I have seen spouses argue with one walking out of the room when they could not agree on design elements, and sometimes it can even be quite comical.
Yes, even in design, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends and domestic partners sometimes have a hard time bringing their domicile together.
Sharing a dwelling can be difficult, especially with newer relationships when simple communication can be hard enough.
A young woman might still be embracing floral patterns and a pastel color palette. A young man moving from his parents home might be happy to be leaving the room that his mother decorated and he is now wanting to embrace rustic, masculine home decor.
Meeting “in the middle” where design is concerned might be very hard with young adults first starting out and sometimes even with couples who have been married for 20 years.
I suggest beginning with an item to create a theme for a room, so let’s start with a piece of art. A landscape painting or print could speak to a young woman who can add decor elements like decorative pillows in colors found in nature, a rug in a fresh green that represents nature, fresh flowers (her partner then has an opportunity once a week to give pretty bouquets), pretty colored vases, etc.
A landscape-themed art piece can also work for the more masculine partner as he can add a natural root coffee table, organic fabric (like linen) at the windows and maybe a chair upholstered in hide. Keeping things organic such as natural wood elements, linen fabrics, leathers and hides seem to work for all gender types.
Adding pops of color, maybe over time, tends to happen and makes the room even more inviting.
Sometimes the design quandary is simply about control. A partner wants to be heard and wants to let the other know the home is a shared space and both should have a say in how the couple live.
Compromise is important, of course, but the mission should stay on course.
Begin with the theme of the room and select your art together and any theme fabrics (pillows, bedding, etc.) and possibly rug. Keep some important pieces neutral such as your walls, sofa or bed cover, then both partners can have a little fun bringing their styles together.
Let the themed items first selected walk you down the path and bring in decor that pull cues from them, whether it is the color, pattern, shape or theme that pull it together. In this manner there is some commonality, and the room will look put together and well thought out.
