Dress Up an Unused Fireplace

Show Off a Collection of Vases in Your Fireplace

Lusciously curvy and reflective, opaque ceramic and glass pick up the colors of the room.

Gather similar pieces in a simple, two-color palette. Here, light-catching reds and browns echo the outline and the vibe of a crackling fire and connect with tones in the rug and the woodwork. A variety of heights and shapes is what makes an arrangement like this interesting, so choose some tall vases and some squat pieces. If you have a dark-colored stool, use it to elevate one item (the stool will fade into the background). The goal is to cluster the vases so that they read like a unit—one thought, rather than a bunch of separate ideas. Start by placing the tallest object just off center. Spread out the medium-size vessels, then fill in the nooks with the smallest items.