Mean people are no fun.
It's not a party until the fire department shows up.
Practical storage pieces are great if you have a basement or a garage. But when you actually live with them day in and day out, they should be beautiful to look at.
Lighting is an essential way to change the mood of a room, especially if you can use dimmers.
Being dull and boring is far more tragic than being tacky.
I think the set looks great. It's kind of like Battlestar Galactica meets like the Italian furniture fair.