I'm sure I've broken most of the "audiophile rules". My room is too small, I've got a big Salamander triple rack between the speakers for my equipment, my dual subs are placed in the corners behind my mains, I've got a projector screen mounted up on the wall between the speakers.
But, I've chosen speakers that I know work well in my room, I've added room treatments, and I've carefully placed the speakers and listening position in the best places possible within my room's constraints, based on actual measurements. It sounds amazing to me. I'm happy. I like the way it looks. I like the way it sounds. I've made the best use of the space that I have to work with. Maybe I'm not taking full advantage of the equipment, but in the end, I believe getting 60% out of higher end equipment is still going to sound better than getting 60% out of your basic entry-level Best Buy offerings. Equipment can and does make a difference, within reason.