If we are to learn anything from the past two years, let it be that the time to enjoy what we have is now.
By Beth Brown Ables
No more waiting for a solitary special occasion to pull out grandmother’s china, the hand-me-down linens, your great aunt’s candlesticks, or the silver service nobody wants to polish.
Perhaps you have a piece tucked away like this Chinese Famille Verte vase. A gorgeous classic antique, yes. But other than display, what can you do with it? If you own a vase like this but it’s languishing away in a cupboard or sequestered on a shelf, set it free.
The Utility of Vases
Use It. A vase is a vessel meant to be filled.
Before your next gathering, whether that’s a Friday night intimate dinner or a pull-out-all-the-stops soiree, present your favorite vase to a respected floral designer and ask them to create a centerpiece. Here, designer Kelly Ford, who along with Megan Runion helms floral pop-up Shoppe Field South, fills an antique vessel to the brim with blooms. Hellebores, anemones, garden roses and citrus cascade out and over the porcelain rim creating a still life-worthy centerpiece bold and classic enough to complement its container. The result is nothing short of fine art.
Transform a vase into a lamp
Alas, flowers fade, and perhaps you’re craving a more permanent transformation. Bring your treasured vase into the light—literally—and turn it into a lamp.
In the hands of a professional like Phil Waters at Rock House Antiques, adapting a vase into a lamp is a simple and rewarding task. The trickiest step is drilling the bottom of the piece for wiring, and any lamp repair person will double-check with you to ensure you are aware of the possibility of breakage. Then it’s quick work attaching wiring, a base, socket, and harp to create the lamp body. Select a shade to complement your vase, a finial for the top of the harp, and enjoy your handsome, one-of-a-kind lamp for years to come.
Bind Collections in Vases
Walking sticks and canes, polished and roughhewn, varnished and stubby with bark, brass and glass finials gleaming, all gathered in one container create a sculptural, stunning
display. Set in the corner by a doorway or tucked into a hall, your vessel comes alive and tells the story of the people who used them, the walks and hikes enjoyed, the history they hold.
Our prized possessions wait for new life found in enjoyment and use. Look around your home and see what life and beauty are waiting to be unfurled anew.
