How to Pair Vintage Ceramics with Contemporary Finishes

There’s nothing like a slightly lopsided, oddly charming vintage vase to take a modern space from “this looks nice” to “wait—this looks cool.” Vintage ceramics are the quiet stars of a well-designed room. They don’t scream for attention. They just sit there being textured, soulful, and smugly one-of-a-kind.

Here’s how to let them live their best life:

Image Credit: DeVol

1. Embrace contrast.
Old ceramics thrive next to sleek surfaces. Stick a crusty old bowl on a smooth quartz countertop and suddenly your kitchen has range. That weirdly stubby vase on your fancy glass shelf? A design moment. It’s the high-low mix that makes you look like you know what you’re doing.


image credit: DeVol

2. Don’t overdo it.
This is not a pottery hoarding situation. You don’t need 12 vessels crowding a table like they’re plotting something. One or two is plenty. Let them breathe.

image credit: Meta Coleman

3. Let the chips show.
Cracks, crazing, uneven shapes—these are features, not flaws. That little chip? Character. That weird glaze? A vibe.

4. Mix your materials.
Pair ceramics with metal, marble, wood—anything clean and polished. The contrast makes them pop (in a quiet, ceramic kind of way).

Vintage ceramics: because perfection is overrated, and “quality cool” is in.

- Juliette