Vases as Decoration: How to Style a Group of Vases

An empty vase works best as decoration when you don't place it alone, but group two or three vases with a clear difference in height, shape and colour. That turns a mosaic vase without flowers into a sculptural object that finishes off a room.

Why is an empty vase such a popular decorative choice?

A vase doesn't need to be filled to add value to a room. At Masr Potten & Vazen we see more and more customers choosing a mosaic vase purely for its shape and colour, with no intention of ever putting flowers in it. That fits a way of decorating where fewer objects, chosen with more meaning, set the tone. A handmade mosaic vase tells a story: every piece is cut and laid by hand, inspired by the Egyptian mosaic tradition that the name Masr, the Arabic word for Egypt, refers to. No two pieces are identical, and the small colour differences and slight irregularities are not a flaw, they are proof of handwork.

How do you put together a group of vases that works?

A single vase can be beautiful, but a group makes more of an impression and looks less accidental. A few rules of thumb that help:

• Choose an odd number: two or three vases usually look calmer than four in a row.
• Vary the height on purpose, for example one slender vase next to two shorter ones.
• Keep the colours within the same family, think lapis blue with turquoise and a touch of bronze, so the group stays calm despite the colourful mosaic.
• Avoid lining the vases up in a perfectly straight row: a slight stagger in depth looks more natural than a rigid line.

Which spot in the house suits a group of vases?

A windowsill, a sideboard or the low cabinet next to the sofa are the places where a group of empty vases works best, because there is enough room to show the height differences. On a small side table, a single vase usually works better, simply because the surface is too small for a composition. In a hallway or entrance, one larger mosaic vase can act as a statement piece, while smaller groups suit the living room or dining room better.

Which mosaic colours combine best in an empty vase?

In an empty vase, the colour of the mosaic carries the entire look, since there is no flower to draw the eye instead. Curious which colour combinations suit your interior? Read more about which mosaic colours work well together in different interior styles, from quiet earth tones to bold lapis blue.

Can a vase for dried flowers also stand empty?

Yes, and that's exactly why many customers pick the same vase for both purposes. A vase suited for dried flowers often already has a calm, sculptural shape that still stands well on its own. Not sure about the right size for a table or sideboard? The article on choosing the right vase size for the living room explains how to match the size to the space around it.

Is every piece suited to standing on its own as decoration?

Because every piece is handmade, the exact shape and colour distribution always differs slightly from the next one, even within the same series. For anyone deliberately choosing standalone decoration, that's an advantage: no two vases next to each other are identical, which automatically gives a group a unique, curated look instead of a factory set. Anyone who prefers to work with a fixed colour theme can bring that into the custom-made process, where colour, model and size are matched together, including a company logo worked into the mosaic if desired. This attention to craft and origin fits the wider shift towards buying more consciously, as also described by the Dutch consumer body Milieu Centraal on sustainable choices at home: objects that last and are made with care ultimately outweigh a low purchase price.