There are many subjects of conversation in this world that can pit husband against wife or family member against family member; politics, education, child-rearing, finances, the in-laws – and whether or not the Living Room wall should be done in a gorgeous damask wallpaper, or painted completely white in order to show off a Civil War sword collection.
When people come together to cohabitate, get married and raise a family, many factors for compatibility come into play. What’s your religious preference? Do you want kids? What do you do for a living? But seldom do you wonder if they like hardwood or carpet.
Co-decorating Has Challenges
With that said, co-decorating your living space with the one(s) you love is a topic that eventually arises within every relationship. Very rarely does everyone in the household have the same exact taste when it comes to design style or decorating in general. Sooner or later, decorating challenges between partners will surface and designing decisions will have to be made. Will there be disputes? Probably. Will there be some give and take? Usually. Can everyone end up happy? Absolutely.
9 Steps For Avoiding Decorating Conflicts
- Hire a Professional Interior Designer: Interior Designers are skilled at finding common ground and presenting alternative designing methods that can encompass every one’s sense of style and taste. By choosing to bring in a third party who is trained in Interior Decorating, you will not only save countless hours, days or weeks of frustration, but you will also be enlightened to learn of numerous design possibilities which could be the solution to your decorating dilemmas and disagreements. Hiring a Professional Interior Designer will balance your choices, your decisions, and your relationship. It’s a win-win.
- Decide on a Budget: You might think spending $2400 on a new Dining Room table is worth every penny, but he might think it would be better off going towards a new surround system for the Home Theatre Room. Creating a budget with allotments for certain categories, such as; flooring, painting, furniture, Window Treatments, wiring, etc. will take the guess work out how much to spend on what. Consult professionals, visit local stores and browse on line for an idea of costs involved with your categories – don’t let shipping or warehouse costs catch you by surprise.
- Allow Ample Time: Interior Design is a process. Although there are many extraordinary and helpful DIY home improvement shows on T.V., keep in mind the Remodeling project you just witnessed took a total of 22 minutes and 3 seconds to film. In real life it would be much, much longer. Getting a false sense of time will not only lead to distractions and indecisiveness, but it will also lead to disappointment and even more disagreements. Knowing the correct time frame will keep everyone on the same page.
- Whose Space Is It?: Sometimes there are certain areas of the house that are designated for a particular function or person, such as; a Home Office, a den, a rec room, a craft room, a kids’ room, etc. Allowing the person who utilizes the space most frequently to have the most input on the designing process makes sense from many viewpoints, but it also means that everyone will have a say in various parts of the home, which will make for a happy family and easy compromising.
- Negotiating Answers All: Still want that damask wallpaper in the Living Room? Agree to an equally important designing element purposed by your other half. Decorating isn’t about who is right and who is wrong, or who claims to have the “power” to make the final decision. It’s about coming together as a family, as one unit, and yet independently indulging your own personality, style and tastes. Whether you call it negotiating or compromising, it amounts to the same thing; agreement. Once you have an agreement, the rest will fall into place.
- Two Heads Are Better Than One: Collaborating with your family or spouse is an important means of coming up with just the right design element or design idea for the entire home. Get everyone involved with ideas for designing and decorating by asking for their input on colors, sharing their opinion on furnishings, or otherwise just involving them in the process. Decisions sometimes come easier when you have input from others.
- Stay Neutral: Even though your heart may rest within a romantic English Country Design Style, keeping the design cleaner, simpler and less ornate – as with a Contemporary Design – will eliminate conflict by providing a more neutral, gender friendly, design. The color palette will also be more favorable to change down the road when and if the time comes for another design change.
- Respect All Opinions: Everyone has one, right? To decorate in harmony, everyone’s opinion should matter and be respected. Although it might be impossible to incorporate all ideas, it is possible to respect their taste and plan accordingly so as to avoid hurt feelings or negate their concerns. When respect is prominent, compromise follows.
- Use Disagreements As A Design Tool: Split the difference, so to speak. Choose one room that is completely yours to design, your partner chooses the other. Take it a step further and take turns selecting the furniture pieces, the wall decor, the color palate, etc. He chooses a dark leather sofa, you choose the floral yellow throw for the arm of the sofa. He still gets the rugged, refined look of the sofa, while you get the soft, feminine touch of the throw. Next piece of furniture could be a Modern piece that compliments the throw. Designing elements can contrast, be mixed and matched, and still come together beautifully. This way, everyone is represented and shares in the decision making process.
Compromising is Key
Being able to adjust your thoughts to incorporate others’ ideas will go a long way towards resolving any designing conflict. Bringing on a Professional Interior Designer will also provide another means of reaching an agreement that will leave all parties happy, and relationships intact.
To find a professional near you, please visit our Interior Designer Directory or Request a Quote today.
