I think many people dont understand this dynamic. It is about overal design. It is about attention attenuation. Its not that people think the lush baroque or a art deco designs are ugly as an individual piece. Its that they associate it with a certain aesthetic (that has also been butchered by tasteless people), then even when they see a beautiful piece of furniture or decoration. It seems out of place.
What do I mean by "character"? I don't really know, I'm not a designer or architect, but I know what I like. They have wood flooring, but not the modern wood flooring with just identical 4" wide planks (and usually not even actual wood), I'm talking craftsmanship with patterns of different types and colors of wood. They have wood moulding, trim, and millwork around windows, doors, ceilings, and fireplaces. There are trees in those neighborhoods older than my parents.
I sometimes think that I'd like to design some of those elements as upgrades to this house, but even if I had the money, time, and patience for the task, I don't have the mind for it. It would need to be a complete overhaul, because:
> If there is ornamentation everywhere, the ornamentation is natural. Like in a church.
> Where you have a modern glass or minimalist pulpit. It just looks so out of place.
Even if I tried, I'm fairly sure the result would end up obviously-tacked-on (and thus tacky), looking like a dignified, stately older house in the same way the cybertruck looks like a pickup truck.