I think every decision I've made over the years was the best decision I could make based on what I knew at the time. If I were starting over now, there are a couple of things I would do differently, but nothing earth shattering.
Our tanks take up a lot of our time, energy and money. So I want mine to be as easy to enjoy as possible. That means -
- make it as easy to maintain/work on as possible. The last thing I want is to cut corners on husbandry because it's a pain in the butt to work under the stand or to reach the skimmer or whatever else.
- make it as easy to enjoy as possible. Don't put it in a room you never go in... don't make it hard to see in general. If possible, make it easy to sit near and enjoy.
The first just requires some planning. The second one you kind of have set already... but if going slightly smaller makes the space work better, you'll be happier in the long run (probably).