By Meike van Dongen · Veem, Amsterdam · 7 August 2026
Why does a group of vases look effortless in a shop and messy at home? Two numbers do the work.
The rule of three
Group in odd numbers - three works almost everywhere. The eye reads an odd group as one composition; even numbers split into pairs and look staged.
The 2:3 height ratio
Your second vase should be roughly two-thirds the height of the tallest, the third two-thirds of the second. Example: 30 cm - 20 cm - 13 cm. That stair-step keeps the group calm without being symmetric.
Filling: less than you think
| Vase | Fill |
|---|---|
| Tallest | Dried grasses or one long branch |
| Middle | Empty - the shape is the point |
| Smallest | One short stem or nothing |
One filled, one empty, one optional: an empty vase is decor, a full group is a bouquet stand.
Colour
Stay inside one colour family with different textures (matte ceramic next to glass) - contrast comes from material, not colour.