Creating the perfect ‘newly wedded home’ takes combining and compromising with style. You weed through the couple’s disparate pieces and create a home that stylishly melds their two distinct identities. The key is always finding elements, objects, colors and styles that can act as a common ground. When it’s done well, it’s newlywedded bliss! 

When combining a couple’s belongings for the new nest, each spouse must first choose their own, two to three, best quality pieces. 

Each spouse should be allowed to veto one to two of the other’s furnishings. These are ONLY based on poor quality, wear and tear, or gender-based themes (the color pink, car posters, etc.)

If possible, it’s advisable for each spouse to have one area that is decorated solely for him/her such as the master bedroom (her), the den (him), the home theater (him), or the patio (her). These are perfect venues for those gender-based items that have been vetoed or weeded out. 

Most people find interior schemes that have a mix of both masculine and feminine elements quite comfortable to live with and easy on the eyes so don’t be afraid to mix in floral fabrics and gentile colors alongside masculine architecture, metals and dark woods.

 

 

 

Phoebe Howard, image above.

 

My Favorite Pieces to Bring Together Disparate Styles

• Modern, classic lamps go with everything.

• Soft furnishings in unifying fabrics such as sofas, armchairs, accent chairs, throw pillows or curtains are the best unifying pieces and the costliest. 

 

• Matchstick blinds, woven blinds or small slat shutters are classics too. Truthfully, I’m not fond of plantation shutters. I feel they’re the lazy man’s choice to designing.

• Sisal or soft neutral area rugs pull everything together adding softness and texture to boot.

• Beautiful, framed mirrors add visual space and go well with both couple’s artwork.