Any Operating System is more than just it's kernel.
It is the sum of all it's parts, and some of the biggest parts of any operating system are it's GUI, applications, and other things all bundled together. Today Linux has solutions to all of these aspects, with applications that match or surpass many of the common desktop applications of other operating systems. Here you can see pictures of what some common Linux desktops look like. As you will see you are not just restricted to one type of desktop as you are with some other operating systems. What you want your desktop to be is what you make of it.