Styling Notes from The Suffolk Nest

With the vast number of vases available, it can be difficult to know which to invest in when styling your home. Whether you’re at the beginning of your flower arranging journey or looking to refresh your interior décor, I recommend selecting a few key styles that offer versatility and texture. Here are five of my favourites. When it comes to creating a standout floral arrangement, the vase you choose can make a real difference. The right vase can elevate your display and create a statement piece, while the wrong choice can prevent your arrangement from looking its best. So, if you’re wondering “How can I style vases at home?” I’d love to share my top tips. Over the years, I’ve built a substantial collection of vases. There are some decorative vases in my home and studio that I absolutely love and others that, with hindsight, I regret purchasing. However, the vase alone doesn’t dictate the success of your display. I’ve come to learn that flowers and vases need to work together and complement one another. No matter whether you’re new to flower arranging journey or looking to transform your interior décor, the different types of vases available to choose from can be a little overwhelming. Bowls, jugs, pots, clear and opaque vases are just a few of the styles on offer. I recommend investing in key pieces that suit your home and allow for some flexibility when it comes to creating floral displays. 1. Classic Apothecary Vase I think that a clean, simple glass vase suits almost any space. When decorating with vases, the classic apothecary vase is one of the most versatile. I use them in spots throughout the home year-round as they can work well in any environment, from our kitchen island to our living room coffee table. They’re especially effective for displaying spiral hand tied bouquets as the stems can expand into the body of the vase and its tapered neck supports the flowers. It’s also surprisingly easy to arrange flowers within the vase by angling the stems. 2. Bud Vase Bud vases are available in all shapes and sizes, but my favourites tend to have a narrower neck than body to support the stems. You’ll rarely find our kitchen sink and bedside tables without a bud vase, whether they contain an elegant sprig of greenery or a big blousy garden rose. As these types of vases are smaller than most, you can use them throughout your home to add a floral accent to different rooms. You could also add even more personality by recycling empty diffuser and perfume bottles and styling them with soft, organic blooms. 3. Opaque Vase Opaque decorative vases can be crafted from a range of different materials including ceramic, cement, stone, and terracotta. I personally love these vases as they bring their own natural texture that can add warmth and interest to your home. While they provide a stunning backdrop for flowers, you don’t necessarily need to add florals to create an intriguing display. I find that pairing two opaque vases of different sizes on a sideboard can help to ground the furniture and bring colour and texture to the room. 4. Pedestal Bowl If you’re looking for a more unusual decorative vase, pedestal bowls are some of the most striking on offer. I think they’re inherently elegant, especially when styled with asymmetric floral designs, but they’re also stunning when filled with fruit, vegetables, moss, or some faux artichoke heads. If you would prefer to concentrate on floral arrangements, I recommend using a bowl with an opening that’s no bigger than 18cm. You’ll also need to provide additional support for your stems, such as chicken wire or a Kenzan flower frog. Be sure to keep a look out for pedestal bowls in charity and vintage shops – I love stumbling across a unique piece that I wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere! 5. Jugs One of my favourite types of vases to use in the kitchen and dining room is a jug. Jugs work well with flowers cut fresh straight from the garden but, as they’re typically not watertight, I prefer to use them to display dried flowers or my faux stems, especially faux Lilacs, Ranunculus, and Waxflowers. Depending on your interior aesthetic, you can opt for a distressed jug or a clean white version and, just like opaque vases, they can add interest to your kitchen décor even when displayed empty. Make sure you add jugs to your shopping list when touring antique fairs and charity shops too.

If you’re looking to prepare your home for summer and are looking for interior inspiration, my summer home décor tips will help you create that fresh feeling year-round As temperatures rise and the sun begins to shine, it’s time to make the most of the long summer days and create memories that will last a lifetime. Alfresco dining, relaxed gatherings with friends and family, and removing the barriers between indoors and out all contribute to making summer our most sociable season. I like to make the most of that summer feeling by making our home feel as spacious as possible, embracing minimalist décor to create a light and airy atmosphere throughout.   I hope that my summer home décor ideas will serve to inspire you and show that small seasonal changes can simply transform your home. Embrace a neutral colour palette   I love to use neutral tones in our home year-round, but they can be particularly effective in the summer months. White and light neutrals can help to open your interior space and provide a cool and calming oasis on warmer days. Playing with texture and layers adds depth to your rooms without making them feel overly cluttered or constricting. Incorporate linens, cotton, lightweight knits, and soft furnishings with subtle patterns in complementary soft shades.      Make space When the winter nights start drawing in, we all want to hunker down in a room that’s cosy and warm. But as soon as a heatwave hits, we start craving the light, airy feel that’s more often found in Mediterranean villas. To recreate this look at home, take some time to simplify and declutter your space. Don’t worry; you don’t have to get rid of everything. Preparing your rooms for summer can be as simple as storing your heavy blankets, putting away your ornaments, or moving some piece of furniture into the garage or attic. Alfresco dining There’s nothing I love more in the summer months than inviting our friends and family around to enjoy a meal (any excuse for Chris to crack out the barbecue!). Summer tablescapes can elevate your dining experience, especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion. For place settings, I like to take inspiration from the beach with durable rattan and seagrass placemats while keeping the surrounding glassware minimal. Large oak serving boards make fantastic sharing platters while light throws, cushions, and lanterns can keep guests comfortable well into the evening. Summer socialising should feel relaxed and unhurried so it’s best to choose floral arrangements that set the scene but don’t obstruct anyone’s view or interrupt conversation. I recommend selecting a few glass bud vases, which can be filled with fragrant white Stocks, soft summer grasses, delicate white Sweet Peas, and freshly cut garden Roses to create a look that’s timeless and elegant. Take inspiration from nature For our family, summer is all about making the most of the weather and exploring the great outdoors, but why not bring the outside in? Take style notes from nature by embracing natural materials and items gathered on day trips. If you love nothing more than a trip to the seaside, consider adding a beautiful shell that your children have found on the beach or a piece of driftwood that has been washed ashore to your shelves or mantlepiece. Dried seed pods foraged during walks through the woods or a work of art by a local artist can also become unique style pieces as well as holding cherished memories. Try a summer scent There are some scents that instantly evoke that summer feeling. For me, it’s freshly washed linen, citrus, coconut, and lights florals. You could choose to bring these fragrances into your home with a candle, room spray or diffuser. Of course, fresh flowers are a wonderful way to add a fresh and light summer fragrance to your interiors. In my opinion, you can’t beat the scent of freshly picked sweet peas and fragrant garden roses. Desdemona David Austin, Queen of Sweden David Austin, and Olivia David Austin are just a few of my favourites. Pop them in a bud vase on your bedside table, next to your kitchen sink, or on a side table. Choose summer floral arrangements In the summer months, I like to keep the floral arrangements in our home loose, textured, and a little bit wild. I tend to include plenty of foliage, such as Olive, Rosemary, and tall billowing grass stems, and add in some focal flowers such as fragrant white Stocks, white Peonies, or white Agapanthus. Our kitchen doesn’t feel complete without an arrangement on the island, whether it’s a simple bunch of foliage or a statement piece in a large ceramic vase. If fresh flowers aren’t for you, invest in high-quality faux stems to make that summer feeling last the whole season. I’ve designed an array of faux summer floral arrangements if you’re in need of inspiration.