Indulging our constant desire to be in the company of water and plant life, Japanese studio Critiba Design+Direction has designed a vase to bring the quiet of nature indoors. Harnessing clean, almost invisible lines, the piece, entitled Shallows – A Flower Blooming in a Puddle, is made from shaving a central hole into crystal. Offering fluidity and connection to nature, the vase utilises the added water as a texture of its surface. The surface tension of the water aims to express the vitality of the plant positioned within the vases centre, and sees a seamless transition between plant, water and glass.

When the vase is filled with water and the stem of a plant is added to the central hollow, the vase is complete for the first time. This finished piece gives the illusion of a flower floating in a puddle. The vase has been designed by Kazunaga Sakashita at Critiba Design+Direction, which is known for its product and furniture design, including a book weight taking the shape of a bird, a bench seat topped with mounds of live moss and a utility box inspired by the folds of a hot coffee sleeve.