The topiary is a work in progress (I need to buy more moss to finish it). The Simon Pierce bowl holds our car keys. I think I like those two pieces. I grabbed the candlestick off of our mantle to see what it would look like with an item that has some height (yes, it needs a bigger candle). I don't really have an "big" or "tall" decorating items so I thought that I would get some ideas before I bought something. I do have another urn that is slightly larger than the other urn to make another topiary but I think that it might be too matchy matchy.

What do you think? Thanks!

Just one thing -- you might want to find a thicker stronger "trunk" for your topiaries -- just so it can hold its head up high! Or twine small branches of grapevine around the trunk to add visual "weight" to the trunk.

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

I would keep the area simple and not work the radiator into a decorating scheme. Instead of a mirror over the radiator working with it, I would just do art over the whole wall proportioning it to the wall space and ignoring the radiator. Keeping the bowl for keys set on the radiator is utilitarian and the clear glass bowl is not intrusive yet looks appropriate being set there near the door. IOW...no candle sets or figurines displayed on the radiator. A wall of art on the wall will distract from the radiator. Radiators are common to rooms in older houses and expected. Ignore them in decorating rather than highlight them. JMHO.

I would give hanging the mirror another try, possibly hanging it from chains or decorative cords that attach to the header stud at the ceiling line.

My comment on the photo is that the candle doesn't make sense there unless you would actually burn a candle in that location. I'm not a fan of having candles as decor in places where you wouldn't ever actually burn them, and if your radiator is positioned so people coming in, swinging coats off, etc., might knock the candle off or catch on fire, I wouldn't have an unlit candle there, either.

When it comes to deciding between a symmetrical arrangement like two topiaries, or using a balanced but not symmetrical arrngement, I think that's personal taste. I usually go for balanced by not matching, but often like matching when I see it.

As for the topiary, I would get the larger urn and put the topiary in that, after adding a thicker branch for the stem (if you can't locate a branch that works, try a dowel rod or a bundle of cinnamon sticks if you can locate the long ones). Make sure the ball of the topiary is at least as wide as the container top, for balance. Then use the container you have here, the smaller one, to put another moss ball in - but place that right on the opening in the urn, not on a stick.

If you can find the gold bullion wire that is out now (try the jewelry section of a craft store), wrap that wire around the moss balls, in a random fashion, and not too much of it. It will bring some of the gold tones and sparkle of the mirror down to the greenery. Be sure you place the two urns staggered a bit, shorter one more to the front and toward the center, overlapping the mirror a bit for extra visual impact.

I would take away the candlestick. Move the bowl down to the right a bit, but still in front of the mirror. However, as pretty as the bowl is, I would nix it there for two reasons - not a lot of visual presence, and too easy to damage with keys dropped in haste. I would switch to an interesting ceramic or wood bowl(to bring in the wood tones in the trim).

If the plaster is relatively sturdy, you could try OOK picture hangers. I have two heavy mirrors hanging on plaster walls with the OOK hangers. I use two hangers and use a higher weight rating than they recommend, say two 50 pound hangers for a 30 pound mirror, and haven't had any problems.

There are companies out there who craft custom radiator covers and make them look like a piece of furniture, or even add shelves above the radiator and make the whole thing look like a built-in. Just a suggestion for the future.

I'm about 50/50 with the radiators in my house. Some have stuff on top; some don't. I don't put candles on them, because I am afraid of the candle melting or warping if the heat gets high. I use mostly metal and glass on them. With your current arrangement, I wonder how a long, narrow metal or ceramic tray would work in the center of the radiator top? It would add some color, might be a drop spot for mail as you come in. You could have the topiary on one side and the key bowl on the other, or even use the tray for keys.