Earlier quoted context omitted.
Skeuomorphism goes in the other extreme direction though. One doesn't need flat design or skeuomorphism. There's a nice balance of UI elements that sit in the middle. I think Windows 7 was probably a good example of just straight up boring buttons and controls.
OS X Maverics and iOS 6 were also nice examples of skeuomophism done right.
I personally dislike Apple's skeuomorphic designs and find them very distracting. I in general do not like skeuomorphism in nearly any application.