It is a trade off, but it doesn't seem foolish. There is no full enjoyment, just varying degrees of almost-full enjoyment. A house that somebody lives in will

It is a trade off, but it doesn't seem foolish. There is no full enjoyment, just varying degrees of almost-full enjoyment. A house that somebody lives in will always look worse than a house that has been prepared to look its absolute swankest, with every dust particle removed and every pillow fluffed. It makes more sense to talk of "full enjoyment" as a range rather than a point. To me, things like dulled metal surfaces would not be out of that range, if the house is designed well. If minor things like that put it outside the range, then it's a bad house. Maybe there is something to that "essential character" business after all. Worn things are pleasant, and I think there is a reason. They put you at ease because they tell you that they've been used, and it's OK to use them. Shiny things seem fragile and distant.