Really enjoyed the design talks. Subscribed to your Youtube :)
I also struggle with the various assets available where you need to fight the authors vision with yours. That point really struck a chord with me.
All new assets in my game that I get from the marketplace go through a "normalization" phase. I rip and tear them apart until they start to look like they belong in my game. Otherwise you end up with conflicting art styles. It's a lot of work but worth it so you don't get that "asset flip" look. Just wish I was a better artist!