The Look vs. Function

Pretty and practical don't always go together but they can! It doesn't necessarily have to be a sacrifice whether to have something that is functional vs. something that looks great.
You shouldn't feel like they are two such distant things. Something can be functional in a practical way and still be aesthetically pleasing. 

I tend to be more practical in most spaces than I think people may expect a designer to be. When someone has small children and we are looking at area rugs for their breakfast room I try to think- what will clean up well?... because undoubtedly things will be dropped and spilled. Even an indoor/ outdoor rug might make perfect sense, as long as the color & pattern coordinate well- it can be literally hosed off outside, scrubbed clean & they're usually fairly inexpensive too. So, when those food dropping & spilling babies can be trusted to not make that area into the scene of a food fight, you can get rid of it & get something new and different without feeling bad about spending on a new rug. 

A chair can have great lines and be incredibly good looking, but should have some degree of comfort at the same time. Although- sometimes that perfect accent or statement piece doesn't have to be the "curl up in it & watch a weekend movie" kind of chair either. 

Looking good doesn't have to mean it's not comfy.  And practical doesn't have to be ugly! 

There's definitely a balance and we all know - while stilettos may be beautiful and make you feel sexy, that after an evening in them you may want to throw them in the garbage & soak your feet in a bubbling spa tub. Women joke that beauty is pain (and sometimes it is true!) but in our homes an appealing look doesn't have to mean uncomfortable. You want to look good in those jeans, but be able to walk & breathe in them. If they look great but you can't move in them without feeling like the seam might split then it doesn't make much sense to wear them. After all, if you're going to a favorite restaurant you can't even begin to enjoy your food. So, looking good and feeling good can be a balance of aesthetics and practicality - whether in attire or interior elements.