This is one of the biggest moments of your life. It may not seem that way if you’ve been seeing your significant other for years, but living together is much more involved. You’ll soon be sharing the same spaces, including the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Not surprisingly, some couples never make it through this stage of their relationship for many reasons. Even if you’ve been together for years, and have lived in the same home for most of your relationship, your tastes can change with age. The following tips can help you keep the harmony whether you’re newly married, testing the waters, or veterans of your relationship.
Brainstorm, communicate, and compromise to create an interior that you both love, and you’re off to an excellent start to this new romantic adventure. Here’s how to go about it.
Declutter Jointly
There’s no way you can fit everything into that limited space, so some things will obviously need to go. There are various methods of decluttering, but it really all comes down to letting go of objects that you no longer love or need, including souvenirs, cookware, and clothing. Go through it all together with your partner and they’ll help you stay on track.
Create a Budget
Although you’ve successfully decluttered, you may need more stuff to create a special home, from cans of paint to task lighting. Decide now how much money you’re both willing to spend, then stick to that figure as if it were set in stone. It may be zero dollars if you think you’ve already got what it takes for a proper makeover.
Choose an Aesthetic
With your budget in place, it’s time to get serious about how the interior will look. Modern? Traditional? Minimalist? Art-Deco? A healthy mix of everything? The truth is, you and your partner may not even know what floats your boat, though a design test could help.
Explore New Ideas
Don’t fret if you can’t settle on a style, as this is an opportunity to have some fun. Feast your eyes on interior designs online or in magazines and discuss what you see. You even want to hit the stores together to look at furniture, bedding, and artwork. It makes for a great Saturday afternoon, especially with a romantic café lunch thrown in for good measure.
Establish Deal-Breakers
While going through styles, as well as individual items, during the decluttering process, don’t be afraid to say what’s absolutely off-limits. That could be a devotion to abstract art or even sports posters, which belong strictly in the so-called “man cave.”
Do It Room by Room
It’s important to remember each space has its own function that determines what materials, accessories, and accents you choose, according to the Spruce. When it comes to the living room, for example, you should identify a focal point for the arrangement of furniture, after which you can move on to lighting and smaller objects.
Give It a New Coat
If you’re not sure what to do with a room, start with the color scheme, which is a cheap way to change it from drab to classy at the stroke of a brush. However, there’s more to this than just choosing one shade. In fact, professional designers suggest a balance, with the dominant color filling 60 percent of the space and the secondary color taking up 30 percent, with 10 percent left for accents. The last thing you want is a chaotic, unbalanced color scheme.
Arrange the Big Stuff
Once the painting is done, it’s time to place the furniture, cabinets, and tables, though how you do that may not be obvious at first. As mentioned above, the focal point should play a role, though space is also important. If you’re looking for ideas, Better Homes & Gardens has some recommendations that’ll leave plenty of legroom.
