You live too far away or I would definitely be up for shopping, specially when someone else is spending money!

Is there a local home decor store that you like in your area? Not a chain, but independently owned. They would be a good resource to help you ... of course they will be selling you items they have in inventory, so you have to be clear about what you like or don't like. Many of these stores are owned by an interior designer or someone with an eye for design. I have a few of these design "boutiques" in my area of FL.

A friend also went to a high end furniture store and had one of the store designers shop the floor to get all the finishing touches for her new construction. The good thing was that the store designer brought over a bunch of different things to try in her house and my friend only kept the items she really liked.