After your say "I Do!" did you find that your new house as Mr. & Mrs. was filled with things that said "Mr. & Mrs"?
I mean, as you're going through the planning process and you have all these fun little parties that celebrate that fact that youre getting married all those little gifts seems so cute, right? The pillows, signs, coffee mug, cutting boards, picture frames, robes, towels.... the list could literally go on and on.
And not to say that you're not grateful for the thoughtful gifts, but you're in a home that belongs to the two of you and finding YOUR style can be hard if you've never had to do it be fore. On one hand you want each other to love the space they're in, but you also want it to be pretty.
NOTE TO PAST SELF: No one tells you you can't have a pink bed anymore after you get married.
So how do you successfully combine your styles that looks both trendy and personal and really reflects the two of you? HERE'S HOW!
Talk about what rooms/ spaces should have a combined style. If you have the space to designate rooms as offices, "Man Caves" , or "Babe Rooms" then decide if you'll need input in the decor in those spaces from your spouse. It might be a way to express your own style without it taking away from the homes aesthetic. Then it will give you a chance to collaborate and talk about rooms like the living room, bedroom, and bathrooms that should have input from both parties.
Compare Pins. If you didn't pin it was it really a good idea? I'm just joking, but seriously share your pins. Visuals are so HELPFUL when you're trying to talk ideas. The general population knows a few "buzz words" like farmhouse and mid-century modern for design styles. And though you might like elements of those trendy styles, you may find that you lean towards a desert vibe or want a more costal look when you start pinning. And would have never conveyed that info to you spouse without the help of those trusty pins.
Discuss Deal Breakers. I'm talking Design Deal Breakers. I LOVE my husband to death, but if our first home design was left to him, everything would be black, red and white with very clean straight lines. I'm more of what you'd call a "wild spirit". We had to work hard at talking about what we couldn't accept in a combined home. Though I did give in to the black, white and straight lines in some places; he did also compromised and accepted a wild Dalmatian dot wall and freehand paint in our rooms. It was all a game of give and take, which if you think about it, is really what a successful marriage is all about.
4. Use what you have. If your new home is filled with the generous gifts of family and friends that is "hand-me-downs" I say take those gifts and make them work to fit your style. There is nothing a little creativity and paint can't change and, honestly, make better. You can take a few items that you'd want to change and take them on together. Make them a project you can both participate in, so that the end product is really something that will reflect the two of you and will hold stories you can relive or share over and over again!
FOR INSTANCE: Our kitchen was a good size for the homes over all size. It was big enough for a mini dance floor but too small for a standard island. So we took an old tv stand hand-me-down and we repurposed into a narrow and sleek kitchen island. We worked together to add castor wheels, new legs, and a new wooden top. After the project was done we were both proud of it! its was our first married life project and we did pretty well together, well enough to tae on a few more.
The goal of any house is to make it feel like a home. Do not feel like you should follow a certain style or use all the decor gifts you get from your wedding. Add personal touches like signs painted in your hand writing, or display things that remind you of each other in "private" spaces like your closet. Get creative and go forward fearlessly!
Here's another example of what playing it safe to combine our "styles" looks like VS. talking about what we liked and going for something more personal.
Picture 1 is styled clean and farmhouse feeling, which was nice but seemed cookie cutter. Picture 2 is the product of us talking about how we like the warm desert sky with natural texture and a hint of western. The best part was the transformation took less than $100. We repurposed the things we had bought a little paint, and found some pillows to use. But most importantly, it finally felt like us.
Not to say that the "common" areas were a little more neutral in design, we still found ways to make it feel like us!
We decorated our bathroom with sayings that had special meanings, we paid special attention is our slight obsessions (hence the wall o' shoes), and created custom wall art with a afternoon of spray and drip paint. One of our biggest goals was to find ways to decorate and fill our home with stories and not just stuff. We wanted everything to be meaningful, which in the end, made everything perfect.
So, onward march towards your perfect combined couple style. Follow these steps and you'll be sure to turn your once house into a home!
With Love and glitter,
Michaelene