You made it about your "friend" not us. Why was "he" even part of the post if he's not relevant? And, hardly anyone believes in cheating, but still many do it. Cheating starts in the heart....look up what "Covet" means. Why is he even spending time with a married woman? If your husband was doing the same "non cheating" with a woman what would you think? I mean, physical sex aside, it sounds like you are considering maybe someday marrying this "perfect" guy...that must fall into some sort of cheating. Right? I don't care if you even believe in God, but you brought up the Christian part, again, not us. And, your story seems to get worse depending on how defensive you get. At first, your husband never laid a hand on you or his real kids, now it appears you are "abused and beat". Which is it? And by the way, none of God's Christian laws that I know of say anything about "THOU must be Happy"....you may "THINK" and "HOPE" God wants you to be happy because you want it, but it has never been one of his laws. Happiness is often found in the next life, not this one. Of course, no one wants you or your kids to be abused unmercibly, but you should be working on resolving your problems one way or another WITHOUT another man in your life. I know you want to hear..."Your husband is so awful, so go be with the man of your dreams and live a wonderful happily ever after life that you deserve"....but that's probably not going to happen no matter how much you want it. I have friends that have done and thought the exact same way you did, and you may think I am trying to be mean and hurtful, but I really am trying to help you. Things just won't turn out all rosy like you think, no matter how much you hope or think you deserve it. Believe it or not, I really am trying to help you and your kids. I could recommend some books about living with people with chronic pain, even abuse, etc... but it doesn't sound like you're interested in anything but approval to do what you want to do. Sorry, you don't like my advice. But sometimes the hardest things to hear are those that are true.

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

Consider the size of the room more than the size of the dining set. A larger rug will make the room look larger and of course you get greater impact from the size. Just make sure that you have about 18 inches of flooring bare all around the room.

Sea grass with welting that matches the ground in oriental or a complimentary oriental would be my choices.