Thanks for your input. That member over at TAZ is actually a senior staff admin there, which after all the input I've received from others makes me seriously doubt the advice I received there. He created the icons and header as well.
I'll work on finding a new gradient. I don't have any experience with graphics so I need to rely on pieces I can pick up elsewhere. Some of the generic icons are left over from the original installation so I need to find new ones of those too. I've yet to find any complete icon/button sets that go perfectly with my colors. Probably not the place to ask, but I'd like to find some custom graphics along with someone to make me a header.