I trimmed down the upper section to just the ball and the first bead. For the lower section I cut off the beveled blocks and replaced them with new blocks that were formed with the same bit as the crown crown molding. Of you only see a portion of the crown profile, but it subtly unites the base and the top and gives these individual pieces the character I was looking for.
The long piece down the middle is there basically to cover two holes which allow the Plinths to get screwed to the face frame.
