If you’re a new couple starting a bright life together, congratulations on hitting such an incredible milestone. One of the significant changes of embarking on this journey is cohabitation. While finding and buying a new house may become tedious, once that’s done, the fun part begins — finding your aesthetic and decorating the space to turn it into a humble home. In this article, we’ve compiled a few tips to help you navigate the tricky waters of home decor, especially when doing things you and your partner agree on. So, let's dive into it.
Create A Budget
Budgeting should be no surprise for couples because this starts with the wedding planning itself. For example, suppose you’ve spent a fortune on a lavish wedding celebration, in that case, you might want to be careful when making financial decisions about decorating your new home. Avoid getting carried away with designing your new space to avoid burdening other financial commitments and responsibilities. A budget also reduces the risk of disagreements and stress during the designing stage because you know your monetary limits, allowing you to make easier decisions.
Find Common Ground
The first step is to identify the style preferences you and your partner share and work through the rest. Look for designs that cohesively combine your distinct styles; whether it’s metallic interiors, rustic wood, neutral backdrops, potted plants, or industrial recessed lighting, these minute components will help bring your vision to life. When you find designs or ideas that both of you agree with, use them as a foundation to merge your aesthetics. For example, suppose you agree that neutral tones are the way to go with your interiors. In that case, you can apply this knowledge when choosing your secondary features, such as upholstery, furniture, bathroom fixtures, etc.
Collaborate And Mix Your Styles
Collaborating with your partner to mix your distinct styles allows you to make a collective decision and creates a more exciting and unique space decor. Instead of mismatching the aesthetics, find and use aspects that complement each other. Instead of assigning specific rooms or areas for you and your partner to decorate separately, look for a way to integrate your styles consistently throughout your home. For example, you love whimsical, colorful decor, but your partner prefers a more contemporary style. You can blend the two using a neutral but colorful palette while incorporating vintage and modern interiors.
Compromise Is Key
While finding common ground is the first step, be prepared to purge some ideas or objects that your partner may not like. Find the things that matter most and discuss what you can let go to accommodate each other's preferences without making the other feel like their opinions don’t matter. If your styles have a stark contrast, try to combine the two. For example, one person likes darker shades, while the other prefers warmer tones. In that case, you can have darker furniture, kitchen counters and floors while maintaining warmth throughout the paint palette, lighting and tiling, and vice versa. Practicing this technique keeps each other happy and creates memorable spaces that speak volumes about what you like.
Shop Together
When it comes to shopping for anything related to your new home, you should do it together; that way, you’re on the same page, and if you don’t like something, you can clear the air at the moment instead of making purchases you’re unhappy about. Shopping is also a great way to spend a weekend together, and it helps you make more logical decisions instead of buying things on a whim. You should discuss every purchase and consider your partner’s opinions; this way, there will be fewer arguments and buyer’s remorse. Remember not to limit yourselves to only shopping malls; scour through local antique stores, yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores; you’ll be surprised with the unique and budget-friendly items you can find.
Balance Functionality and Aesthetic
Although aesthetics and functionality may seem like opposing forces, they must complement each other when considering home decor, and striking that balance is essential. While aesthetics help you express your creativity and personal style, functionality ensures every element contributes to creating a practical space. The best way to find this balance is to focus on aesthetics when setting the tone and atmosphere of your space to evoke sentiment and create harmony; this can include design preferences, cultural influences and individual tastes. Whereas for functionality, the emphasis is on optimizing usability and convenience, so your home’s layout, storage solutions and spatial organization will require an efficient approach.
Take Inspiration From Your Wedding
When you decide to get hitched, the wedding ceremony involves collaborating and brainstorming over the decor, food, venue, attire, etc. This means you’re already halfway through knowing some of each other's likes and dislikes. Use this to your advantage to draw inspiration for your home decor. For example, your wedding was set in the enchanting winery haven of California; this means the lush landscape and romantic vibe are nothing short of a fairytale wedding. The main themes are natural colors and a rustic ambiance. You can replicate this in your home decor using old brick or stone for your walls, dark wood floors, paneling and shelving, wrought iron fixtures and even wood wine barrels for decor!
Take Your Time
In the end, focus on the overall feel of your home instead of trying to incorporate every idea you and your partner have. Take it slow and enjoy the process of decorating your home. Try not to overwhelm yourself by taking everything too seriously. If you still need help deciding, an interior designer is always just a call away.
Written by Rosie Maclean.