Compare the "realistically" dingy environment of Darkstar to the fancy space airline and orbital hotel sets of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Have you really looked at

Compare the "realistically" dingy environment of Darkstar to the fancy space airline and orbital hotel sets of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Have you really looked at the insides of actual craft from NASA, military aircraft, military and commercial ships, or submarines? Purposeful, large facilities like hangars, factories, oil drilling platforms, or refineries? Smaller technical spaces like equipment rooms, scientific research labs, and medical imaging labs? I think the designers are often imagining future tech spaces derived from these examples rather than luxury ocean liners, hotels, resorts, and executive meeting rooms. It isn't irrational to use those purposefully technical environments as setting for technologically-driven drama. Star Trek NG was more of the cruise ship or hotel vibe as they tried to efficiently convey their utopian vision. They went with the militaristic or industrial vibe for contrasting environments they encountered in many episodes.