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Dried berries were used to style this crisp, white modern bowl in a shop along Venice Blvd. in LA.

Dried berries were used to style this crisp, white modern bowl in a shop along Venice Blvd. in LA.

What To Use To Style Or Fill Decorative Bowls!

May 19, 2021 in Decorating, Organization, Shopping

Have you ever wondered what to use to style your decorative bowls or platters that sit on your coffee tables, consoles, bookshelves, or other surfaces in your home?

I’m here to share some ideas here today, as I’ve seen some interesting styling options out and about at antique shows, showhouses, markets, and just styling my own photoshoots and home.


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Fill Decorative Bowls With These Items

  1. Natural Objects

  2. Antique or Vintage Items

  3. Purposefully Purchased Decorative Items

  4. Live or Faux Greenery or Plants

  5. Game Pieces or Unique Toys



1) Natural objects

Pinecones, seashells, unusual seed pods, dried berries, driftwood, and more make wonderful FREE filler for decorative bowls, platters and vases. I’ve always displayed these shells that we collected on a beach in Tasmania years ago in a glass vase, so I can see their colors and textures.

shells in glass vase

These dried berries, below, provide a nice colorful texture in a white bowl in a shop in Venice, CA.

These dried berries provide a nice colorful texture in a white bowl in a shop in Venice, CA. carlaaston.com

Mini pinecones in concrete bowls added some natural texture to a tabletop I did one Christmas.

These mini pinecones in concrete bowls added some natural texture to a tabletop I did one Christmas.   carlaaston.com

More mini pinecones in an onyx bowl that was purchased at Round Top. I change the items in this bowl out seasonally in my living room.

More mini pinecones in an onyx bowl that was purchased at Round Top. I change the items in this bowl out seasonally in my living room.  carlaaston.com

Loving these dried gourds in a big bowl seen at Round Top Antique Fair.

Loving these dried gourds in a big bowl seen at Round Top Antique Fair.  carlaaston.com

This bookshelf styling had a rustic look and the horn bowl with pieces of driftwood contributed to that style.

This bookshelf styling had a rustic look and the horn bowl with pieces of driftwood contributed to that style. carlaaston.com

Cinnamon sticks make for an interesting bowl filler here, seen at Highpoint Market.

Cinnamon sticks make for an interesting bowl filler here, seen at Highpoint Market. carlaaston.com

I found these giant sugar pine cones one year in a forest where we stopped for a picnic. I felt like I found decorating gold!

I found these giant sugar pine cones one year in a forest where we stopped for a picnic. I felt like I found decorating gold!  carlaaston.com
 

Chunky coral in a decorative bowl makes a stylish coastal statement.


2) Antique or vintage Items

I have lots of rather odd items that have ended up in my home over the years, mostly handed down from my husband’s grandmother and mother. They both collected things on their travels and loved finding unusual antiques. They always had an interesting assortment of oddities that I didn’t want to see taken out of the family and sold or given away online.

I collected a few items in a rustic wooden bowl and you’d be surprised how many people pick these up and examine them when visiting my home. Some ornate brass spoons from Thailand, a vintage gun with a gunpowder case, an old commemorative coin and that huge oyster shell make for an oddly interesting combination.

antique items in wooden bowl

Antique and vintage objects fill a wooden bowl in my home. It helps to corral the clutter and makes for an interesting bowl display. carlaaston.com

Vintage billiard balls are perfect for adding some patina and a bit of a “story” to an interior tablescape.

Vintage billiard balls are perfect for adding some patina and a bit of a “story” to an interior tablescape.

I have a stash of these vintage glass fishing buoys in my storage unit for styling that I pick up at Round Top every year. They always make for some nice bowl filler and the blue-green colors are light and pretty.

I have a stash of these vintage glass fishing buoys in my storage unit for styling that I pick up at Round Top every year. They always make for some nice bowl filler and the blue-green colors are light and pretty.  carlaaston.com
 
Vintage glass fishing buoys make for interesting decorative bowl filler on a coffee table. carlaaston.com

Vintage glass fishing buoys make for interesting decorative bowl filler on a coffee table. carlaaston.com

 
More vintage glass fishing buoys rest in this decorative bowl in an entry hall. carlaaston.com

More vintage glass fishing buoys rest in this decorative bowl in an entry hall. carlaaston.com

One of my clients had a collection of these antique textile brushes and grouped them together beautifully in an oblong bowl.

Antique textile brushes fill a rustic bowl in a client’s home. carlaaston.com

I purchased a whole bag of these antique textile bobbins several years ago and keep them for photo styling or using to fill containers on my projects. In the photo below, I stood some up in an antique marble pot, found at Round Top. They are just a bit unexpected but I liked the touch of wood on this console.

Antique wood bobbins make an interesting stash in a marble pot on this console. carlaaston.com

I have a few of these antique bells I inherited from my MIL. I saw some similar ones recently at market filling a decorative bowl.

Antique bells make for an interesting display in a decorative bowl on a coffee table. carlaaston.com

I have a few friends that collect old buttons. I saw this display at a showroom at Highpoint Market and think it is a great use for that collection.

A collection of old buttons makes for interesting decorative bowl filler. carlaaston.com

Another pic from High Point Market, this rustic bowl filled with antique wood maracas or rattles is a fun and warm way to add wood and antique objects in your home.

3) Purposefully Purchased Decorative Items

These fabulous balls were purchased for my client’s dining table. The white ones are selenite that I carried out of Dallas market in a bag (heavy!) and the metal ones from a local showroom. I think the mix made for a nice combination in the brass bowl.

These fabulous balls were purchased for my client’s dining table. The white ones are selenite that I carried out of Dallas market in a bag (heavy!) and the metal ones from a local showroom. carlaaston.com
 
A brass bowl filled with selenite and metal decorative balls is part of the centerpiece mix on the dining table in one of my projects.  carlaaston.com

A brass bowl filled with selenite and metal decorative balls is part of the centerpiece mix on the dining table in one of my projects. carlaaston.com


I have some beautiful hand blown glass balls I’ve collected over many years, that sit out on my dining table. I recently purchased this large chunky white ceramic bowl to hold them so that the color would show up nicely.

Hand blown glass spirit balls fill a white chunky decorative bowl on my dining room table, year round. I’ve been collecting them for many years. carlaaston.com


Chocolate blown glass balls in a blue-gray bowl. What a lovely way to repeat a color combination.

I love these little stone hearts seen at Dallas Market in a showroom. What a lovely bowl filler material. (Nice Valentine’s gift too!)

Stone hearts in a decorative tray make for interesting bowl filler. carlaaston.com

I purchased these large seed pods for a bowl in a client’s entry hall. There are lots of these types of bowl filler available. I like the larger and the more unusual.

Large seed pods purchased from a home store fill this colorful bowl in a client’s entry hall. carlaaston.com

Since I’m so close to Round Top, I try to get out there for the shows in the spring and fall if for nothing else than stocking up on my recycled glass beads for styling projects.

I found one random vendor there a few years ago and he has a pretty good selection for much less than I can find at markets. I get lots of colors and just keep them in my storage unit for photo shoots and styling at the end of jobs.

Recycled glass beads in an onyx bowl on a client’s entry hall table. carlaaston.com

Recycled glass beads in an onyx bowl on a client’s entry hall table add color and make for a nice filler for a decorative bowl. carlaaston.com

 

I saw these wooden eggs in a bowl at Highpoint Market recently and loved the organic look they had. Rather unusual too! carlaaston.com

 

These shells spheres make lovely coastal bowl filler, especially in a clam shell!

I also like to find accessories at the Cash and Carry or Temps section of Dallas market. That way there is no minimum and I can just take it with me without paying for shipping since I drive there.

It’s also nice to see the items in person while thinking of a specific project, rather than just projecting what you might use on down the road.




4) Live or Faux Greenery or Plants

This is an obvious choice, plants! However, I love how these are a bit more special and different.

This low, dense, finely textured plant material works so well in the contemporary home designed by Assembledge+, seen on my Dwell on Design tour a few years ago.

This low, dense, finely textured plant material works so well in the contemporary home seen on a Dwell by Design home tour.

I’m loving moss in pretty bowls and platters too. I saw such cool ones in Round Top several years ago and it is a great way to bring in greenery without looking too “faux”. Best of all, it is carefree!

Decorative bowls filled with moss create wonderful little mounds of fresh greens in a home’s interior.
 
A moss filled round decorative bowl adds greenery with no maintenance and doesn’t look like a bunch of fake flowers or plants. carlaaston.com

A moss filled round decorative bowl adds greenery with no maintenance and doesn’t look like a bunch of fake flowers or plants. carlaaston.com

The moss in this organic onyx bowl creates such drama on the table top. Anything more than this low greenery would be overwhelming.

The moss in this organic onyx bowl creates such drama on the table top. Anything more than this low greenery would be overwhelming. carlaaston.com

I love the combination of moss with some decorative accessories, like seen in this showroom’s display, below. The moss wrapped plants are a good idea too.

A moss base with some accessories laid in to the moss makes for a nice display and a way to cushion those breakable items. carlaaston.com

 

I even like this raggedy look of moss in a rustic bowl, seen at Round Top.

 

A moss wrapped plant sits under a glass cloche in this console display. carlaaston.com

Moss wrapping around the plant base makes for a soft look and a way to put a full plant into more of a bowl shape rather than a pot. carlaaston.com

I love airplants too. They can fit in just about anywhere with any style project. Easy to care for too! Here’s one I styled on an end table for a photo shoot, in a small handmade decorative bowl. It’s like a little mini-sculpture.

This small airplant in a decorative bowl needs little care and provides a some life on this end table. carlaaston.com

This moss-filled rustic, decorative bowl is truly a show-stopper.

A moss-filled rustic, decorative bowl is truly a show-stopper. | What to Use to Style or Fill Decorative Bowls | carlaaston.com

5) Game Pieces or Toys

Now this is a creative idea, how about some game pieces?

I used to keep the chess pieces in a bowl on top of a board we had on my coffee table. Here’s another cool idea, Jenga! I saw this at Highpoint Market, they always have some good ideas for styling there.

Jenga blocks in a decorative bowl on a console.

Shop Bowl Filler Material Below

I have a sampling of some bowl filler material below, for you to shop for yourself. And remember, keep small objects out of reach of young children!

Pin this image to Pinterest to save for later reference!

Want more styling ideas? Check this post below.

Featured
7 Home Decor Must-Haves For Styling Coffee Tables, Bookshelves and Consoles
Aug 3, 2021
7 Home Decor Must-Haves For Styling Coffee Tables, Bookshelves and Consoles
Aug 3, 2021

I have 7 main categories of home decor that I go to for styling at the end of a project.

I recently had a photoshoot and found myself considering items from these groups for styling each surface or shelf. I thought I’d share some selections from these 7 categories for you today so that you can shop more easily, in case you are on the hunt for some stylish pieces for your coffee table, bookshelf or console.

Aug 3, 2021

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Tags: styling, styling tips, bookshelf styling, coffee table styling, decorative bowls, decorating, decorating trick, styling tips 1, Design lover gift guide
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