Mine is function because things that look pretty may cause problems or simply not be able to be used.

Function first. If I am going to trip or fall over something, I surely will not be admiring it in any way.

For me - - function is the key to outdoor plantings.

When we lived in central Illinois, we purchased a spec home. I planted 6 shade trees and a spruce. I recently Googled that address to see what it looks like now. Two owners later, one tree was removed (it was sick when we sold) and the rest are huge. Only one other house on the block planted more than one tree. Mine were for shade, although I also planted a peach and two apples.

Curb appeal would come in second place. I don't mix much with my neighbors, so I give them something to talk about. An old friend visited again from Arizona and she was amazed at what I have done here. I dismissed her. But she showed me photos of what it looked like three years ago and this year. Yeah, a bit difference, she called it lush.

I also try to keep things simple, knowing I won't live forever. Leave something decent for the next owners of the property (whenever that might be). And, the four new trees on this property just might help with the overall environment.

What is form? The way the plants are grouped? Anyway, I'll agree with gardengal. We are having our home re-landscaped right now, just got the new walkway in and still need to put the plantings in. Exciting times!

Nothing that does not function properly can be aesthetically pleasing to me. Nothing that is ugly is acceptable to me either.

Maybe I should specify: This isn't just for stuff outdoors, it's for anything. To me form is how the thing is built, i.e. is it well built - sturdy. Is it high quality in workmanship and materials used? Function and esthetics are self-explanatory. Also as I meant to say before - function is very important to me but the thing that holds my interest is what will it look like? What made me ask this question is, DH is enthralled with how this driveway is being made, I could care less, I want to see the end product and how it looks.

First function. Then function. Then, more consideration of function. Then the other things.

Anyway - once function suggests a layout, then aesthetics and appearance can be addressed. If there's a conflict, function wins in my mind. Form is assumed - we've never done anything unless it was done well with better materials, done above standards/code, and done skillfully.

Others can have other priorities. To me, the beauty of a project for any type of area indoors or outdoors is how well its functionality is achieved and then how it looks and fits in to its surroundings.

As a rule male/female answer this TOTALLY differently!!!

OK, the most consistent answer here is function first. So my next question is, how or where does art fit in? It really has no function except for satisfying one's desire for what pleases the senses and maybe somewhat conveys one's philosophies and thoughts on humanity. Again, where does art fit in? I guess one can say that art comes after what's necessary to survive and it's what separates us from other forms of life but there are some people who are driven to either create it or to possess it over everything else except the very bare necessities.

Hmmmmm. Well, I guess it's a balance. I wouldn't want gorgeous furniture that no one was allowed to use because it was so delicate. But I wouldn't want just anything in my house just because it works for whatever purpose it was made for,no matter how ugly or boring. I think my kitchen is a good example. Everything is beautiful to me in there. It's all either pink, heart shaped, or both. But I wouldn't keep buying the same brand of pink toaster if it kept breaking just because it was pink. I would go toastless until someone made a better pink toaster,because I dont want a plain,boring toaster on my counter either.

As for gardens, I was more than thrilled that the previous owners of this house took it upon themselves to remove the boring, flowerless,generic shrubbery in front of the house. Plants to me must be either beautiful to look at or delicious. No reason to invest time in boring scenery.

SO parks his 18 wheeler at home. It took a toll on the property. He and the guy who brought us the rocks to put down spent an awful long time discussing which rocks were best. To me, I thought they were rocks. What's the difference? We ended up going with 2 different rocks, in 2 different places. And the difference is obvious. I didnt think i would even care about something like that. (In case you were wondering,no they dont sell pink rocks by the truckload)

So, I guess all 3 are important to me. Nowadays almost everything is customizable, so a lot of people have the luxury of not having to settle for one over the other.

The function of art is to give the eye something to rest on, something for the mind to contemplate. If a piece doesn't provide that function, out it goes.

I was thinking of a bird feeder DH built at our old house. Functioned well. Sturdy build. But can't say it was particularly attractive, from a human point of view. But we kept it because of function and form.

Also thinking of a bird bath. Maybe it's beautiful and well done. But if it's in the middle of a parking lot where birds never go, what purpose does it serve?

Interesting thread!

I'm not sure how you cross over from construction to philosophy but that's fine.

Here's how I see it, another chance for arcy to come up with one of her many rigid rules. Some things by their nature need to provide some essential functionality. Other things are decorative, done or placed for appearance and with no function expected. Some are both.

For the things that are both, one needs to prioritize function or appearance if choices are in conflict. Or look for compromises to address both intents

You wouldn't want a driveway laid out with interesting shapes and curves that is difficult to drive on. You also wouldn't want one that goes straight up a hill, disregarding the terrain, because it was the shortest and straightest layout possible.

No absolutes.

I also view all of them equally important, they can all work together to make the home pleasing to our eyes.

I don't design to impress my neighbors, I do design to be a good neighbor. Beauty is pleasing to me

I just find it so very interesting that most say that function is important first, then esthetics. But then when you throw in the question of art and where it fits in, there's not much explanation. Dare I say that although each person's view of art is completely different, I don't know any person who has absolutely no art in their lives. But they would almost all say the function of a thing is the most important. Maybe what Elmer said about there are no absolutes is right and I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. All I know for sure is, DH is still out there avidly watching this. Not because he's trying to supervise, he just likes it. And I'm inside waiting to see the final result.

rita....I did remove a gravel driveway...and replace it with colored cement. I hated maintaining the gravel. It needed to be weeded. It would move around & need to be raked. I kept adding to it as it stuck in the tire tread & walked off. I LOVED the new cement driveway. I hope you will too.

Nicole this is an asphalt mix over top of the rock driveway, lots of prepping and compressing and other stuff before the asphalt layer. We have 170 feet of driveway, way too expensive for cement and property taxes go sky high with any kind of cement additions here. But it will definitely be safer to walk on. And yes, the weeds were impossible to control in the lime-rock without lots of chemicals.

My drive is over 0.1 of a mile and gravel. I'm not having it paved because it won't blend with the almost 200 year old house. So I would go with appearance first and function last.

For example, if I was buying a sofa I wouldn't buy the most comfortable one if it's ugly. I would buy the prettiest one as long as its not uncomfortable.

I also believe in the balance of all three. Whether it's indoors, outdoors or a car.

A home that's professionally decorated with colors and high end furniture surrounded by a sloppy paint finish is a waste of effort in my opinion. Critical light on a poor paint finish destroys the entire room. Whenever I walk into a house the paint finish is the first thing I notice.

My landscape is designed to look nice during all 4seasons. I hired a landscape architect to specify plants, seasonal colors and ease of maintenance. Neighbors ask how we got such a beautiful landscape. I planned it that way.

A dirty car is shameful.

I always thought form and aesthetics were much the same, or so close that they overlap considerably. To me, if something is sturdy and well-built, that speaks more to function. I'd like to think that function is more important to me, but I don't think I could exist peacefully in a house that displays a riot of bright colors, especially a modern riot, no matter how comfy the couch, or how efficient the kitchen layout. I would be overwhelmed.

Outside is different--no color is too strong or overdone. My sister, however, will not allow any red or orange flower in her yard or gardens. I've been the grateful recipient of several of her rejects.

Your DH's desire to be watching the action, instead of waiting to see the final result, seems more like curiosity, especially if he has no desire to control the process. When my father ran an excavating company he almost always had an audience; people (mostly male) enjoyed watching him run the heavy equipment.

I tend to think of myself as a very practical person, who will place function above aesthetics - say in kitchen design. But, I also know that if the aesthetics that I personally appreciate are lacking, I won't be happy.

I think it has to be functional first. Then... 'How does it look?' Can I afford something nicer?' Then you go through the questions again.

Function, form and aesthetics in that order. You can have the most beautiful shoes in the world, but if they fall apart or hurt your feet, they are useless.

Although, I have to admit, I'm not too keen on wearing ugly shoes, so when I shop I try to strike a balance between all three criteria.

Is "giving joy" a function?

If function and form are well done, the result may also be aesthetic. Function is primary because if ti doesn't work, its of no value to the owner.

Michael, no way to keep a vehicle clean for long on dirt roads and gravels driveways. :(

I enjoy having clean cars far too much, I would never live someplace where keeping them clean wasn't possible. A no-go for me, not something I'd have to think about. Fortunately unpaved driveways are very rare in my area and unpaved roads to homes even more rare.

Nothing elicits a face palm urge in me quicker than seeing an expensively done kitchen with a cook top on an island and no overhead exhaust fan. Especially if a gas cook top, which I've seen and am amazed it's even code compliant.

My reaction (which I keep to myself), in good valley girl talk, would be "like wow, like doesn't anyone here like know what happens when you like cook something there? Do you like ever cook things here that are like smelly, like onions or garlic or spices, or like smoky, like meat? Do you, like, like having those smells and the combustion poisons from the gas flames throughout your like house?"

We once went to a open house held by someone we knew on the occasion of the completion of a kitchen remodel. Yes, a gas cook top on an island was there, sans exhaust fan. I asked the lady of the house about it when a quiet moment presented itself - why no exhaust fan? The response was "Our designer found some hanging fixtures she thought would look perfect here when seen when first entering the room. She said there was no way to use the fixtures and also have an overhead exhaust system so she convinced us to stick with these lights instead. Aren't they lovely?"

Function first.

Definitely function. Ideally things perform well and are pleasing to the eye, so aesthetics. What exactly is form?

In engineering, we refer to form, fit, and function, where form refers to characteristics such as size, dimensions, weight, appearance, etc. Function is the same in context, and fit is obviously does it meet the tolerances required. To me function is most important, but form is at least as important and aesthetics definitely is related to form, imo. Otherwise, the term ‘lipstick on a pig’ comes to mind.

I agree with the exhaust fan analogy. :0) I love up draft, but will settle for down draft. But....there HAS to be one. A good one!

rita....thanks for the explanation of the driveway materials. Makes sense.

Hey nicole, I think we've had an updraft vs downdraft discussion before. Or maybe I'm mistaken.

Updraft is noise plus effective ventilation. Downdraft is noise only. In my experience.

We once bought a nearly new house that had a Jenn-Air range with built in grill and downdraft ventillation. They were popular at the time. What a piece of junk that was.

I was getting ready to replace it with real equipment and then we decided to move. Thankfully.

I think some newer downdraft models (some of which have the piece that rises when in use and then retracts down when turned off) may be better. But, no thanks.

I hung out with architecture students when I was in college and that's where I learned "form follows function." (I also learned to put a horizontal line through the number 7 so it doesn't get mistaken for a 1.) Esthetics is very subjective, and it would be hard to get anything started if it came first.

Raye, in your situation i would drive nothing but a beater.

My guess is 70% of the people out here that enjoy the beauty and peace of the country drive pickups, mostly white. I can wake up to the roosters, cows and donkeys every day and count it joy.

It’s a 3 legged stool. In order fir it to “work”, all three must be present and equal.