srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
Yes - people actually liked the swirly look, in the days when plain and clean was seen as dull, and period features were old fashioned.Was there any point in Artex apart from covering up nasties? Was it a decorative look that people actually wanted. I'm not knocking it if they do/did, just genuinely curious.
You only need to visit a museum with Roman decoration or a 19th century stately home to see how taste varies.