If you go into a showroom with the attitude that you want to see all there is to see with the hopes that something will jump out at you, you'll get your wish-- from the first tile to the last. it can be EXTREMELY overwhelming. I never realised just HOW over whelming it can be until about 10 years ago, when my then girlfriend's sister decided she wanted to build a house, and wanted me to tile it, so I brought her down to the showroom I was working for at the time with that exact attitude. We got to the showroom at 7:45, and we were there till about 3:30. her boyfriend was about to wallpaper the FLOOR!! When you go to a showroom, you need to know atleast some basic information. >Do you want natural stone? Conventional ceramic? Porcelain? Do you have any questions as to the recommended uses of each? >You want to have a pretty good idea of what you want for colors. Be open to suggestions, but have an idea in which direction you want to go. >You want to have an idea of what you want for finish. (Do you want something with a high sheen or polish? Honed? More of a rustic look? Contemporary?) >Have an idea of how much you're willing to spend per foot. This DOESN'T mean to tell the salesman. Guaranteed, he'll steer you to a material with the cheapest wholesale price and double the retail just to put it in your price range, and make the most money off of it. >Decide before you walk into the showroom, which of these points are non- negotiable, and which can be comprimised, and stick to your guns. If you can put this information together before you get there, it'll make the trip alot less painless.

Not sure what your idea of budget friendly is without any numbers, but if you can swing Lee Industries upholstery, via Crate & Barrel (which has a 15 percent off sale every autumn) or your local Lee Industries distributor, you can choose the fabric, which includes some florals which you can see here. You can also go the Ikea route -- I quite like the lines of their new Farlov sofa . Their Ektorp sofa comes in a floral print. Or you can get new slipcovers for your Ikea sofa and chairs, like the ones at Bemz, which has this beautiful Designers Guild floral (a different colorway is here), or their blue rose floral, For curtains (either floral or stripe, which is part of the English cottage look, to co-ordinate with florals), look at Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, Country Curtains (hurry, they are going out of business right now), and even Ikea (here and here).

The first thing that strikes me is that your curtain rod is too short which is why you have to push the curtains to the side which kills the vibe in this room. Get longer rods and linen-type curtains that are fairly similar to the wall color which will give the room warmth without looking busy. Please make sure that your area rug is as large as possible because that will make this room look fabulous. Little bitty rugs do not. I would choose an Oriental rug in warm colors because it will hide little accidents, at least until you can address them. I would definitely get a sofa, so great for cuddling with your husband and kids. I would place it in front of the window for good lighting for reading but also because it gives you the best sight lines into other areas of your home. Instead of a coffee table consider a large ottoman with a lid so that you have plenty of storage space. Please don't buy a brown or black leather couch. They look dated and are so difficult to decorate around. Try beige or caramel, with two chairs in contrasting colors, perhaps a nice blue or green, colors that will be in the carpet hopefully. You can also use the carpet colors to choose pillows for your soft furniture. Find some nice pictures to put on the walls, a large green plant, a bookcase or two (books are a must in a room) and side tables for lamps. By now your room will look gorgeous and be pretty well furnished and, most important of all, will be comfortable and fun to be in.

I have this table, and I purchased it for the same reason, the size and the style. It is holding up very well, with 3 grandkids eating at it many times a week. At first I thought it may be soft, or stain, because of its finish, it’s not the shiny varnished top of our old set, but it has not stained or scratched. It has been scrubbed with all sorts of cleaning products and is doing great. Also at this price, when the style fades out in years to come, I will not feel guilty about replacing it!