Naw, eyecandy isn't so difficult after a bit of practice. Just start out with the layout of your level and make sure all the tiles used for that connect nicely. If you can't find the right tile for a situation, double-check the tileset for it, it's usually there. If there's really nothing you can often fix the problem by putting a different tile in the background or foreground along with the tile in the sprite layer on the same position. Don't add the more fancy stuff until there are no more ill-fitting tiles in the basic layout.