How to design when you have conflicting taste
Welcome! Today’s post is all about how to make your home cohesive when you and your spouse have different style preferences. Whether you’re building a new home or putting in the finishing styling touches, it’s hard to navigate how to design your home when you have a spouse with different tastes.
We can design for any cherished and conflicting styles by creating clear and concise Mood Boards for all of our clients. These boards function to both express what your vision is and keep you on a clear path of your style of home. Most people can’t verbally communicate what they’re drawn to or don’t understand what design terms actually mean, which is why this visual representation and Mood Board is so critical.
If you set out to create your own Mood Board, you can go about it virtually, physically with papers or magazines, or on Pinterest boards. You just need to see and show what you like and don’t like. Go on dates with your spouse and pick out your favorite paint colors, finishes and pieces- it makes for a really fun date night! Don’t assume that your spouse doesn’t care about your preferences. Instead, ask their opinion and try to find common ground.
During the compromising, remember that you should never hate anything in your home! You might not have chosen a specific item, but as long as you can compromise then you’ll have a happy home. Passion is infectious, especially in your spouse so ask them and yourself why they love or hate something in a space so you can understand the why. New styles are often a reaction to a different style and as long as you know the specifics of what inspires you and your spouse, you both can find pieces of certain styles of design to incorporate into your home in order to compromise.
Consider who is using which rooms; if your spouse is going to primarily use the office, let them design the office. If your family loves to cook together, involve your family in the process. Prioritize your spaces- the others might not be the hill for you to die on. Pay attention to the little things- the details might be really important to them and make them feel wildly involved. No couples come to us with the exact same taste so be ready to make some adjustments. Generally speaking, men typically like simple and contemporary designs, women want cozy and lived-in. There’s lots of life experience that comes into play when picking selections and designing your home.
All in all, pay attention to the way you and your spouse react to pieces and visuals when designing your home. That’ll tell you all you need to know.
