9 Fresh Ways to Use Classic Blue and White Ceramics

Blue and white ceramics are classic and elegant and go with a surprisingly wide range of styles, from traditional to eclectic modern. Whether you’ve been collecting for years or just picked up a piece or two and are wondering what to do with them, here are nine ways to make that blue and white china or porcelain look fresh and exciting all over again.

1. Pair blue and white china with Lucite. Classic blue and white ginger jars look fresh sitting atop a modern Lucite console. Placing a few woven baskets beneath the table adds texture and balances the visual weight of the jars. Try this on a smaller scale by placing a blue and white china sugar bowl filled with flowers or candies on a clear acrylic coffee table, with a woven basket of magazines below.


2. Use blue and white ceramics to store practical items. Fill a ginger jar with tea bags, a vase with wooden spoons or a creamer with birthday candles. Those blue and white pieces are beautiful, so why not make them useful, too?

3. Bring a blue and white garden stool into the kitchen. Use it as for holding a stack of cookbooks or for a friend to perch on while you cook — either way, a garden stool can be a useful and stylish addition to the kitchen.


4. Fill a blue and white container with tall cut branches. Simply using your blue and white porcelain containers can make you see them in a new light. Remove the lid from a jar and fill it with seasonal cut branches — the branches will bring your cluster of blue and white china pieces to life.


5. Decorate a nonworking fireplace with blue and white jars and vases. That little gap in the wall can be tricky to decorate. Try outfitting your nonworking fireplace with a cluster of blue and white porcelain containers of various sizes. They will add color to the room and are less expected than plants or candles. For a glamorous touch, have a mirror cut to fit the space behind the vases.


6. Put a few stately blue and white jars in the window. A pair of blue and white ginger jars exudes traditional elegance. Try placing a set on a deep windowsill in the kitchen or bath to bring a serious note to the space. This is an especially welcome touch in a rental, when changing other elements of the room is out of your hands.


7. Fill that hard-to-decorate spot above cabinets with a blue and white collection. Sure, it’s easier to dust if you leave it empty — but if you’re looking for a more visually stimulating solution, use that empty space above cabinets to showcase a collection of your favorite blue and white pieces. For even more impact, paint or paper the wall behind the vases in a rich color or an interesting pattern.


8. Put a blue and white ginger jar on a pedestal. Elevating a vase or container on a pedestal or plant stand can make anything look grand, but it isn’t just for grand interiors. Try using one in a corner of a studio apartment as an unexpected grace note. For extra style points, track down a Lucite pedestal (see No. 1).


9. Go big with one oversize piece in blue and white. Playing with scale is a quick way to make a focal point or draw attention to a forgotten corner. Invest in one extra-large vase to place on the floor near a furniture grouping for the most impact.

Tell us: How do you use your blue and white ceramics?

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