I've been using default GNOME for ages and I'm happy with it. I use the keyboard very heavily so I've never been bothered with the window controls. Saying KDE has too much customization is putting it mildly, the thing feels like an Airbus cockpit. There's unironically half a dozen menus to change themes alone. Like Windows it feels like you're on three versions of the system at the same time ranging 15 years back.

Say what you want about ripping stuff out but GNOME has what I also appreciate about macs, it has a coherent design language.