Narrative direction, in my view at least, should be reserved for the most important things, unless the writer wants to at least establish a basic image, in which case it should be minimal.
The writer should think of themselves as a reader, and consider the reader response: how does a reader actually *read* a story?
Often times it’s the case that a reader will automatically create a mental image of a scene and the characters with just a minimal nudging from the writer. Going into every groove of a face or the floorboards of a room — especially within a short piece — are a waste of time unless they either progress the actual narrative, or are meant to underline something that is happening to a character (mood-setting).
Regardless of what the writer intends, the reader’s thoughts will take over the second they start reading — and too much description can be jarring for the audience.
There are of course exceptions; for example, descriptive work can add to a plot twist, but then again, often omission is more important for a twist.
