I also like to have as few visual elements on a page as I can get away with. Keep it as simple as possible. Minimizes distraction, minimizes response latency, minimizes page rendering time in client's browser, minimizes the chance that something can "go wrong" with any given page, and minimizes work on my side.
I am not a professional designer, so take with grain of salt.
I am not a professional designer, so take with grain of salt.