Moving in together certainly has its challenges, especially when it comes to merging your tastes in decor. You like floral prints and he likes black and white … so how do you make it work? SpacesTV's expert Vanessa Deleon has some great advice!
Work with the oversized TV, don’t fight it.
The chances of you getting your guy to downsize to a smaller TV are slim to none, my friend. So, don’t fight it. Work with it. Consider using layers around the TV to trick the eye into making it less of a big, shiny, 82-inch eyesore in the room. I always like using drapes on either side of the TV, or hanging floating shelves and decorating them with some pretty candles and/or picture frames.
Be willing to compromise.
If your guy is into collecting Playboy magazines (I won’t judge), you might consider displaying them in a creative way. Arrange them in a clear coffee table or display them in a funky bookcase. For example, one of the couples featured in my Web show, "Your Place is a Dealbreaker," was bickering over a poster hanging right above their bed. My compromise was to convince him to get rid of the poster, but make sure he had plenty of wall space for his other favorite things in the room, like his own artwork.
Be open to refurbishing your favorite piece of furniture.
Say you’ve got a precious family heirloom or piece of furniture that you just can’t part with, but it doesn’t mesh with the design of your new digs. There are ways to make it work into any room design. I once had a gaudy grandfather clock painted in a shade of hot pink. Both parties were thrilled with the creative compromise.
Try to merge feminine and masculine styles.
If she likes floral and prints and he likes black and white, there are tons of ways to make both parties happy. Consider making the backdrop of the room (like the sofa, the paint color or the wall unit) a neutral color like beige, or something soft and masculine, like olive green. Then, dress up the room with pillows, throws and candles to add a dash of femininity to the design scheme.
Decide what to toss or to keep early on.
To decide what to keep or to throw out, consider the monetary and sentimental value of each item. That precious rug that your boyfriend had imported from Italy? Might want to keep it and decide how to work around it. If you have a surplus of items like shelves or dinner plates, I’d opt to toss the lower-quality stuff and keep all the higher-quality items.
Strike a balance between warm and cool.
Guys tend to love colder textures like steel; women tend to go for warmer textures like velvet. When it comes to living room or bedroom furniture, you’ve got to make sure you have pieces that make both parties feel at home. So, if your guy loves oversized leather furniture, consider making space for his own comfy leather chair, which can sit next to a plush, velvet sofa.
You’ve got a leather couch and he’s got a dog? The dog wins.
If you’ve got a leather couch or wall-to-wall carpeting, consider opting for the more pet-friendly option. Hardwood floors are easier to clean than carpet. Treated microfiber couches are more hassle-free than leather.
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