For couples setting up a new home together, it’s a challenge: how to merge two sets of stuff and two decorating styles into one space they both can love.
“Emotions get really high when it comes to your belongings if the person you’re choosing to spend the rest of your life with doesn’t love what you love,” said stylist Marianne Canada, host of the HGTV Crafternoon web series.
“You have to make some choices,” Canada said.
Each person probably has a few treasured pieces of furniture or art that they can’t imagine living without. Burnham suggests that partners agree to each keep perhaps three or four of these pieces in their shared home. If one partner truly dislikes one of the other’s absolute favorites, consider changing the piece a little through painting or reupholstering.
Once those favorite pieces are chosen, Burnham suggests creating a clean slate by painting the walls a crisp white or a white shade with just a hint of color. Then look at all the remaining furniture against this new backdrop as though you were shopping.
Rather than trying to group items that are similar, experiment with pairing those that contrast. All three designers say contrast can be the best part of decor. In fact, couples merging two households “have such a leg up, design-wise,” said Laura Burleson of Florida, because they can creatively mix and layer a wide range of decor into one stylish space.
As you assess your remaining furniture and accessories, consider placing things in rooms where they’ve never been.
“You don’t have to make that big leather recliner work in your traditional living room,” Canada said, even if that’s where it’s always been. What about using it in your bedroom for late-night reading?
Small dressers can serve as end tables or sideboards, while end tables can be used as bedside tables. Living room seating can make a guest room cozier.
Burleson finds that older clients marrying for the second time tend to be more open to embracing new locations for favorite things.