I had a customer service spat with Ikea in Shanghai 10 years ago that I still haven't quite overcome (ordered a couch, it was delivered, I decided I didn't like it, and those guys wouldn't take it back because I didn't have the box... guess who did?), but I am still forced to admit that those guys should figure prominently in any decoration strategy for short-medium term visitors. Even if you just buy things like wooden horses, random wall hangings, shower curtains, and the like, a small amount of money spent there adds a great deal of color.

Something to note about the Chinese consumer furniture market is that it is crowded on both the low and high ends, but there isn't much in the middle.