The differences in two people’s tastes are never so glaringly obvious until they move in together. Your loft is done in French country while your honey’s apartment is decorated in early frat house, with junk yard accents. In days gone by, couples moved from their parents’ homes and would start the decorating process scratch. But people are marrying later in life, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Men these days wed for the first time at an average age of 28.2, and women are saying “I Do” for the first time around at 26.1. That means couples are a more likely to be combining established households rather than moving in together with few, if any, furnishings. Here are a few tips to ensure that transition goes smoothly.
Find Common Ground
On the surface, you and your sweetie may have very different taste when it comes to furniture and decor. It’s likely that your tastes overlap in some areas, although you’ll have to make the effort to find the all-important common ground. HGTV suggests that the two of you sit down with a few decorating magazines or style books and go through them together. Each of you should make a three-column list:
- My favorites
- Things I could live with
- Never in my house!
…then compare the results. Agree to avoid all things under the “never in my house!” column on both lists, and look for items that appear on both “favorites” and “could live with” lists.
Hire if the Budget Allows
When compromise isn’t a strong-suit for either of you, hire a decorator if you have the finances to do so. Freshome points out that a designer offers an unbiased set of eyes. She can serve as a tie-breaking third party, plus she is an expert who will notice things you and your mate won’t and she’ll be able to suggest style ideas neither of you have even thought of. Agree before your first meeting to rely on her expertise and allow her decisions to be final in any areas where the two of you cannot agree.
Fitting It All In
Cramming two household’s worth of furnishings into one home is probably the biggest challenge you’ll face after compromise, of course. Enlist some space-saving tricks in order to utilize as much from each household as you can. Futons, for instance, can be placed in the living room or a home office to serve as seating as well as a place for guests to sleep.
Decide What’s Important
You don’t have to hold your ground on every little issue when a disagreement over decorating or decor arises. My Home Ideas advises that you pick your battles, allowing your significant other to keep his well-used easy chair, for example, but maybe suggesting that it be recovered in fabric that goes with your new “ours” decor.
