I don’t think it has to be quite that black and white. It doesn’t have to have “eye candy” and it also doesn’t have to look like a 1998 Delphi project. Strive for the gray area and if that is not achievable... then yes, function over form.
Feel free to use the extensive settings Leo has to customize it to your taste. Personally I prefer 'minimal' but I'm sure that if you work hard at it you can make it look pretty enough to suite you.