If the fabrics weren't ugly when they were "planned" why would you call them ugly now? There may be some values that should not go together but all in all, the plan of a scrap quilt is to not have a plan.
One method (that I have not mastered) is the paper bag method where you separate the scraps into colors and each color goes into a brown bag.
When you sew the pattern, the only decision you have to make is which color is next. Then without looking, you pull a piece from the bag and you must use it (unless it is a duplicate of the previous piece). It is a freeing experience.
Here is a closeup of a somewhat random scrapper (darks and lights) from my stash. The key is not to look at each piece but wait for the quilt as a whole.