Borrowing from your Magritte book . . . could you suspend an apple on fishing line so that it hovers just above the urn? Okay, maybe not. But it was worth a shot.

I think sometimes "modern" is just a matter of taking something that already exists and then painting it a slid color. Like a hideous avocado/harvest gold ceramic owl. Painted white it becomes a Jonathan Adler piece. Maybe you can take something traditional and change the finish on it to make it modern. A silk orchid? A topiary? In any event, you have a traditional/classical urn. I don't think you can go too crazy-modern with it and still have it make any sense.

lol -- love the apple idea! : )

I don't want modern --- i want a mod urn. Sorry for the awful pun.

Build up the inside and add an armillary?

A large globe resting on the urn,rather than on a stand?

A collection of eggs is big right now, but a collection of any objects would work.

Find a bell jar that fits on the rim and create a terrarium.

Sit a large globe-shaped fishbowl on it and add some pretty fish.

Put in dirt and seed it with a quick growing grass seed. Then once the grass comes in, tuck in real or faux crocuses for this time of year, perhaps colored eggs for Easter, Cut flowers in water tubes tucked into the dirt.

An orchid plant is a classic.

Goldfish. in the urn.

I've used curly willow twigs but straight sticks might be more 'mod'. You could also attach feathered faux birds to tall twigs if you want a 'spring-like' look. Or use branched twigs and make a valentine tree with hearts, etc. hanging from it. Kinda kitschy I know! ;-D

I've used large handblown glass balls in some of my smaller urns and perhaps a glass garden globe (gazing ball) would work in a larger urn. I placed reindeer moss under mine.

I've seen green moss mounded in an urn - very simple but effective. Or you could make a moss ball to fit the urn.

You probably don't want to paint it but I really liked the incredibly vivid painted ones at one of the home shows I attended. They were chartreuse, fuchsia, bright yellow, jade green, cobalt blue, etc. and I *almost* was tempted to paint one of mine but knew I'd tire of it soon. Also the ones they painted were huge which made a statement, and mine not quite so.

Do show us what you decide as I need inspiration.

A topiary.... real, of course.

How's this for inspiration? Created by Ai Weiwei, and shown by Mary Boone Gallery:

i usually fall back to pinecones... because they're so plentiful, multi-sized and unbreakable!!
you could spray paint them to make them mod! lol

Hmm, light is too low for much to grow here. I think I may do some combo of moss and wooden eggs (see link)

Here is a link that might be useful: arent these pretty?

I recently ordered some mercator balls from One Kings Lane that I plan to put in my own urn. Could be another idea, they come up on OKL often and I've never seen anything like them anywhere else...

I love urns and am on the search for the perfect old urn for my hearth. JMHO, but I would ditch the ribbon. Check this blog for some good urn ideas, although she is very traditional.

www.fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com

Last fall I saw an old urn with the burlap ribbon (folded and twisted) stuffed inside and then a pumpkin sitting on top. Greenery, etc. for the Christmas holidays.

tina

Tina - of course, the ribbon was for the holidays --- that's what I am switching out. It wasn't worth taking a new photo.

Beagles - I think I saw those same at a shop in Westport. I liked them too, (well the creamy ones!) but I was hoping to do something other than spheres.

First thing that came to my mind is a some (like 6-8 or however many fit and looked good) "Rolled up old, worn Sheet Music".
I do like the moss/eggs idea, they really are pretty.

Other ideas, fwiw.

Dried roses, tightly packed to fill the urn and mound in the center.

With a false bottom, fresh apples or, better yet given the time of year, fresh pears. One of my favorite restaurants used to have a huge, old rustic basket of fresh apples as you walked in. It was a wonderful scent.

Of course youd have to change these out like you would fresh flowers, but right now I think pears is my favorite choice for an upcoming party.

In the meantime, i found these on etsy and couldn't resist. Not for everyone.
: ) But I love putting things like this in the same room with a good table and oils.

Here is a link that might be useful: what a bargain for a pile of junk (?)

I'm pretty simple -- I liked the ivy you had in the entry hall thread photo, just more of it. Dried roses would be nice too, but I get tired of them quickly.

I like the fruit idea -- consider oranges (with or without cloves -- since you mentioned the scent) or lemons too.

Eggs work for spring and shells as we approach summer.

You could do something like eggs with moss and combine the flowers if you are willing to change out -- tuck in some flowers in the florists water tubes and you can control the height. A spray of orchids can easily last a week or two -- sometimes as long as a month. A few lilies or (fresh or dried) hydrangea blooms would add a lot. Roses of course....

A pile of wine corks -- by themselves or instead of the moss....

Coffee beans or crushed cinnamon sticks can also dress the top and give a warm scent....

I guess part of the answer lies in how long you want the display to last -- holiday, season, next Christmas, etc.?

How about a collection of hand painted or hand carved flutes, shell rattles, or gourds? Pick one type or use many. There are lots of options if you wanted more color. Your kids might love a bouquet made of musical instruments from around the world.

With Spring coming I like the idea of flowers. There are some beautiful silks out there. I also agree about an Orchid, on the large side. I'm on the lookout for one now, but there are so many to choose from!

Wow, some great ideas!

Oranges with cloves, swoon!

Oh and I even have florists tubes, I like the idea of using those in a spring display. ANd we have hyrdrangea all over the property, I never tire of it (take that, Madonna).

As to the question about timeliness, this is right in our main entry hall.I envision changing things out at least once a season, as well as perhaps when we entertain. So it can be fragile; I think of it almost the way I would view a florist's arrangement; if it lasts a week you are happy.

Keep the great ideas coming. As for collections, I have never collected anything. I think I am missing that gene! Musical instruments is a very neat idea --- but my kids would probably haul off with them and drive us all loony.

I love urns and curly willow or pussy willow. Maybe a little too much...

This summer, August perhaps, harvest your hydrangeas, those are a great fall look particularly if you have some limelights.

Bumble, what's the name of the twigs in the last picture? Those would look great on my mantel since I'm now decorating it in all cream colors.

Mtn, with your entryway being on the dark side (I just bagged up a bunch of old Star War's men to take to DGS this week, lol), I think a pop of color would be beautiful.

I'm envious of all the Hydrangeas you have! I have two plants and because of our high heat they only bloom in the Spring. I love dried H. flowers though.

I think the curly willow would be too much; my ceilings are not that high and they are beamed. The urn is about 13" in diameter, so that would be a lot of branches. Probably too much when you consider there are two lanterns over head too, which i just noticed you don't see in the first shot:

I think with the lanterns I have you can not have something tall in the urn ---{{!gwi}}

I do love pussywillows --- I had them in my PR last spring{{!gwi}}

Celtic, those are sort of creepy yet I like.

Mtn, Have you tried a search for recycled flower art? I can't remember where but I remember seeing some really cool flowers made of recycled materials.

I say just a flat mat of green moss draped over top.

One thing Im going to do with a wide urn soon is do a moss rock garden, mini, and I mean mini garden. I have grandchildren who like coming out in my garden, so Im actually going to do a tiny fairy garden in an urn for indoors. I thought theyd love it. No bright colored gnomes mind you, or anything too crafty looking, some real moss, a tiny bonsai or similarly compact type of plant, moss and some sort of tiny rustic wooden fairy house or garden seating. Theres some really cool fairy doors, furniture mini fountains, gazebos etc available online. Some are rustic and cool which are the ones I like, some are bright and childlike, not my cup of tea. Maybe for that urn you should try a bonsai, one of the cedars, theyre pretty timeless.

Stack of design magazines upright, or orchid or some sort of bonsai evergreen, or empty with just the pretty bow.

Since it's in your entry, being greeted with spring flowers would be lovely! Get a pot of blooming tulips or daffodils that will fit your urn and stick it right in there. Cover the top with sphagnum moss. A more mod but still promise-of-spring-like would be flowering forsythia or quince branches, from your property or from a florist.

Just saw these oranges this morning and thought they might be nice for your urn.

Here is a link that might be useful: Split dried oranges

Cool, Jill. I like the dried artichokes.

Yesterday I wondered by a Pottery Barn in town and i saw these pears. I wanted to use real ones but in the market too many were misshapen ... so i got these

Here is a link that might be useful: They call this vase filler

Candles, succulents likes hen and chicks, herbs,forced bulbs, pastel colored Christmas bulbs, pine cones that have been dipped in wax or epsom salts or large seashells.

mtn - those pears are so realistic looking. I just bought some faux pears for a vase. Got them at Target. Not nearly as nice as those but those are too big for my skinny container. The faux lemons I had before were too summery looking to me, so replaced with the pears for the winter. I like how it looks. Can we see yours in the urn?

Oakley, those are pussy willows.

Jill,

Sure, I will post. But I need to go back and get another bag, and i need more moss to create a floor for them. And it's supposed to snow tomorrow!

But I will...

I cheat a lot with fruit, using faux pears and sometimes topping with real or mix with real apples. I use fresh apples in the fall, and lemons and limes foR summer. Cheap,easy and nice scent. Last longer than flowers too.
I know you're not wanting tall, and guess it's too early in Ct., but I'm guessing you have a few ( many!) wonderful trees and shrubs for forced branches....sigh ! Lots of god ideas here.

Martinca --- lemons and limes in summer, I can't wait to do that.

I think I will also get those dried artichokes Jill linked to.

In the meantime, this was easy and cheap. I like the upbeat springtime feel of the green, and the fact they won't die. Pottery Barn, two bags $16 each i think... as per JIll's request, here it is

Meh.

I think the pears are nice.

If I might suggest, get a bag of sheet moss or reindeer moss, and tuck pieces of it in and around the pears, letting some of the moss come out just a bit in places onto the rim of the urn.

Then get a couple of pieces of flexible faux branches, or some grapevine, and wind a couple of pieces over and through the pears.

Oh wow is that an OED I see in the pile of books to the left of the mod-urn? (The mod-urn looks very nice BTW, and modern, too.) I have a two-volume OED, with the little pull-out drawer at the bottom containing the magnifying glass! I've never met (or "met") anyone else who owns one, not that they're particularly rare.

That mod-urn -- If you decide to switch out the pears or lemons & limes from time to time, what about glass fishing floats? I have antique ones in blue, and I think they also can be found in other colors as well. Alternatively, what about chunks of sea glass?

Lynxe,

Yes, that is the OED. I love it and so do my kids (mainly as an excuse to play with the magnifying glass). I used to want to the 20 volume set but it's really too much space. And no cool magnifying glass.

This edition of OED with the glass is my favorite gift for newlyweds and housewarmings (they probably shake their head). To me a home needs a good dictionary as much as a dining room table! And hopefully they have it forever...

IN re the urn --- I now have a whole list of ideas! I need to get an urn innards storage container as I cycle things in and out.

That looks fantastic! Thanks for posting. I never get tired of seeing pictures of your house. I love to drool over your floors!

Some feathers and fake greenery. Need to some up with something fresh for spring.

Forsythia branches for spring!

I do love the pears. And the crazed/crackle look of the urn itself.