The transition couples make when moving in together is an exciting and monumental milestone. However, it can also be a minefield of dissent. No matter how well you know your other half, there is always something new to learn about their living habits that you weren’t aware of before you lived together.
Imagine this scenario: you have both found the perfect puncak jalil house for sale and now you need to start thinking of how to decorate your new-found home. But alas, the moment you start discussing design prospects, you find that your partner does not like what you like, and vice versa.
One of the most common conflicts involve each person’s personal style. That is, how they would want to decorate the soon-to-be shared space. Some couples have one person that takes the lead, while the other simply approves final selections.
Other couples may want to have input from both sides throughout the whole process. Of course, in the best scenario, both partners could have the same taste and priority in design and décor. However, most of the time, they do differ.
Before you let the difference in décor opinion send you both off of the tracks, read on for some peace-keeping strategies that are tried-and-true.
1. Get priorities straight
The process of starting to live together – moving, renovating, redecorating – is a stress-fest in and of itself. Emotions can run amok amidst all the stress of making decisions, saving money and battling with different preferences. One way to keep the peace and to ensure that everyone ends up happy is to start the process with a discussion.
Discuss how you would like to use each space, what you would want to have, and what is important to each of you. Identify points you both mutually agree on, items you both like, and mutual must-haves. This helps you start off everything with some common group. Then, you can build from there.
2. Set a budget
Before you set foot nor hide into a furniture store or an interior designer’s office, decide on a budget that both of you are comfortable with. Sometimes, the matter of style isn’t the biggest point of contention in a share decorating endeavor, but one of finances.
Your partner can easily feel resentment if your spending is out of control. Or vice versa, if you are too cheap or restrictive. Although both of you might agree to disagree, set a firm budget to avoid putting your relationship, as well as your finances, on the line.
3. Sharing your styles
Perhaps you are the person who has a stronger design preference in your relationship. Or perhaps you are the person who doesn’t really mind what your partner does in terms of décor. Whether or no you are the person who is more invested in the look of your home, resist the urge overrule the other person’s opinions.
Don’t simply take the reins. Rather, start the design journey together, and you’ll enjoy your space for years to come. For example, you can get an idea of your partner’s style by shopping together and finding things that both of you love.
If you find that your styles are at opposite ends of the spectrum, fret not. For this is an excellent chance to get creative with your décor. Sometimes, the best spaces are created from a fusion of opposite styles, from combining textures, from blending different color schemes and from mixing accessories and art. This gives birth to an eclectic style that is the living proof of you and your partner’s life together.
4. Learn to compromise
Compromise is the way to go when putting two differing tastes together. Evaluate what each person loves and make them work. For example, both of you might have a few treasured pieces you can’t live without.
While you might not love everything the other person loves, learn to give and take. A relationship is all about compromise, so reassure each other that your needs will be met. Once both of you know that you value what the other person deems is a must-have, it opens up the floor for compromise where you might have a difference in opinion.
For example, before you veto something you don’t like, try coming up with solutions, like a way to reinvent the item in discussion. A new coat of paint, new upholstery or even simply using the piece in question in a different context or in a different room can change your whole viewpoint. You might find yourself falling in love with the piece that you vehemently disliked in the first place.
5. Hire a professional
At the end of the day, if you still face conflict when it comes to decorating your space for two despite putting in your best efforts at avoiding design squabbles and solving decorating dilemmas, consider engaging the services of an interior designer.
A qualified designer can help guide the process much better and offer a neutral point of view. Most designers will have plenty of experience decorating for couples and can provide you with a fresh perspective, creative solutions and unique style options that you and your partner might not have known existed.
Although it might be hard to blend two lives together, decorating doesn’t have to be a chore and a warzone. You and your partner should start your lives together in a way that’s beautiful, comfortable and conflict-free!
So, leave it to an experienced professional who can help hone in on mutual goals, anticipate problems and offer their guidance. Someone who can end up turning your warzone into a meadow of sunshine.
Till then,
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