5 Decorating Tips for Couples

1. Take an inventory. Before you go shopping or decide on a collective “look,” it’s a good idea to know exactly what you’re working with and what you might want to get rid of.
2. Find inspiration. When I first moved in with my guy I created a board on Pinterest where I pinned images of rooms that I really liked (and thought my guy might like, too). I included furniture items that I was drawn to as well as color schemes. Then I presented this board to my other half and had him explain why he did and didn’t like each pin (at the time I only had about 20 items pinned). This was a really useful exercise because it helped me understand which things he could tolerate (chevron stripes) and which things he couldn’t stand (tufted couches—tear). It also helped us uncover a mutually agreed upon aesthetic that we could use as the base to build our home around.
3. Go shopping together. To make the shopping process fun we would scope out local antique stores and flea markets to ensure that everything we added to our home felt authentic. We also found that we could make more levelheaded decisions about furniture purchases when we were both present (this also helps to avoid arguments down the line). Definitely, definitely go shopping together. You might be surprised to learn that your guy has a very discerning eye…
4. Buy a sturdy coffee table. I was set on getting a Lucite coffee table when we first moved in together. Hell bent, as some might say. However, after an enlightening afternoon with my mother (who happens to be an interior designer herself), I learned that having a sturdy coffee table in the living room is important to a guy because as my mother put it, “he needs to feel like he can kick up his feet when he’s at home.” Naturally the thought of my guy with his feet propped up on my Lucite coffee table brushed through my mind…Terror. I finally folded and we ended up getting a really cool aged metal table that he doesn’t need to tiptoe around. I think he really appreciated my ability to recognize his needs and accommodate. The moral? Be practical and considerate, it will always pay off. Oh, and get a sturdy coffee table!
5. Make it personal. While the idea of living in a Pottery Barn catalogue is alluring, the fact of the matter is that “home” should feel like your home. 

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