How NOT to Decorate a Mantel

When it comes to decorating for the different seasons, it seems that one thing leads to another and before you know it, your whole house, inside and out, is transformed. I haven't made it to the outside yet, but yesterday I worked on the mantel in the living room ... I can't decide if I like it or not, because everything is so close to the same height. I love my new Pottery Barn lanterns which are nestled amongst the vines and gourds, but they barely show up. I read an article a few days ago called "How to Decorate a Mantel," but I obviously didn't follow the five steps, as shown in this sketch ... Instead of making a "visual triangle," as suggested in the article, I created a bumpy little vignette of vines, gourds, and lanterns, with no "movement," "layering," or "visual weight." Oh, well ... at least the colors are pretty, and I seriously doubt anyone will walk into the room and say, "Oh, bless her heart! She must not have read the five tips on "how to decorate a mantel." This is a picture of the mantel from last Fall ... I guess you could say it sort of looks like a triangle, if you include the painting, but instead of critiquing it, I want to tell you about the big brass urn on the floor. It was made in Spain, and was a flea market treasure for which I think I paid $12.00. I've recently discovered the joys of oil rubbed bronze spray paint, and decided to transform the urn from shiny brass to bronze ... The jury is still out about that brilliant decision. What do you think — shiny brass, or the bronze? (I hope you say bronze, because I can't make it shiny brass again). Oh, and remember my post from yesterday featuring my Welsh dresser? Well, I've "tweaked" it a little since then, for better or worse, and here is what it looks like now ... I like the tweaked version best. Hmmmm ... do you think, by any chance, that's because it has "movement" and "layering" and "visual weight?"