You don’t have to agree on interior design styles or even colours to create an interior design with your partner that you both love. Compromise is a given, but throw in a bit of imagination and creativity and you can create something that is truly unique to you as a couple.
I share how me and my husband, being complete opposites when it comes to interior design styles and colours (I like pale, muted colours while the Hub likes dark, rich colours), came to agree on an interior design for our lounge that we both love!
I also share the (not so) secret tool that will give you the assurance that your mashed interior design styles will result in a cohesive scheme.
Dilemmas with the existing lounge
But first. Let me show you where we started from.
Just ONE word comes to mind: Grey. Many, many shades of grey.
I tried to improve the decor with a different rug and cushions, but it didn’t make a dent in all that grey. It is like I thought: ‘One more cushion will do it, surely’.
We loved our sofa. It was so comfortable, had LOADS of space was well made with a durable fabric that, after seven years, still looked almost like the day we bought it.
The fact that it was modular, meant that I could reconfigure the lounge easily for when we entertained, as well as make it feel cosier in winter by moving some sections out and positioning us closer to the fire.
It served us well and I was reluctant to get rid of it, but it had to go. I couldn’t justify keeping it for the few occasions when we entertained, and it was dominating the room.
Lastly, the fireplace was cladded in a rustic tile, which the Hub hated. To be fair, it did nothing for such a beautiful and very expensive feature, even when dressed up in fairy lights.
An odd couple
I am sure that is what people say about me and my husband. We are opposites in so many ways and interior design styles and colours are no exception.
When I picture my house, I see neutrals, pale colours, lots of textures with a sophisticated but ‘lived in’ style. The Hub likes rich colours, dark shades, with a contemporary and minimalistic style. This is a very common occurrence among couples (one in four according to a Houzz survey) and when it comes to interior design for their shared home. Maybe it should be added to ‘the checklist’ that you ask your partner before you decide to shack up together, right before ‘Toilet seat up or down?’.
Remember that his opinion on interior design style is just an opinion, and so is yours. Neither of you are wrong, nor neither of you are right. By ensuring you both bring your ideas to the table and all are considered, you can take the best from each that both of you like and create your own hybrid style.
Making a start
As with all my design projects where I design for myself, I started with searching for inspiration. I am sure that if you checked Google’s database there would be all the above words that describe our joint styles, with a search count of ONE? That would be me. It was clear that what I needed did not exist (not even on the whole of the internet) and that I am going to have to create it.
If you are stumped for interior design ideas, THE BEST thing to do is to look elsewhere for inspiration, as in non-interiors related places and find something you both love. Nature is perfect for inspiration for colours that go together.
So, we set about finding what would be our main inspiration picture. This was it:
It was the moodiness, drama, contrast of dark with the glimmer of golden light that attracted us. A very good start and I immediately pulled out the dark blue, creams and the golds, but… it needed something else… something to compliment it. I consulted the trusted colour wheel for the complimentary colour to blue… Orange? ‘Oh, hell no you didn’t…’ Oh, but I did.
Winning him over
If you and your other half are at odds with deciding on the interior decorating for your home, there is one tool that is the relationship counselling of interior design: Visuals!
Through years of studying and working in interior design, I know (and it is no secret) that a picture really does speak 1000 words when it comes to relaying an idea for an interior design to someone else.
It also provides a single point to work from, so you are ‘on the same page’ – literally.
Do you notice the ‘orange’? Too often we think of colours as they appear on the colour wheel. Although the colour wheel is a great tool to find a starting point for a complimentary or contrasting colour, there are so many variations of colour. It just takes a little imagination or closer investigation... You see, THIS colour is actually in my inspiration image. I’ll wait here while you scroll back up to check for yourself…
The colour tan ticked so many boxes in terms of a complimentary colour to blue and I was won over by another texture to add to my design – leather.
At Opposite Ends
With the Hub on board with the colour scheme, I set about working on the layout. As the modular sofa was going, we were in the market for a new lounge suite. As it was a major component of not only the aesthetics, but also the function, it had to be a joint decision.
The hub was set on having a huge chesterfield, but I was not keen – it would be like moving from one upholstery domination to another. Back at opposites…
Time for that (not so secret) tool again, but it was going to take a whole cavalry to win this battle, so I pulled out the big guns.
I created a 3D floorplan and selected some of the furniture that I had envisioned for the space and then added the Chesterfield sofa in the tan leather. After showing it to the Hub, I could tell he was having reservations about it too. Not long after, he was searching for a different style of couch and we found one we both liked in the tan leather – win!
Back to the floorplan, I added two of the couches and… HATED IT. It looked like a really bad spray tan. Too. Much. Tan.
I still had my ideal couch in my mind (in a cream upholstered fabric), so I though, why not have both? Low and behold the company had a couch in the same style in a beautiful, oatmeal, textured weave (they had me at ‘oatmeal’ and ‘texture’). They complimented each other perfectly.
That is how we came to be on opposite sides again. Literally this time, by each having our own couch… different, but complimentary.
Coming Together
Once the couches were on order, the rest of the furniture just seemed to fall into place. It was like we were finally in our stride.
It is possible to be tempted at this stage as you shop around and see all sorts of shiny, shiny things. However, if you completed the inspiration phase correctly, these temptations will be few. Quite often, I see items while shopping that I think may look better, but when I compare them to my design, I still like my design better.
Of course, nothing is set in stone yet and this is the ideal time to change your mind. Having the visuals by your side allows you to confirm very quickly if the item would fit as well as you imagine it will.
The Finishing Touches
The Hub oversaw the artwork. He commissioned a dear friend who is incredibly talented to create three pieces, providing details of the colours and style and our friend did a fabulous job. We love our completely custom artwork!
I was in charge of accessories and although I bought a fair few pieces to put on the two new shelving units on either side of the fireplace, a lot of the pieces are things we already had that had sentimental meaning to us. I also left a lot of space so we can add to it, as we travel and discover new pieces we want to bring home.
The Reveal
We didn’t get a ‘big reveal’ like you see in room makeover TV programs, but I would argue that this is even better! Seeing it come together before your eyes, knowing that this is something you created, is truly special. Every time something arrived, it was another piece to our design and we were both excited to unpack it and install it.
Not once were we nervous or regretted our choices as we knew it will all work together. The vision was now a reality and we loved it!
In Summary - My Tips
These are my tips to ensure a successful interior design as a couple, without risking your relationship:
1. Find common ground to start from
2. Use images to get on the same page
3. Present your ideas and consider all
4. Present your ideas in context
5. Be patient
6. No major decisions without the other
Remember the goal is to create a home you both love and love to spend time in together.
If you liked this blog, you may also like my Living Area Design Pack, packed full of all the most valuable lessons I've learned while designing one of the most challenging spaces in our home. and I am sharing it with you for FREE!
Links provided throughout my blogs are not affiliated but based on my personal research and what I would use or recommend. Any other products shown are not intended as a recommendation for a specific product, but as examples of what is available and to provide ideas and inspiration.