21 Beautiful and Modern Design Objects for 2021
Modern home decor ideas including geometric vases, minimalist sculptures, incense holders, and modern decorative objects
Add a modern accent to any room in the home with 21 beautiful and modern design objects for 2021, including minimalist sculptures, incense holders, geometric vases, and modern decorative objects that also serve a purpose––all carefully selected from brands we know, love, and use every day in our own home.
Modern home decor ideas: Minimalist Sculptures
Modern decorative objects are anything but bland, especially when grounded in Danish design philosophy. Look no further than a few of our favorites from COOEE Design, Kristina Dam Studio, and Ferm Living.
The human form of the Ollie Sculpture softly invites your attention, no matter where you place it. COOEE Design collaborated with Stockholm-based artist Kristiina Engelin to showcase the softer elements of the human body. Engelin formed the silhouette of Ollie by using a rough concrete material in an organic limestone tone––we love the cubist approach that feels both ancient and modern! Learn the story behind COOEE Design here.
Kristina Dam Studio’s "sculptural minimalist" approach to design is perfectly highlighted in her globe sculptures available in large, medium, and small sizes. Each decorative globe, made with terracotta, flows organically without rigidity. We recommend styling each earth-toned globe alongside each other, or other sculptures from the Kristina Dam collection as shown in the above photo.
With smooth curves and geometric shapes, the Cupola Sculpture is a playful nod to the shapes of classical arches, domes, and pillars. This 3-piece sculpture––in Kristina Dam Studio’s signature organic aesthetic––is made from an earthware material with tobacco brown or off-white glazing. The design is “based on the idea of one single unbroken movement, which gives the illusion of an infinite organic sculpture, especially when all three parts of the sculpture are placed close together.” We love how the design invites you to arrange and re-arrange to your heart’s content.
Simply named a Sculptural Object, this minimalist brass sculpture combines a feminine aesthetic with a strong steel composition. Designed by Ferm Living in collaboration with jewelry designer Helena Rohner, this eye-catching piece is formed with a concave shape, similar to a smooth river stone. Use it as a paperweight or simply a decoration that adds a sense of natural beauty.
Modern home decor ideas: Candles + Incense Holders
Modern decorative objects can serve a purpose, stimulating your sense of smell in addition to sight.
The Vorta Candlestick + Incense Holder from Brooklyn-based Light + Ladder is both artful and useful. This single piece can be assembled to serve as a sculptural incense holder, or disassembled to burn incense and a taper candle at the same time! Made with concrete and finished with a solid brass fixture, we love how modern, simple, and beautiful it looks.
Inspired by Mesopotamian architecture, Florida-based Yield Design carefully formed the Meso Ceramic Incense Holder with unglazed, colored ceramic stoneware, finished by hand in small batches. We recommend burning it with Yield Design’s hand-formed incense––try the fresh and fragrant Willow Incense infused with calming CBD.
With notes of currant, bergamot and Himalayan salt, Yield Design’s Pomelo Candle has a minimal aesthetic and a fresh scent that works beautifully throughout the home. Style it on a bedside table and enjoy its aroma as you go through your morning ritual.
Combining the familiar scents of palo santo and rich leather, the Scarpa Candle (also from Yield Design) celebrates Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, whose work was largely influenced by Venetian and Japanese culture. The aroma is reminiscent of a bustling street in Venice, which can nicely mask cooking scents in the kitchen or wherever else you crave a rich scent. We love the black tone of this candle, too.
For a statement piece that can be used over and over again, look no further than the strikingly beautiful Hoy Casted Candle Holder from Ferm Living. Made with recycled aluminum, this extra tall candleholder’s raw matte appearance is a welcome contrast to its upscale and classic form. Style in groupings with geometric vases or other minimalist sculptures from Ferm Living’s collection such as the rounded white Talia vase from the Muses collection, the new Anse Vase, or the Entwine Vase.
Modern home decor ideas: Functional + Modern Decorative Objects
The following pieces are proof that modern decorative objects can serve a purpose, too.
With its soft curves and matte texture, Light + Ladder’s Galet Ceramic Container imitates the shape of soft ocean pebbles while offering a sculptural and artistic way to tuck away your favorite little items. Style it in the kitchen to store spices or seasoned salts (it’s both food and dishwasher safe!) or hide away your most treasured trinkets atop a bedroom nightstand.
When Kristina Dam Studio designs a bowl, the result is a minimal yet attention-grabbing statement piece that serves a purpose. Both the Small Opal Bowl and Large Opal Bowl come in an opaque beige or translucent topaz brown. The soft shape and silhouette of both sizes offer a multitude of uses: house produce on a kitchen island, drop keys and coins on an entryway credenza, or display it as a centerpiece on a dining table.
Modern meets classic with the Krenit Collection from Normann Copenhagen. A Danish design staple dating back to the 1950s, the classic contrast of the black outside & painted inside is both expressive and functional enough for everyday use. “The idea was to make a beautiful bowl, preferably so functional and delicate that it was equally suited for use in the kitchen, on the dining table, and as a decoration in the sitting room,” said materials researcher and civil engineer Herbert Krenchel, the mind behind the collection, available now for the first time in decades!
Allow your kitchen decor to serve a purpose with Normann Copenhagen’s Pebble Boards in Large and Small sizes. With beautiful black marble with white and grey veining, make use of these gorgeous boards for serving cheese and charcuterie, breakfast fruits, baked goods, or whatever else you’re craving at the moment. Style them solo or paired together against your kitchen backsplash, on the kitchen counter, or on your dining room table.
The Shaker Basket blends the American Shaker style with traditional woven ash baskets, resulting in a contemporary and unique shape that can hold magazines, books, spare blankets, or toys. Made with bent plywood, we love how this functional floor basket catches the eye and adds a unique twist to a living room, or wherever else you put it.
Modern home decor ideas: Geometric Vases
We embrace the Danish design philosophy that less is more, but also accept that you can never have too many geometric vases in your modern home. Each vase design offers a new perspective that can be arranged and rearranged whenever you could use a fresh look.
Inspired by the geometric architecture found in ancient Egypt, Light + Ladder’s Vaso Ceramic Vase balances its smooth shape with sharp details. Made with matte sandy stoneware and a glazed interior ready for fresh florals, this geometric vase makes a stunning centerpiece with or without stems.
Light + Ladder’s Kala Slender Ceramic Vase takes a different approach to geometric forms through intersecting shapes emphasized with a matte white finish. This statuesque vase can be displayed on its own as a minimalist sculpture, or fill it with fresh or dried florals.
Dramatic floral arrangements are welcome with the Tava Large Ceramic Vase. This matte cylinder sits atop a glossy triangular pedestal in either sand or hematite. Like all of Light + Ladder’s striking geometric vases, this piece is designed in their Brooklyn Studio and carefully produced in a family-run facility in Vermont, powered by renewable energy!
When it comes to geometric vases, COOEE has a multitude of options. Shown here is the 12cm collar Vase in a Dusty Pink alongside the 20cm Pastille Vase in Sand. We love how each and every COOEE vase is designed to complement one another in various vignettes throughout the modern home.
There is something so playful and colorful about this Casca Vase from Ferm Living. Each piece is handcrafted and uniquely made with mouth-blown glass, which means the pattern may vary. We love this aspect that makes each piece feel deeply personal! If blue is too bold for your aesthetic, take a look at the other colors available here.
Made with dark amber glass, the Entwine Vase features bands of twisted glass atop mouth-blown cylinders. Each piece is unique and handcrafted. With two sizes available, we recommend grouping them together on a sideboard in an entryway, atop a mantel, or anywhere else you see fit.
Craving more modern home decor ideas? Discover more beautiful and modern decorative objects right here.
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Batten Home carefully curates Scandinavian furniture designs and minimalist decor objects for the modern home. We are inspired by a Scandinavian aesthetic and Danish design philosophies with a new modern design feel we like to call new Nordic design.
Have any questions for us? We’re family-owned and independently operated, and we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@battenhome.co or find more inspiration on Pinterest.