We don’t normally go in for life hacks, but here’s one anyway: invest in a vase with a teeny opening and you’ll never have to spend big on flowers again. Each of these artful vessels looks great holding only a stem or two, whether you opt for store-bought blooms or foraged greenery from around the neighbourhood.
ACV Studio Edging Over vase in red
Melbourne artist and designer Anna Varendorff enjoys a cult following for her conceptual installation work, and she channels the same sense of theatricality into this spunky round tubular vase for her label ACV Studio. Made from powder-coated stainless steel, it’s a stunning sculptural form even without a bloom. Add a lone flower and it’s a knockout. $330
Doubly Bob vase
NZ expat Aimee Carruthers is a creative agency art director who likes to get her hands dirty on the weekend with her Melbourne-based ceramic practice Doubly. It’s a range of pleasingly textured clay work that speaks to both brutalist and organic forms – and it has a pretty good sense of humour, too. At only 10 centimetres high, the Bob vase is named for a New Zealand waterslide that’s famously too short, and it can be filled with even the tiniest of foliage. Available in three finishes. $60
Nomnom Studio Meta vase
Copenhagen-based Nomnom Studio has a knack for turning out witty and colourful homewares. Its signature Meta vase is crafted from recycled plastic pipe – artfully crumpled and coated in highly saturated paint, with a slim opening perfect for hosting just one or two statement blooms. Currently available in pastel pinks and blues, lavender and butter yellow via The Minimalist Home. Small $299, Tall $319
Maison Balzac Margot vase trio in smoke, teal and clear
Not all statements have to shout. This bud vase trio from star Sydney label Maison Balzac makes a quietly stylish statement with classic lines, calming colourways and quality craftmanship. Hand-blown from 100 per cent borosilicate glass, each vase is only 2.5 centimetres wide at the mouth, so holding just one piece of greenery is an elegant sufficiency. $89
Bernadette Huang donut vase
Donut-shaped homewares might be fashionable right now, but these stunning stoneware vases from Taiwanese-Australian ceramicist Bernadette Huang are more than mere trend items. Working out of her Sydney home studio, Huang is a small-batch maker who favours simple and symmetrical forms with minimal adornment. Her horizontal donuts (she makes upright ones too) vary in size and finish, and provide a dramatic base for pared-back flower arranging. $100-250
Dean Toepfer Vase Versa stem vase
Adelaide product designer Dean Toepfer taps into some pleasingly chunky retro forms with this single-stem vase crafted from solid two-toned marblo (a hybrid polymer invented in 1979). Comes in tall and small versions, in a range of colourways. And who can resist a punny name? $180
Marloe Marloe Twiggie vase
The Twiggie vase from Australian design studio Marloe Marloe is simultaneously shapely and skinny. You’ll find its arabesque curves glazed in a fun range of hyper-textured finishes and coloured glosses that each lend a distinct character to the classic form. Handmade in Indonesia, it’s designed to make a statement with one or two pieces of greenery – or just on its own. $380–$625
Opus Lab rock maple vase
No need to add water with this hand-carved beauty from Opus Lab – just pop in a sprig of native foliage and you’re done. The Aussie label is inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design, channelled here into an unfussy form that showcases the natural beauty of Tasmanian rock maple – knotty bits and all. Available at The DEA Store. $108
