Decorative vases for the living room: how to choose the right size and colour

Decorative vases in the living room are the ones you see most often. You see them in the morning, coffee in hand, and in the evening, when the light turns warm and the room quietens. To choose well, you need two answers: how big the vase should be for its spot, and what colour it should be to tie in with the rest of the room. Let's find them together.

Decorative vases for the living room: where to start

Start with the spot, not the vase. Stand in the living room doorway and notice where your eye stops. That's its place.

A few questions that help:

• Where will you put it? On the coffee table, a console table, a shelf, the dining table or by the window.
• What will you fill it with? Fresh flowers, twigs, dried flowers, artificial flowers or nothing at all. Some vases are beautiful empty, like a sculpture.
• What's the tone of the room? Warm wood, cool grey, bright white, touches of black or gold.

Once you have the answers, the size and colour almost choose themselves.

How to choose the size of the vase

The proportion rule, in short

Florists use a simple rule: the arrangement should be about one and a half to two times taller than the vase. A 25 cm vase works well with flowers that reach 40-50 cm in total. That way the vase and the flowers support each other, without one hiding the other.

The same goes for furniture. A vase that's too small on a long console table gets lost. One that's too big on a narrow shelf feels heavy.

On the coffee table

Choose a low or medium vase. The coffee table is where people talk, reach for a cup, look at each other. A vase up to 20-25 cm lets the eye pass freely. The Hecate vase, in matt cream, 21 cm tall with a wide 13.5 cm mouth, holds a full bouquet without rising like a wall between you and the others.

On a console table, chest of drawers or sideboard

Here you're allowed to go taller. A 30-37 cm vase gives the wall height and rhythm, especially if there's a painting or a mirror above. Place the vase slightly to one side, not right in the middle, and balance it with something lower on the other side: a book, a candle, a small vase.

On shelves and bookcases

Shelves love small vases and sets. Two vases of different heights, side by side, bring movement among the books. Leave a little air around them so their shape shows.

On the dining table

If you have guests at the table, keep the vase low so people can see each other over the flowers. If the table is mostly empty, a tall vase in the centre turns it into something to look at.

Large decorative vases for the living room

A large vase is a presence. It doesn't need much around it. On a console table, by the window or on a sideboard, it becomes the point the room turns towards.

The tallest vases in our collection are Nyx XL, white, 37 cm, and Nyx L, 35 cm, white with gold leaf. If you want colour, Athena is 30.5 cm in a matt light brown, warm like sun-warmed clay, and Hestia is 30 cm in a bright yellow that lights up a grey corner.

A large vase looks just as lovely with artificial or dried flowers, if you want decor that stays the same for months. We've gathered the ideas in our guide to artificial flowers in a vase.

Tall floor vases: what to know

Many people look for tall decorative floor vases. So it doesn't get lost next to the sofa or a cabinet, a floor vase needs serious height, usually well over half a metre, and a stable, heavy base.

We want to be honest with you: our vases are designed for tables, console tables and shelves, and the tallest is 37 cm. If you love the floor-vase look, you can create it like this:

• Raise the vase. Put a tall vase on a stool, a plinth or a low side table next to the armchair.
• Lengthen the arrangement. Long branches, pampas grass or dried twigs visually double the height of the vase.
• Group them. Two or three vases of different heights, placed close together, take the place of one large piece and have more life.

How to choose the colour of the vase

The colour of the vase decides whether it blends into the room or stands out. Both are good. Just decide which you want.

The white vase

A white vase is the safest choice and often the most beautiful. It goes with wood, grey, beige, green. It reflects light and lets the flowers be the stars. In a small living room, white makes the space feel airier.

The black vase

A black vase brings depth and contrast. Against a white wall or on a pale console table, it becomes a graphic silhouette, almost a drawing. White, cream or green flowers seem to glow in it. Balance it with something bright nearby so it doesn't feel heavy.

White with gold and black with gold

Gold is a vase's evening light. On white, it's delicate and festive. On black, it's elegant and a little theatrical. It looks wonderful next to brass, dark wood and velvety fabrics.

The Summer Wedding set, with two vases of 23.5 and 16 cm, comes in white, black, yellow, black with gold and white with gold, so you can match it exactly to the tone of your room. And the La vie en rose set, with a 27 cm vase and two planters with raised roses, comes in white, white with gold, black and black with gold.

Warm colours: yellow, orange, brown, cream

Warm colours make a living room welcoming. A yellow brings sunshine into a north-facing room. A matt brown gets on well with wood and natural fabrics. A cream is softer than white and suits homes with beige tones.

Blue and turquoise

Blue calms. A blue-to-white gradient, like the Thetis vase, recalls water and sky and looks lovely next to fabrics in shades of grey and navy. Turquoise is more playful and brings a neutral scheme to life.

How to tie the vase colour to the room

A simple trick: take the vase colour from something already in the room. A cushion, a painting, a mirror frame, a rug. The vase will look as if it has always been there.

Modern decorative vases: shape is half the decor

Modern vases no longer hide behind the flowers. They have curved, asymmetric shapes, openings, raised textures. Sometimes you don't even fill them. You leave them empty on a shelf and look at them like a small sculpture.

If you'd like to know which flowers suit each shape, from the cylinder vase to the wide-mouthed one, read our guide to vase shapes.

For a modern living room:

• Choose a single piece with a strong shape and let it breathe. Don't surround it with lots of objects.
• Mix textures. A matt vase next to a glossy one, a textured one next to a smooth one.
• Group in odd numbers. Three objects of different heights look more natural than two identical ones.

Frequently asked questions

What size should a living room vase be?

It depends on the spot. On the coffee table, a vase up to 20-25 cm keeps the view clear. On a console table or sideboard, one of 30-37 cm gives height and balance. On shelves, small vases and sets of two suit best.

What colour of vase suits a living room?

White goes with almost anything and is the easiest choice. Black brings contrast to a bright room, and white with gold or black with gold bring a festive feel. The safest way is to take the colour from something already in the room, such as a cushion or a painting.

How tall should a floor vase be?

A floor vase needs serious height so it doesn't get lost next to furniture, usually well over half a metre, and a stable base. If you have a smaller vase, you can raise it on a stool or a plinth and complete it with long branches.

How many vases should you have in a living room?

There's no fixed number. For a calm living room, one main piece and one or two small groups are enough. When you group them, odd numbers and different heights look most natural.

Does a white-and-gold vase suit a modern living room?

Yes. Gold used sparingly, as a rim or a detail, goes well with the clean lines of a modern living room. It looks lovely next to brass, dark wood and velvety fabrics.

Can I leave the vase empty, without flowers?

Of course. A beautifully shaped vase is a decorative object on its own. On a shelf or a console table, with light falling on it, it shows its line and texture without needing anything else.

Once you have the spot in mind, the rest comes easily. Have a look through our porcelain vases and vase sets or see them in person at the showroom at Str. Johannes Kepler 69, Sector 2, Bucharest. Maybe your living room's vase is already there.