By Pamela Tindal
It does not matter how long you have been together with your partner or how much you’ve endured as a couple, according to Houzz. Strange behavior can pop up as you seek to furnish and decorate a new home together.
This is the time a surprising array of likes and dislikes reveal themselves, when items that are sentimental only to your partner become a topic for discussion. Because you each come into the relationship with a unique history and one-of-a-kind taste, your new home together can serve as a good lesson for how and when to compromise.
First Things First
Talk first, buy later, suggests Today.com. Take time to look around as a couple — at bars, restaurants, hotel lobbies, museums, public libraries — and figure out which atmosphere appeals to you most. Discuss how you might replicate that atmosphere in your new home. What do either of you already own that will fit in with theme? It will be much easier to say, “You know, that college football helmet on the coffee table doesn’t really make me feel as though I’m in a museum,” than “Wow, that thing is a monstrosity.” If you’re able to agree on the atmosphere you’re working to create, you might be better able to determine what belongs and which items simply do not fit.
Discover Color
Color is one of the areas of decoration that tends to separate the sexes, according to HGTV. As you are in the planning stages, choose a color palette that appeals to both of you. If you’re both comfortable with neutral colors — like gray, taupe and green — use those colors throughout the space. You can integrate them into the wall color, fabrics and even pieces of painted furniture. If one of you has a particular favorite, like purple or red, seek a compromise by adding an accent wall , throw pillows, or area rug in that shade.
Combine Feminine and Masculine Elements
There are decorative features of a home that trend toward feminine: frilly curtains, embroidered pillows and delicate decorative knick knacks are just a few examples. There are items that can be viewed as more masculine: heavy leather furniture, sports memorabilia and unframed poster art.
Marry the two in a way that neutralizes the gender they are most closely associated with. For example, take a page from the Shade Store by opting for solar or Roman shades or discovering a drapery fabric that appeals to both of your decorative sensibilities. Pare down knick knacks or find one shelf on which to display a few of your favorites. Frame posters and other art work in a way that enhances your decor. Choose a frame that makes a simple poster look like a piece of art. Something as simply as choosing throw pillow together can make a sofa feel as though it has always belonged to both of you.
Negotiate
At some point, couples may need to negotiate their final choices, says BC Living. If you are gliding through the decorating process and suddenly hit a snag, let one partner make the final decision. The next “final decision” is the absolute domain of the other partner. Take turns getting your own way so that neither of you feels left out of the decorating and furnishing process.
Pamela Tindal – Pam runs her own interior decorating business and blogs about business solutions for fun.
