So you’ve bought a house. Yay! You have all sorts of ideas about how you’re going to decorate because you and Pinterest are now BFFs and your trigger finger pinned A LOT of things. You hire the movers (or pay your friends to help with some pizza and beer) and manage to get most of everything in the house and in place before noticing that only five things have been broken, but that’s no biggie because you are ready to make this house your home. Your stamp will be your mark and your mark is beautiful!
And then your husband walks in carrying the deer mount that you thought you got rid of, saying how lucky he was to rescue it from the dumpster, but scratching his head at how it got there in the first place. Oh…and that reminds him, which he tells you, that he needs to find a space for all the Seattle Supersonic posters he’s had since he was a boy and before the Sonics tragically skipped town. You quickly scan the Pinterest images in your mind and none of them have in them a single deer head or basketball star. But because you love your husband and support his interests, you open up the door to the nearest closet and suggest that this would make the perfect man-cave. Never mind that the closet is two square feet.
Sound vaguely familiar?
If this doesn’t, hooray for you - I’m sending you a virtual high five and commending you for your ability to have found a partner with the same aesthetic as you or having found a partner who’s thrown his hands in the air and calling ‘Uncle’ for any home design decisions. I would venture to guess, however, that most of us aren’t so lucky and compromises are in order. But the question begs to be asked…is it POSSIBLE to compromise with your partner when it comes to home design?
I think so. Here are five quick tips for how you can infuse your husband’s style into your home design.
1. Start with a NEUTRAL palette!
There’s a lot to be said about having a neutral palette as a starting point within your home. Neutrality in home design is a lot like Switzerland. It doesn’t need to take sides or force its opinion and preferences in one way or another. Having a neutral palette lends itself to accent colors on walls, pops of colors on pillows or art - those same colors that may be causing conflicting views between spouses. Your husband’s favorite sports team is the Seattle Seahawks? OK. We don’t need to paste Pete Carroll’s face on the wall. But can we allow the Seahawk blue to be the pop of color within the living room? Sure. Compromise.
Neutral palette with 'Seahawk' blue walls.
2. FRAME it!
Framing anything instantly elevates the look of an object, but now imagine if you are framing, say, a signed Sonic program from the championship game against the Washington Bullets in 1979? Using that as artwork in a gallery wall or on a bookshelf will align with an overall aesthetic of a room rather than compete against it.
Re-think your idea of ‘framed.’ Framing doesn’t always mean a four sided, wood mounted, glass covered, wall hanging. Think about these alternate ‘framing’ ideas: cloches, cylindrical bowls, glassless frames, painted squares on the wall. Can you envision your husband’s collection or prized possession in a new way?
A cloche of baseballs and a framework of gloves = inspiring collections!
3. Take down the shrine!
Not always, but sometimes displaying memorabilia from globetrotting escapades or years of collections on ONE shelf or in ONE grouping can sometimes present itself similarly to the shelving style of your fourteen year old self. Thinking creatively for how to display a collection that limits singular items sitting on shelves can elevate the look of the collection and make it appear less shrine-like. Can you take those items and frame them in a suggested alternate frame as above and then put them on the shelf? Can you take singular items and display them atop books throughout the bookshelf rather than all on one shelf? Alternately, keeping the collection all together, but displaying them purposefully, as in a gallery wall for example, can be a dramatic look…in a good way!
Gallery wall of globetrotting treasures.
4. Contrasts are a GOOD thing!
What is opposite of masculine? Feminine. Your husband likes the cozy look and smell of leather, but you don’t want your living room to feel like a gentleman’s club? Great. Try contrasting leather with a feminine texture - like velvet, faux fur, or cable knit. Try contrasting the dark color with lighter colors - on walls, in rugs and in textiles. He likes outdoor activity’s and you’d rather glamp. OK. Try pairing earthy tones with brass accents.
Leather + feminine textiles = compromise.
A green vanity and fresh greens pay homage to the outdoors while saying 'glam' at the same time.
(design by craven haven)
5. REMEMBER...compromises are a good thing!
In any relationship, compromises are important. Remembering the needs, wants and opinions of the other party is not only considerate, but reinforces the idea that together you are stronger than you are apart. And when it comes to telling your story through your home, the story is inclusive of everyone who lives there - not just the one with the strongest opinions or design sensibilities. :)
As always, happy decorating and be sure to tag me on IG @figandfarm so I can see all of your compromises!
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