Tips for Couples with Different Design Styles

Tips for Couples with Different DesignS tyles

BY BLAKE DODSON-FRANKLIN, IBB DESIGNER blake@ibbdesign.com @alwaysblakedesign on Instagram

After 15 years of helping clients create their dream spaces, one of the most common reasons people seek my design services is because their significant other has a completely different design style from their own, and they are stuck, trying to blend two styles with little success. One person loves contemporary, and the other loves traditional. One person loves eclectic bohemian; the other loves super sleek modern. One person loves taxidermy animal heads, and the other volunteers for PETA. Nine times out of 10, couples disagree about the style of their space and are left melding two entirely different color palettes, furniture styles, and design aesthetics. This dilemma was true for a young couple when I designed their space. He loves salvaged wood, industrial, and masculine, and she loves Hollywood glam, glitz, and sparkle. Through the use of some key information, I was able to build a space they both loved. There are five easy steps I have perfected over the years that every couple can take to overcome that common “bump” in the design road, mesh their style, and build their dream space together.

1: Get help from a professional! No not a marriage counselor... a design professional. In today’s modern world, you can have the expertise and knowledge of an educated, experienced designer at the touch of a button, people who have a passion for creating unique and beautiful spaces and who dedicate their every waking minute to solving design problems just like yours. Professional interior designers are experienced with degrees in the field,

have a true passion for design, and come with years of know-how. They can help you fuse any two design styles you can imagine and create a space that leaves you both happy and fulfilled. With a simple email, call, or text, you can be on your way to design heaven in no time. We started designing this retreat immediately following our meeting.

2: Let it go! I know you love your leather sofa from your first apartment in college... even with the broken leg and torn cushion, but all the memories will still be there even if the sofa isn’t. Take a picture, hold a memorial service, and say goodbye! Nobody wants to come home to a sofa that lived in a frat house, and your spouse doesn’t want to be reminded of your days as a “single bachelor” every time they walk into the room. Filling a space with new furniture that you and your significant other find together can be a wonderful bonding experience. It gives you the chance for a fresh start with new pieces that you can build your own shared memories with and leave the past behind. A good rule of thumb when furnishing your space with your spouse is that if you shared it with someone before you met them, then be prepared to let it go.

3: Split it up! Not your relationship... just the rooms. A lot of times, I have clients who like what they like and refuse to budge, and that’s perfectly okay. In cases where we can’t find common ground between them and their partner, I often make a simple yet satisfying recommendation. For the main areas of the home, we compromise and blend their two styles together, and then

Renderings by Jane Gianarelli

we find two separate spaces in the home to make uniquely their own. Maybe we create a separate man cave full of his favorite sports memorabilia and a she shed fit for a queen. You then have your very own space to design however you please, and the main areas of the home become a beautiful compromise you can both live with and love. The couple I designed this space for did something very similar. She has her office where she gets to glam it up as much as she wants, and he has his game room where he can add as much salvaged wood as possible. The main areas of the home have touches of both of their styles, creating a stunning space they both enjoy.

4: When in doubt, go for timeless neutrals. If you and your partner have conflicting styles and can’t agree on one direction, you can’t go wrong with classic silhouettes and neutral color palettes. When selecting the large staple pieces for a room, steer yourself more toward a clean, simple, timeless shape (like the sectional shown in the rendering). A classic squared-off arm with a light neutral fabric (greys, whites, ivory, taupes) can work with virtually any color palette and design style. You can then

inject each of your unique personalities into the space through pillows, accents, artwork, and decor that are easily changeable and bring the space to life. Then when you want another update, it’s quick and easy to transform the entire space by changing a few accents.

5: And finally... have fun! Designing a space should be an exciting, happy, inspiring task for you and your significant other. Never take it too seriously. Opening yourself up to your partner’s ideas and style is a great way to broaden your horizons and bring you together. Take an inventory of the existing furniture and artwork you each have to determine your personal design aesthetic. Then use the internet to search for spaces with your two individual styles combined. Find a couple of inspiration photos, and recreate it with your designer in your new home together.

The most important part of the process is compromise! It’s key to creating a space you will both love and feel comfortable living in for years to come.