He did, and took my sensible and practical advice. Those sort of rooms are just not suitable for surround speakers. The end result is not worth it. You have to pay attention to architectural considerations just as much, and may be more, than the technical audio ones. After all, the front channels are 95% of the loaf, the rest is just a layer of very thin icing on top. I have 2.1, 3.1 and 7.2.4. I could live very happily and contentedly with any one of them. In fact I lived with 2.0 most of my life and enjoyed the entire experience. We should tell more members that two good channels beats a higher count of more lesser speakers by more then a country mile. Actually this practice of adding surround speakers of lesser quality is actually not a benefit, but a move in the wrong direction.
As we progress into Atmos, I'm increasingly convinced that this should be confined, by and large, to custom designed and constructed rooms.
The OP is correct to listen to his wife. In the end this is all about good audio in the home without causing architectural mayhem to family living spaces. It is the excellence of the totality of the system that brings added pleasure and satisfaction to the living spaces we call home.
You need to review your approach to audio and AV in the home. My way or the high way does not cut it and won't round here, so knock it off.