perfect spot to bring the different style elements of the day together for one cohesive design, and floral pieces of different shapes and sizes ensured every guest had something beautiful to sit down to. 

SPOIL YOUR GUESTS 

Favor boxes like these from Bestowe Gifting make the perfect VIP perk to spoil your guests, and are a great way to showcase your unique personality and style. 

LET THEM EAT THREE CAKES 

If dessert is important to you, this is an area you could invest more in with a smaller guest count. These miniature multi-tier cakes from Revelry Cakes made for quite the dessert experience. Accents of peach sweet peas, mauve lisianthus, and grasses added one last touch of micro detail. 

For more design tips and inspiration, read the full article How to Plan a Chic, Modern Micro Wedding During COVID-19 on Martha Stewart Weddings here.

Featured on Martha Stewart Weddings

Floral Design | Anastasia Andenmatten

Photography | Sarah Eichstedt Photography

Planning + Design | Lea Stafford Events

Invitation Suite | Bourne Paper Co.

Rentals | Theoni Collection

Cake | Revelry Cakes

Bespoke Gifts | Bestowe Gifting

Jewelry | Shop Esqueleto

Bridal Jumpsuit | Amsale