OK, first the issue with smooth shift can be gotten around by selecting the smoothshift tool and right clicking without moving the mouse. This will cause a zero offset shift to take place. What this means is that you'll have the extra polys created in exactly the same place, so moving immediately to (say) the move tool and moving the polys around will give you the effect you desire.
As for the reduced number of polys, the point is that the smooth shift tool will create extra geometry as and where you apply it. If you also need to introduce new geometry at certain places, always remember the knife, bandsaw and possibly extender tools as well.
Finally, for your room, I'd be tempted to model the set (i.e: the room floor, walls, doorframe, skirting board in one layer of a single object, and pop any windows into another layer and a door into yet another layer (so you can move its pivot point and animate it if required). All the other objects you need to have in the scene (bed, drawers, lamp. chair, etc...) should each be modelled as individual objects and then added to the scene - this way, you can simply reuse a single object if it is required any time in the future.
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