Go listen to some Cremona Auditors if you can, which your wife may find attractive. They can be had used with stands at times for as low as 3k. They sound great in a small room like yours (a large room is a different story).
For a different though also very nice sound, AVI makes some nice, reasonably priced monitors - the Neutron IV and Pro-nine Plus (around 1k and 2k respectively). AVI speakers are the standard in many U.K. recording studios and provide very accurate reproduction of music. They are little hard to find here, as they have just started to be imported into the U.S., but worth listening to if you get a chance. The Pro-nine's are what you want, but if your wife insists on small, they don't come much smaller than the Neutron IV, and they are very solid at their price point.
For a different though also very nice sound, AVI makes some nice, reasonably priced monitors - the Neutron IV and Pro-nine Plus (around 1k and 2k respectively). AVI speakers are the standard in many U.K. recording studios and provide very accurate reproduction of music. They are little hard to find here, as they have just started to be imported into the U.S., but worth listening to if you get a chance. The Pro-nine's are what you want, but if your wife insists on small, they don't come much smaller than the Neutron IV, and they are very solid at their price point.