Remember all those tricks (mainly texturing) I taught you on building levels. I know you're focused on this idea that gameplay > appearance, and that's true for the majority of the time. However I can promise you that appearance can go a long, long way, because an interior with good texturing looks a lot more professional than an interior made by someone who's too lazy and doesn't care enough about how much pleasure a level can bring to one's eyes. Imagine how PQ would look like if it didn't have all those extra .dts objects. It would look kinda bland, right? Yes, static shapes are way different than textures, but I know you're smart enough to find a similarity between the two.
I can make a pretty fair quality level in a day with enough focus. A very good looking level can take around 2 days. I know, if you're making one level every two days, that'll take like 3 years to reach your expectations. That's just how it works. People will have more respect for you as a level builder if you take the time to make a good level, even if they don't say it much. Ask yourself this though...
Would you rather have people not mention the looks of a good looking level that took longer to make, or would you rather have people complain or point out errors left and right for levels with a poor appearance, just because you rushed to finish the job?