What I like in terms of visual style

[cjsmith]

I've been looking through catalogs and such with an eye to design elements I'd like to incorporate in my home. We're thinking of ripping out the big stone surfacing over our fireplace -- what mantels do I like? We've been thinking of a new look for the living room -- what window treatments, art, and furniture styles do I like?

I'm noticing something I never would have guessed. My eye is drawn to stuff that's sleek and modern.

I like this brushed aluminum clock. It just looks nifty and cool and clean and sorta elegant.
I like this candleholder. It looks better in the "room view", not quite so stark, but I think stark is a little of what I was liking.
I like this table centerpiece thingy. I like these.

But I'm also drawn to some formal fancied-up stuff, too. I like this decorative fooble. The simpler one here does nothing for me.

Do I like the sleek and modern only because it is so different from what I see every day? Would I like it as much if a whole room looked like that, or would it be overwhelming, almost (looking at that clock again) pretentious?

Do I like that decorative fooble only because it's so danged ostentatiously expensive, luring me in to thinking "I could make my house look like the palace of a billionaire"? Is that, too, only because it is so different from what I see every day? Or am I drawn to that picture more because of the water and the trees?

I'm going to keep collecting pictures of things I like, and maybe some day I'll figure it out.

Comments

[kimatha.livejournal.com]

Well, the difference might be in scale. Ostentation looks better on a grand scale, like a pool pagoda, but looks a little silly and contrived on small things like a clock or candle holder.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Good point: the object has to fit its surroundings without being finicky or over-cramped.