Is it time to take the big leap and move in to a new home with your partner? No doubt youโre excited about this milestone in your relationship. Youโll now have someone to share the ins and outs of your day-to-day life.
But have you stopped to consider what this means in terms of all the stuff youโll now share โ including all the items you use to decorate your space that makes it feel like home? If you and your partner have similar styles, thatโs great. Moving in together and merging your belongings shouldnโt be too difficult. But if you and your partner have vastly different taste when it comes to decorations and furnishings, this can potentially cause some problems. Hereโs what you can do to manage merging styles when you and your better half move into your new home.
Purge
While you may be hoping that your partner will miraculously and willingly give up most of their stuff so you can keep yours, thatโs unrealistic. Moving in together means that if you keep everything, youโre going to have duplicates. Before taking the plunge, itโs time for each of you to purge some of these redundant items. If it isnโt something you love, need or use regularly, itโs time for that item to be sold or donated. If youโre at odds over which duplicated item to keep, choose the one that is newest or of the highest quality.
Choose new items together
When youโre moving in with someone, itโs an opportunity to start fresh. If youโve been thinking about parting with your couch, and the other person has, too โ why not shop for a new couch together? This will help you to find ways to negotiate and define what your new style will be as a couple.
Make a plan
Now that youโve purged and acquired new items, make a game plan for the new space before moving in. What will go where? Which pieces of art will hang on the wall? Draw up a floor plan and have ideas about where all your stuff will live.
Compromise
Maybe youโre shabby chic and heโs midcentury modern, and youโre worried those two styles will just not blend. While itโs easy to jump to that conclusion, there really are ways to combine even the most disparate styles. Perhaps you both like brass and the color red. Find details that you have in common and build the room around those. What youโll create is an eclectic and refreshing new style all your own. You can even give it a name, maybe โModern Rustic Chicโ or โExotic Elegance.โ Who wants to live in a cookie cutter environment anyway? This is an opportunity for you and your partner to put a personal stamp on your home and think outside the box.
Hire a professional
When all else fails and you and your partner just canโt seem to reach an agreement, hire an expert. A professional designer has worked with dozens of clients in similar situations. They can function as a neutral third party and figure out the best way for both of you to be happy.
In the end, remember that it isnโt the space thatโs important; itโs the people who occupy the space. Keeping things in perspective and having a willingness to compromise and negotiate is the key to sharing a space and having a healthy and happy relationship.
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