In midlife, you generally have a lot of things you bring to your new home together, and there are 3 main steps in combining your styles as a newlywed couple.

 When your home is done well, it’s newlywedded bliss!

 

 

 

Combining Styles in the Newlywed Home

When combining styles, it’s helpful to find one thing in particular that will tie everything together visually. You need unifying elements like a wall color, fabrics, area rugs or furniture to use throughout the main living spaces.

You can pull a design scheme together with a neutral or warm white upholstery or slipcovers and a simple print fabric on pillows and accent chairs.

This is an instance when having a few hours consultation with a design professional can guide you on what to keep, what to repurpose, and what to discard. They can hang your pictures, artfully place your accessories and make solid suggestions on upcoming projects or purchases like paint and furniture.

Most importantly, if any of your furnishings are overtly masculine or feminine, try to find a compromise. Know when it’s time to move away from the Easy Boy recliners and usher in the big, comfy armchair and matching ottoman. When did we decide our chairs had to have levered foot support?

A peaceful home life is worth the concession.

Compromising with Style in the Newly Wedded Home

When combining a couple’s belongings for the new home, each spouse must first choose their own, two to three, best quality pieces. After you choose some quality pieces, it’s time to choose your own, two to three sentimental pieces.

Allow one another the power 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 wood.

3 Steps to Compromising on Home Furnishings At-a-Glance

With this three-step framework you can easily combine and style your wedded home, choose the most important sentimental things and compromise on the things that create the most friction.

1. Choose two to three, best quality pieces per person.
2. Decide on your own, two to three sentimental pieces.
3. Each of you can veto one to two of the other’s furnishings. Remember, to keep the peace this needs to be based solely on poor quality, wear and tear, or gender-based themes.

My Favorite Pieces to Bring Together Disparate Styles Modern

Here are a few of my favorite things to use when tying together differing styles. These are great additions to pull together your home.

Modern, classic lamps.
Soft furnishings in unifying fabrics such as sofas, armchairs, accent chairs, throw pillows or curtains.
Matchstick blinds, woven blinds or small slat shutters.
Sisal or soft neutral area rugs.
Beautiful, framed mirrors.

Download Your Free Gift

 

 

To get started on a home where you feel healthy, happy and connected grab my complimentary design and wellness download, The Wellness Home.

It’s the prettiest little book. It’s a quick read with super easy design solutions that help you lead a beautiful, healthier lifestyle at home, plus my 3-to-5 Things Framework that gives you step by step actions to get started and stay on track. 

That’s it for today. Thank you for stopping by!

Shiree’

What is Wellness Design? Learn more about the connection between your wellbeing and your home, featured on Deirdre Fitzpatrick’s Dying to Ask Podcast. And if you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, check out my blog post, “Hiring an Interior Designer”.