Fluted Bowl: Catchall, Fruit Bowl & Centerpiece

A sculptural fluted bowl designed to look just as good empty as it does in use.

The bowl is formed from 32 deep, flowing pleats that radiate from the centre into a scalloped rim. The curved surface catches light differently from every angle, giving it a soft carved-stone look that works especially well in matte and stone-effect filaments.

I designed it as a decorative object first, but made it practical enough to use throughout the house. Three sizes are included, from a small jewellery dish to a full-size fruit bowl and table centrepiece.

Three sizes included

Size Diameter Height Great for

Small 91 mm 23 mm Rings, earrings, coins, guitar picks

Medium 152 mm 38 mm Keys, wallet, snacks, soap, everyday catchall

Large 252 mm 63 mm Fruit, coffee-table catchall, centrepiece

All three use the exact same proportions and 32-pleat geometry , simply scaled for different uses.

The Large version is 252 mm across, making it about as large as this design can reasonably go on a 256 mm build plate while still leaving room for a brim.

Designed around the pleats

Rather than adding ribs to a simple bowl, the pleats are the bowl.

Each flute flows continuously from the scalloped rim toward the centre, gradually fading as all 32 channels converge. There is no flat interior floor interrupting the pattern.

The curves are also fully smooth rather than faceted. Each convex rib transitions tangentially into the neighbouring valley, so there are no sharp creases hidden in the geometry.

The result is particularly noticeable under directional light, where every flute creates its own highlight and shadow.

Efficient thin-wall construction

The model is built as one continuous shell of constant thickness , rather than a solid body with a cavity cut into it.

That allowed me to tune each print profile so its wall thickness is made from an exact number of perimeters:

- Small: 0.75 mm wall, 2 perimeters - Medium: 1.25 mm wall, 3 perimeters - Large: 2.07 mm wall, 5 perimeters There is 0% infill and no unnecessary solid material filling the bowl.

Even the Large version stays surprisingly lightweight for an object more than 25 cm across.

Recessed standing ring

The underside is recessed so the bowl does not sit on a large flat disc.

Instead, it rests on a circular standing ring while the pleated surface continues toward the centre above it. This keeps the bowl stable on a table while preserving the sculptural shape from almost every viewing angle.

Material choice makes a big difference

This model looks best in matte filament , where the pleats create soft gradients rather than reflections.

My favourites:

- Matte white or ivory - Marble or stone-effect PLA - Matte black - Sand - Terracotta - Sage Glossy and silk materials will work, but they produce a very different effect and can hide some of the subtle surface detail.

If you print one

I'd love to see this design in different materials and colours. If you make one, please post a photo of your print.

The geometry changes dramatically depending on the filament and lighting, and I’m especially curious to see the Large version in matte black, stone and terracotta.