Glass vases are such a popular design element – they instantly add sophistication and elegance to any space. Some of the reasons for this popularity include their accessibility, affordability, and multitude of available options. Glass vases come in a wide range of colors, sizes, shapes, and styles. However, precisely because so many options exist it is hard to understand how to pick just the right glass vase for your needs. Read our guide to choosing the best glass vase for any style to avoid a hard and tiresome search process and know how to approach finding the right piece for your home or office.
Classic Styles Spell Easy Elegance
Glass vases never go out of style. Their innate beauty, reflective qualities, and wide variety of designs make them a must-have in every home or office. Whether you are a minimalist seeking simplicity and elegance or a bohemian lover attracted to color and interesting forms, there is a glass vase that perfectly fits your taste and enhances your space.
Classic shapes, such as cylinders, spheres, or cubes, make easy design choices thanks to their simplicity. These elegant vases complement both traditional and modern interiors. Whether your home has a country French, Mediterranean, classic American, contemporary, or minimalist style, a classic transparent glass vase will add just the right accent to any room of your house.
What’s more, glass vases add refinement to the space without being overbearing and mix well with other decorative elements. Designers often recommend placing single-stem flowers or simple foliage in these vases, such that the clean lines of the glass vase complement the beauty and the inherent elegance of the flowers in order to take the room’s ambiance to the next level.
Colorful Expressions of Creativity
Color plays a key role in interior design. Glass vases, available in virtually any color palette ranging from vibrant reds, blues, and black, to soft pastels, to transparent glass provide an opportunity to infuse personality into your spaces. A large bold and colorful vase, be it a floor vase or a vase you put on an accent table, becomes the focal point of the room. During parties or family gatherings, it will create a warm and interesting accent that will set your space apart from any similarly designed homes. You can effortlessly showcase your taste and preference for styles and colors through a large accent vase.
Some of the best choices if you love glass vases in rich colors come in Murano Glass. These blown glass vases handcrafted in Murano, Italy, sport interesting designs often with gold- or silver leaf or Murrina (aka “Millefiori”) inclusions. Red, green or blue Murano Glass vases make perfect centerpieces both in rooms with neutral palettes and in those where bright colors already play a role.
If your wall colors are bold or on the darker side, opaque glass vases in pink, milky-white, soft-blue or beige colors may be a better choice than bright big pieces. They will nicely balance brighter design choices made for rugs, curtains, or wall colors and create a calm accent and a more harmonious atmosphere.
Deciding on Shapes and Sizes
The diversity in shapes and sizes of glass vases allows for many different decorative solutions. Tall, slender vases enhance vertical space and are perfect for long-stemmed flowers, artificial greenery, or dried plants. Tall glass vases make the space feel airier and ceilings seem higher. Shorter, and wider vases, on the other hand, work well in tighter areas, accentuating shelf spaces, bed stands, or window sills.
Bright or transparent vases that are short in round, oval, or square shapes work well for seasonal arrangements. These may be summer-themed collections of seashells, sea glass, and sand, autumn arrangements of fallen leaves and acorns, or Christmas ones of winter pine cones, poinsettia, winterberries, and Christmas ornaments. Glass vases used to hold decorative arrangements are excellent for creating a feeling of coziness and warmth, and adding an interesting seasonal touch to home decor.
When It’s Time to Consult with Designers
Design experts love to recommend glass vases due to their versatility and wide applications in decorative solutions, as well as relative affordability. Their wide range of colors, styles, and shapes allows for placements in various settings, such as centerpieces, mantelpieces, or corners. Designers often utilize glass vases to introduce new colors and textures, coordinate with room palettes, or create visual interest through contrast. Their transformative ability is the key to changing the perception of a room without changing any significant aspects of it, such as wall colors or furniture. space to feel refreshed and invigorated without extensive redecoration.
Sometimes, your space may be in need of a refresh but you may not be quite sure what action to take. Is it now fall or winter and your room is still stuck in the summer vibe? Are the shelves or tables too empty and you don’t have that warm sense of home in the empty-feeling room? Do your curtains or rug stand out too much from the rest of your room’s color scheme? Then it’s likely time to talk to an interior designer about a way to add a glass vase or two. A well-chosen vase in the design and color that works with the rest of the decor will work wonders to change the ambiance and appeal of any room in your house.
Glass Vases as Office Decor
Glass vases are not limited to home environments; they also work well to accentuate office spaces. In an office, a glass vase can break the monotony, creating a welcoming atmosphere that boosts morale and productivity. A thoughtfully chosen vase makes an office feel more personalized and less sterile, achieving a balance between professionalism and creativity.
It’s a good idea to put a colorful glass vase on a coffee table in a reception area to add an interesting emphasis to an otherwise neutral space. Or you can put a glass vase on a nice shelf, desk, or credenza in the work area to warm up the professional and neutral space with an interesting design element. In order to offset the dullness of a typical office, don’t choose a plain-looking transparent vase. Instead, pick vases with interesting shapes and colors, such as Italian Murano Glass handkerchief vases, or other intricately shaped Murano vases crafted using traditional glass-blowing techniques.
Practical Beauty: Maintenance and Care
Glass vases are popular not only thanks to their beauty and great fit into many designs, but also for easy maintenance. Their surfaces are generally easy to clean both from dust and after putting flowers inside. In the former case, all you need is to use a dust wipe or a damp cloth to gently clean and polish the surface. In the latter case, you can safely wash the vase under the running water with mild soap, then gently dry it with a lint-free towel and polish it with a glass polishing cloth. Periodic cleaning of your glass vases will ensure that they maintain their brilliance over time.
5 Tips for Selecting a Glass Vase for Your Decor
- Consider the Placement: Envision where the vase will stand. Which room will you put it in? Which furniture piece will it stand on? Low coffee table? A mantle? A high shelf or a countertop? The location will guide your choice regarding the preferred design, size, and shape.
- Pick a Vase That Works with Your Style: Your vase should complement your existing décor or be a thoughtfully placed contrasting element. Consider the colors, patterns, and overall style of your space, and pick a piece that will achieve your decorative goal.
- Quality Matters: Look for high-quality vases when possible to ensure durability and aesthetic appeal. Murano Glass vases are one of the top choices when it comes to originality, quality, and artistic value. These vases have a long history of traditional craftsmanship and are handmade one at a time.
- Explore and Experiment: Don’t shy away from experimenting with different styles. Use smartphone artificial intelligence capabilities on many shopping websites to see how a particular vase will look in your space. Sometimes, a unique vase can surprise you by perfectly aligning with your interior.
Finding Your Perfect Vase
Finding the ideal glass vase involves exploring various designs, forms, and colors. In order to better understand and evaluate various options, you may want to visit stores to physically see different vases in various design settings. Due to glass’ reflective qualities, glass vases are tricky because they look different under different lighting conditions and in different color schemes.
It may be that after exhaustive search you still can’t find exactly what you are looking for. The wide variety of styles and colors may feel overwhelming and create confusion rather than make your choice apparent. If that is the case – do not despair, you can make your own vase! Glass masters at Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York will guide you through the process and help you bring your idea for the perfect glass vase to life.
Once you have a good idea of what vase you are looking for, you can search online, where you will find many more options than by visiting a few stores. Many online platforms offer extensive collections, allowing you to find something that resonates with your taste. GlassOfVenice.com has the largest selection of authentic handmade Murano Glass vases outside of Venice, Italy. There are vases in all color schemes and designs to help you pick one that will look best in your home or office. Make sure to read customer reviews to choose a vase that aligns with your expectations in terms of quality and design.
It may seem like a difficult process to find the vase of your dreams that will perfectly fit into your interior design. However, if approached right, shopping for a vase is a fun and interesting activity, which will expose you to a multitude of possibilities and open your horizons to new styles and design solutions. Most importantly, pick the piece you’ll love looking at and will not get tired of even as time passes.
