Update 5/29/2022:
Picking design 2 and extending it

alright gamers we're going with the pretty frame design and decided to extend it a bit to have some other sections. what am I gonna do with some of these sections? uhhhhhhh

also if I get another cool design idea and can't choose between them I think there may be a way for site visitors to switch between designs with some good old fashioned javascript, so long as the designs have the same layout

Testing layout shit here (old)

Design 1

A wooden frame with the branches of a tree growing around it, topped off with one of the branches sprouting leaves and oranges (no I did not look up what an orange tree looks like).

Pros:

Frame hopefully isn't too distracting
pretty :)

Cons:

Not really a con, per se, but I'm not 100% attached to the theme.

Design 2

A fancy-dancy detailed wooden frame. Lotta copy-and-pasting with the details that was kinda tedious.

Pros:

VERY pretty. Plus it fits with the whole doorframe that'll take you here. It's like walking into a house.

Cons:

Maybe a little TOO detailed. Though, the texture will be wood, so hopefully the dark brown will make it less distracting so long as I don't make it too shiny.

Possible other designs:

I'm thinking I might try to merge both these designs. So you've got the fancy frame with branches growing around it in some spots. Though this... may just make it even more distracting with the details.

Part of me wants to try making the main page one of those "dollhouse" styled websites, where the links are all props in an illustration. Though I worry that may make navigation difficult... Unleeeess I add labels and other things to make it easy to process where things go... hmmmmm oh god I'm actually considering it

Update 5/29/2022: Picking design 2 and extending it

Testing layout shit here (old)

Design 1

Pros:

Cons:

Design 2

Pros:

Cons:

Possible other designs:

Update 5/29/2022:
Picking design 2 and extending it