The uk and the eu security industry is far more secure than the us. There are touch screen keypads out there, but I would agree that many of the uk rkp's are not that aesthetically pleasing but Ive yet to see a rkp that is fantastic.
Personally if you dont like the look of the rkp then put it in a cupboard, if you are having the system installed by a professional they will have alternative methods of arming and disarming your system you need the keypad from a programming point of view, but thats it nowadays you can use your smartphone, or a proximity reader and fob, or a wireless device, or even locking unlocking your door to arm/disarm the alarm.