How to Decorate With Chinese Blue & White Porcelain
JANUARY 21, 2025
Chinese porcelain comes in an array of shapes, sizes, patterns and colours, with perhaps the most iconic and well-known type being blue and white porcelain.
The striking blue-on-white designs offer effortless elegance and provide a great way for you to bring traditional Chinese motifs into your interiors. We suggest a couple of our favourite ways to style blue and white porcelain vases, jars, pots and plates to help you get the most out of your pieces.
Bring your porcelain into focus by creating a simple yet eye-catching centrepiece. The easiest way to do this is with floral and plant arrangements, blending the dynamic blue and white patterns with vibrant hints of the natural world.
Use bright, bold flowers to contrast the colours against your porcelain, or embrace large cut branches for a bold, organic statement.
Features like this can be excellent for livening up the middle of a dining table, coffee table or hallway table.
Consider Practicality
Offering the best of both aesthetics and function, Chinese porcelain can work well in a variety of interior styles, infusing them with character and history.
To incorporate these pieces into various rooms of the house, think about how you can use them practically. Vases and jars can be a great alternative for holding kitchen utensils while smaller pots can be ideal for use in the bathroom and storing cosmetics. Smaller bowls or plates could also make wonderful trinket dishes. As Chinese ginger jars tend to have lids, they can make good, extra stylish storage containers for keeping things safely hidden away.
Using elegant blue and white pieces as creative storage options throughout the home is a great way to elevate the commonplace.
Mix & Match Styles & Sizes
If you’re a fan of the eclectic look, combine your porcelain with other pieces of disparate sizes, styles and shapes for a sumptuous display. Whether you choose to keep everything blue and white or want to mix in some orange and white porcelain or Sang de bouef porcelain for further contrast, there are so many spectacular styles to help you achieve the right look.
Group pieces together but embrace different heights, shapes and silhouettes to create a very intentionally styled, dynamic collection that doesn’t feel outdated.
Style Alongside Metallic Accessories
Blue is often paired with rich metallic details, with the regal tones complementing each other wonderfully. Blue and white porcelain is no exception.
To really make your pieces pop, style your vases and pots alongside other decorative features or trinkets with hints of warm gold, bronze and copper. This will further draw the eye and enhance your little vignette, giving your interiors an instant boost without much effort.
Decorate Sideboards
Sideboards are another good place to feature your porcelain as they often look best when styled with decor that brings life into the space. Highlighting your blue and white pieces here helps keep your design scheme focused while adding a touch of elegance.
Whether it’s just one showstopping vase, a matching pair or a grouping of porcelain pieces, your sideboard is the perfect spot to make your collection shine. For a layered, lived-in feel with texture and even more visual interest, add other ceramics, trinket boxes, plants, candles and special books.
Add Charm to a Mantlepiece or Shelf
Similarly, if your mantlepiece or an underutilised shelf is looking a little lacklustre, you can rely on your Chinese porcelain to add endless charm to these spaces.
Here, you have a great opportunity to show off your smaller pieces, putting them front and centre in your interiors without taking over the space or intruding too much into the room.
Like when decorating a sideboard, choose pieces of different heights or shapes to provide more visual balance. Or, just keep it simple and showcase a singular favourite piece.
Pair With Complementing Textiles
For a sense of harmony and cohesion, think about pairing your blue and white porcelain with textiles that have a similar colour or pattern – whether this is through subtle hints on cushions or with a bolder statement on your rug on curtains.
This turns anything that is blue and white in your space into a distinct feature, with each piece playing off one another with a swathe of blue tones and complementary patterns.
Ultimately, you have a lot of freedom when it comes to decorating with blue and white porcelain – if in doubt, focus on displaying your favourite pieces and see how they inspire you!
Whether you favour a traditional look, a modern aesthetic or something in between, there are plenty of ways to elevate your space with some stunning porcelain. Want to add to your collection? Shop our full range of Chinese decorative art and porcelain to find that missing puzzle piece.
