They are somehow realistic and contemporary in their design yet also have character and a sense of age. One of the key things to remember when shopping for fixtures (elegant or cheap) is that design never exists in a vacuum - there will always be a bit of disorganization around it or at least some other objects in the room that are not part of the initially designed set. A handle might look good on a pedestal and devoid of context but being able to visualize what it will look like when functionally attached as a piece of working hardware is critical too.
