I didn't know there was a rule! But, I like the first one with the tumbled stones. I love your bird/audubon? prints.

A chic look is to add coffee beans.

Jim

Other options include lentils, regular beans and split peas. I even used large tapioca to balance some candles at Christmas. It sorta looked like snow. Okay, that was after a couple glasses of wine :)

The tumbled stones look too large to me, I'd like to see something smaller, beans perhaps or tiny pebbles....

I honestly like the stones. I think smaller ones may look better but I didn't notice a problem with the way it is now. Of course I frequent here for help! :)

I really love your DR!

Love those! I think that too much of anything distracts from the fluting, which I find very pretty. So, smaller somethingoranother would suit me better. Maybe small clear glass pebbles? I do agree that they need something.

I avoided beach-y themed decorating like the plague when I lived down there, but I wonder if sand or very tiny stones, to pick up on the color of the vase, might not look good, too.

I put in those clear glass pebbles in mine. I do like the stones. The coffee beans would look good with the woven vase and the dark wood and red of your walls.

I have one that I don't light, so I have potpouri (sp?) in it. I do like the first picture wiht the stone. Smaller ones might be better, though.

I love what they did with the hurricane candles in the 2009 Dream Home. I think they used coffee beans. That dining room even has the same color walls as yours.
Link: http://www.hgtv.com/dream-home/dining-room-from-hgtv-dream-home-2009/pictures/page-8.html

Mona, I hope you won't mind, but I don't see that planter working with those candleholders. The planter looks very modern, and kind of small and skinny in comparison to the traditional fluted, curvy glass.

I would do a more traditional fern in a brass low planter, perhaps with some curly willow or other twigs coming out of it, then the hurricanes. Shorter candles, too - perhaps 4 inch instead?

But, if you are going with what you have, I would use smaller, lighter toned pebbles, and mix in some pieces of moss to bring in some touches of green among the rocks. I would also love to see a patterned runner with some red in it, rather than the plain one in the light color - the plant vase is lost on it, imo.

les, I don't mind your suggestions at all. That's why I posted. Sometimes I'm just too close to a room to see the obvious.

I did try some metal containers but for some reason they just didn't do it for me, so I'll probably leave this one in the center unless I see something that just jumps out at me.

I added some smaller pebbles to the larger ones because I did realize that bigger wasn't better.

How about this runner (I know it needs ironing.) rather than the solid green? Too much? Should I keep looking?

{{!gwi}}

Love the runner and the smaller pebbles. Change out the candles to medium green ones? I think the vase with the greenery is too modern and casual for the runner fabric.

How about just using the two hurricanes and losing the plant in between?

Sorry to be such a pain about this, but this is what you see when you first walk through our entry foyer and I want it to look right.

What about this greenery? Better? or still "off mark"?

">{{!gwi}}

Better. Part of what is bothering me is that the hurricanes are large and the same height as the plant. Two of them, one on each side, kind of visually dwarf the plant. Just for grins, take the plant you put there and put it on a stack of books that make the top of the plant sit maybe 4-6 inches above the tops of the hurricanes, and then take another photo. I think it will be a nicer look when the plant is taller, and everything isn't the same height. If you agree, you could just get some greenery as in the first container and add that to this one, or bring in some twigs of curly willow, or faux branches of some kind.

Keep the runner, tho (or send it to me if you don't use it! LOL). Seriously, I love how the runner brings the depth of color from the walls onto the table. Very rich.

Okay, I wasn't going to say this, but since Les did... :-)

I would also prefer to see just the hurricanes, Mona. But I am into less-is-more. I was going to suggest less on your other thread, but did not want to offend. When you have something really beautiful like those hurricanes, and now that gorgeous runner, I think that adding more is just a distraction. I am going to say pull the plant altogether and take another picture.

I'd also pull the big pebbles out and see if just the small ones alone are enough. The ivory candles look fine to me.

I got second dibs on the runner if Les changes her mind, btw!

I just wanted to say I really like the new plant. The new one has little feet! I love anything with feet like that. :)

I see what Les is saying about the heights all being the same. I think the book thing could work. I do like the new runner. I like the ivory candles but think green would look nice too. I 2nd the moss in the hurricanes.

Oh, gosh, I didn't mean that she should keep the planter sitting on books permanently, but just use that to raise it and see if it doesn't feel better when the greenery is taller. If it does, Mona needs to repot in a taller, container or add some taller greenery and twigs to make the arrangment larger.

I tried just the 2 hurricanes and though nice, my mind's eye keeps looking for a third object.

I do realize the first greenery was a mistake...too skinny and too contemporary. See, I needed you people to point that out to me.
If I can find a matching 3rd hurricane, would 3 of them be okay without anything else?

I'm trying so hard to get into the less-is-more mind frame, but it's not easy.

Please be patient as I keep asking for advice. There are some very talented ladies (and men) here with wonderful suggestions and I appreciate all that you've mentioned.

I did try the coffee beans and though very pretty, my husband didn't care for the aroma wafting throughout the DR.
So, they're gone and the pebbles are back.

I seldom post and never post pics so likely have little credibility here but feel I need to give you a suggestion. While you have a lot of lovely things I see too many "pairs" of things - lamps, ginger jars, bird prints, and hurricanes. I know this is what people often do in formal traditional decor but you might want to use the hurricanes elsewhere and only use the fern in that lovely pot on the table. IMO it would be enough. I'd probably also lose the glass decanters as don't think clear glass goes well enough with your other lovely things to keep them displayed there. Please don't take offense, this is only my opinion and I'm not an expert by any means. :-)

I have used Lentil beans for fillers before. I used it in an iron piece that hangs on the wall; it holds a clear glass smaller vase with a candle. The iron was coppery, the candle dark brown, so the lentil beans being beige, green, brown, etc., looked good with it. While they are somewhat small and would look good for smaller containers, you could use other "food" items instead of rocks...such as coffee beans, other dried beans, pastas, etc. Go shopping in the grocery store for fillers! PS...the new runner and plant look better...have to agree that the 3 items on the table need to be different heights; ever thought about dried hydrangeas in the middle in a shorter vase?