A Heavenly Home: Decorating for a Couple

                I have lived on my own for almost 10 years. From experiences in dorms, to a basement, to a one bedroom apartment and beyond, I have had many opportunities to decorate my home.  As a homebody, I have enjoyed the process of decorating my new place and making it my home.

 As I grew, I began to be obsessed with everything purple. I had that purple v-tech phone. You remember that popular gel one? I loved it! I loved decorating my homes and making them mine, comfortable and pretty. I spent a lot of time making my room look more pretty than functional (stay tuned for a later post on functional versus pretty decorating).

                A few months ago, I came up with an interior design dilemma, I moved in with a man. I had to change my way of thinking when it came to interior design. I had to get rid of all the purple in my house and make it comfortable and gender neutral for both of us. My boyfriend is not very picky regarding to how our house is decorated as long as he has access to technology and his needs.

                When I first rented my studio, I purchased basic pieces.  To be honest, I would have loved to have a purple high heel chair, but I had to think seriously about it.  I wanted to get classic pieces that would last for a long time. I decided to purchase girly items that can be easily changed: pillows, artwork, sheets, comforters etc. I have to admit it was a bit sad to say goodbye to some of those pieces when I moved in with my boyfriend, but I often remind myself that we change and grow in life and sometimes our needs change. I didn’t get rid of all my purple and girly items. Some are in my bathroom; some are in my closet for guests (such as my blanket from my college dorm) and others were donated to a thrift store.

                The hardest part of living with someone else is the art of compromise. I believe men are taught at a young age to go with the flow when it comes to designing a house. Or they must just not really care as long as they have a comfortable place to put up their feet at the end of a long day. We worked as a team to purchase red pillows and very generic pieces that we both like. Our apartment is not done yet, but it looks more like us rather than like a girly girl lives there.  My boyfriend is very patient with me as I move around decorations on our coffee table and puts up with my OCD tendencies such as putting away remotes when not in use.  

Living Room for Two                  Living Room for One 

Bed Linens for Two                      Bed Linens for One

 If you are just beginning to move out on your own, consider purchasing neutral pieces so that you can take them with you as your life changes and you grow. Also, enjoy this time to make it YOUR home. It won’t be long before you live with a roommate or a boyfriend or spouse.  If you’re just beginning to move in with someone, remember to compromise. Do everything you can to make it a home that you both want to live in. Pick out pillows, art and linens together.  Take your time and enjoy the process of finding new pieces that fit both your personalities. Remember it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

Have you ever had trouble decorating for two? What did you do? Enjoy decorating your home!