I also live in an ex Corporation house and as they are small I strongly believe that enhancing any natural light is one of the most important ways to make the rooms feel larger. So in your situation I think it would be a mistake to do anything that would cut down the light (which dark blinds definitely would).
Which is a bit of a long winded way of saying go for white blinds - not cream, IMO cream on windows always looks like discoloured white, it is no easier to keep clean and it does not bounce the light the same way white does.
Oh and for your smoking other half, get him/her to read one of the Allan Carr books (smoke while reading!), worked a charm for me, am a non-smoker nearly eleven years now. (Being a non-smoker is much easier than being an ex-smoker!)