I think more than the appearance of the room, which for some in a dedicated room is not as important, is the number of systems in these tiny little rooms. I have seen some systems with upwards of $25,000 - $50,000 worth of equipment in rooms that don't appear to be more than 8-10 feet wide. Some of these systems are running large, very large speakers that appear to be about 1 foot from the side walls and about 4 feet apart.
We all have compromises of some degree or other, whether it be appearance or room size, but it seems to me that many ignore the match between the system and the room (not just the accoustical treatments that can be applied, but buying the wrong sized equipment for the available space).
