Dear Jean and Richard: I once read in a magazine about avoiding being too kitschy when designing a room. What on earth were they talking about? –Lori, Weaverville

Richard: Hi Lori. The dictionary defines kitsch as “artistic or literary material of low quality designed to appeal to current popular taste,” but designers know it can also reference creations that overuse a theme or take an idea too far. For example, it may be in your taste to hang in your bathroom a painting that features sea gulls and a lighthouse, but if the bathroom also has a lighthouse soap dispenser, a seashell shower curtain, and wallpaper with flying pelican repeats, the word “kitschy” might come to mind.

Jean: Actually, the word that comes to my mind is awful. I think kitsch can be a positive thing if it is deliberate and used in moderation. Let’s say you have a rec room with a bar. The room might be very urban or even elegant, but you could still have some 1950’s dancing hula girl statuettes on the bar—very kitschy because they are blatantly cheap and lowbrow—but they would be both fun and appropriate.

Richard: I’d prefer the hunky exotic man statuettes from that era. But you make a good point. Still, I think even in the arena of lowbrow art, you can overdo the singing bass trophies. You need to make sure the piece is displayed for its whimsy or for its value as an art object—juxtaposed with more serious surroundings. Otherwise, you risk the room looking like a flea market… or just campy.

Jean: Camp is a first cousin to kitsch, usually referring to something outrageously artificial or ridiculously flamboyant. Elton John’s early outfits were campy. Parades can be campy. As it relates to interior design, year round Christmas lights or giant glazed animal statues might be considered campy.

Richard: What if they were Roman gladiator statues?

Jean: We know people who would love those, don’t we Richard? Truly, I believe kitsch and camp both have their places. Some people take themselves too seriously, insisting on everything being exactly the same shade of dull—and their homes might benefit from a little silliness here and there. For example, you might consider making a formal room a little livelier by adding a really flamboyant lamp. But the idea can be taken too far, too. One “King of the Remote” throw pillow is usually enough. Not every room should have a clock cat with a pendulum tail. And let’s face it, a giant animal statue is probably too heavy for the bar, anyway. I wish we could train him to write our column, which now goes to weekly.