You have a lovely room and it will be worth the effort to take the time to locate the right furnishings. Try Pottery Barn for to get some ideas about stylish comfort. Some of their furniture is on sale now. With down-wrapped cushions and down throw pillows, it really is possible to be comfortable without resorting to a recliner! Also, if there is a Bassett Direct near you, it would be worthwhile to visit the store, as they provide complementary design services. We had a very good experience with a store here in Florida when we were refurnishing our second home in North Carolina. I took in the blueprints and the designer drew out possible furniture arrangments and did a marvelous job assisting us with our selections. All of the furniture can be customized by fabric and finish and shown to you on a monitor as modified. Here is a link that might be useful: Bassett Direct

No need to worry. Laminate floors do NOT have the same issues as everything else. In fact, they are the EASIEST and CHEAPEST options when it comes to area rugs. In fact, you can use ANYTHING your heart desires. Rubber backed. Vinyl backed. Nylon. Wool. Anything and everything is allowed on laminate. The LINOLEUM was the limiting factor...not the rugs. The LINOLEUM was the problem (and the sales person failed to inform you of the limitation). Have fun and enjoy the FREEDOM the laminate gives you. If you like it, BUY IT! PS: Laminate, unless it is a water resistant laminate, does not like to live in kitchens. Just a little FYI.

Take a few pictures of the ENTIRE space. Several angles........ My bet is the garden projects need to move to the nature outdoors.

It is generally stated that the rug should be at least big enough that the front legs of the furniture should rest on the rug, or the rug will look too skimpy. I tend to prefer a larger rug where the furniture will fit onto it, but each room is different. I'd look at 10X12 rugs, or thereabouts. I have purchased rugs online, but only if they have a great return policy. Returning a rug is not too easy, as you have to wrap it back up again, but there are ways to do it. Pottery Barn is a source I like to use since they have store locations for returns.