There are all sorts of examples of crappy "faux finishes" in all sorts of disciplines. Maybe (??) those tiles that resemble wood are one that's practical/durable, but so many (that I've encountered) won't last a generation, and devalue whatever the "thing" happens to be.
Check out the old somewhat yellowish look of the walls (originally, a real and realistic-looking grey) of this cathedral-like (protestant) church sanctuary.
When a new minister was hired (late 1970's) he was talked into - by an "acoustician" (amazing original acoustics in that place...ie. PERFECT) - spending crazy money for a layer of fake (stucco-like??) crap over the REAL walls (same look, but REAL, and not synthetically veneered) to "improve the acoustics".
When the organist (who had been there for decades) protested, he was fired, and given a typing job in the church office.
A new (hack) organist (who hit wrong keys often and openly swore) then convinced that new minister to tear out the (amazing, and written of in books about fine organs across the world) fine organ and put in a "tracker" organ with "just" (ie. "interesting", but - for many practical modern applications: out-of-tune) tuning. Both the "tracker" system proved to be a mess, and - whenever wind musicians were hired to play there - they would chuckle at the tuning of the organ.
I suppose (??) that same organ is still in there today. We quit the church, due to (not only that idiocy, but) other things that - were they mentioned here - would probably prompt a tattletale or two to hit the "!" button.
oh yeah... the crappy plaster/stucco crap...??
I was in there a few years ago, and saw cracks/peeling here-and-there. I wonder how much it might cost someday (if that place doesn't eventually go defunct, and become yet another "community center") to peel all that mess off and clean the original "forever" surfaces?
to the same topic:
I've also noticed a (now, a couple of decades...??) trend for higher valuation of old not-rusted collectable/vintage cars to be deemed more valuable with worn/original paint - along with worn/original-yet-serviceable original upholstery, etc. - than fully-restored (repainted/reupholstered) vintage/collectable cars.
...endless examples of this sort of thing...
bloke "Listen to me talk...ME: who's considering putting a faux finish on one of my tubas...but - to my forgiveness - ANY sort of lacquer over a brass instrument is a 'faux finish', is it not?"
