what is the general opinion of fondant accents on a buttercream cake? does it look out of place? jw

Nope, it looks just fine-

Fondant accents/motifs on bc would describe MOST of my cakes. See also; Damask cakes

Nope, not out of place. I do it all the time Just get your BC really smooth, and don't make your accents too heavy.

That's how I do most of my cakes. You can check out my pix if you want to see some examples.

I prefer fondant on BC.

I agree with everyone else. I really like it on BC. That's how I did my half-sheet baby shower cake. All the accents are fondant.