A guide to vases and how to use each type

It's scientifically proven that flowers make us feel better, scenting the air with wonderful floral perfumes that are bound to lift our spirits. If that isn't reason enough to have a bouquet of blooms around the house, we don't know quite what is. 

Having something stylish to display your flowers in is just as important as the stems themselves. After all, unless you opt for silk or dried flowers, it can be rather pricy to refresh and renew on a constant rotation, so you'll want something that looks just as good empty as it does full. A decorative vase or stylish jug can transform even the plainest of spaces. A home bar with a vase atop it looks instantly more inviting. A set of shelves becomes a vignette with a jug or two. A coffee table has a new centrepiece. A side table, or bedside table, with a statement ceramic on it is a table elevated. Think of these vessels as jewellery for the home. The pieces that add a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to a room.

Not all vases are made equal, as Philippa Craddock, florist for the royal wedding, well knows. The best flower vase will vary from flower to flower but, as Philippa says, “you don't need a huge collection of vases, but a few well-chosen pieces will help make floristry fun and straightforward, whether you would like to spend a few meditative hours crafting a floral arrangement of seasonal stems from your garden, or you would like to very quickly create an elegant display, ready to welcome guests for dinner.” 

Her top five types of vessels are as follows.

Apothecary Glass Vases 

"These are superb for wild, whimsical, just picked bunches of longer stems and branches. Perfect for console and central display tables."

Dartington Crystal Lily Flower Bottle Vase, green

Apothecary Statement Vase

Botanical Jar Vases

Medium Apothecary Vase

Bud Vases 

“For quick, elegant table designs, using simplistic single stems to mixed mini bunches of small stems. These petite vases are perfect for small side tables and placed down the length of a dining table, mixed with candles.”

Poole Pottery Volcano Purse Bud Vase

Short Bud Vase

Anna + Nina Glass Vase Sea Blue

Jaipur Medium Vases, set of three

Urns and Confit Jars 

“For large headed flowers, including double tulips, peonies, garden roses and hydrangea. The narrower neck helps to hold and support these larger stems, to create bold designs with ease.”

Large Neoclassical Glass Urn

Girona Clear Glass Waisted Vase

Large Urn Vase

Anyday Portobello Vase with Handles

Compote Bowl 

"For elegant, carefully created designs with mixed flowers; the foot elevates the arrangement and the wider opening allows beautifully flowing shapes."

Raawii Medium Strøm Bowl

Barovier Toso Murano Glass Compote Bowl

Marble Pedestal Bowl

Anna + Nina Strawberry Fields Graphic Print Ceramic Fruit Bowl

Can you use a jug instead of a vase?

Jugs in all shapes and sizes – almost everyone will have some type of jug at home. They offer a superb shape to neatly hold stems and create a relaxed design with ease. Perfect for the 'just picked from the cutting garden' look.

The best places to buy vases

Philippa's favourite sources of vases include, “antique fairs (Ardingly is superb), direct from makers (I love the makers Michael Ruh, Cara Guthrie, Luke Eastop, Eliza May and Rebecca Williams) and homeware stores.” She recommends Nkuku, Wearth London, Neptune, Layered Lounge and The Conran Shop in particular.

But vases don't just exist as worthy places to house your flowers. In our gallery below there are handblown, handcrafted and hand painted pieces that say enough for themselves without being filled with florals. These pieces tend to be delicate, and some aren't made to withstand use or to hold water, so do check out the credentials of the vase you're eyeing up- just to ensure it fits with what you have planned.

Scroll on for our edit of the best vases and jugs to buy now.

Looking for more home accessories? We have a wonderful guide to vintage art here and lovely decorative wall mirrors can be found here. For the home office we have a lovely gallery of stationery and desk accessories to brighten up any workspace. We have also rounded up the best home bar accessories, including glasses and bottles. Looking for lovely unique pieces? Check out of designers guide to Etsy, where top interior designers have cherry picked their favourite shops.

Vases and jugs