It’s time for part 3 in our How to Decorate Together series! If you missed part 1, be sure to click here to read How to Overcome Decorating Differences. You will also enjoy part 2, Tips on Communicating with Your Spouse on Decorating Differences.
Couples frequently disagree on how to decorate the home. Perhaps your spouse leans towards a modern aesthetic and instead you love a rustic farmhouse look. Maybe you are wedded to an inherited piece of Queen Anne furniture that you are trying to incorporate with your spouse’s contemporary decor. When couples have contrasting decorating styles, it can cause interpersonal conflict and turmoil. However, it doesn’t have to! Blending two styles into one is both doable and rewarding. Here are three tips showing how to blend masculine and feminine decorating styles.
Tip 1: Simplify your color palette.
Image via BHG.
When merging masculine and feminine decor styles, it’s easier to create a unified look with a simplified color palette. Choose two main colors for your space and then try layering various shades within those colors into your room. Fewer colors will instantly establish a sense of order to your decor even if the objects in the room are an eclectic mix. Think outside the box when it comes to creating a uniform color palette. You can paint practically anything these days–including upholstered furniture–and what you can’t paint can usually be slipcovered! Don’t be scared to try and make what you own, and what you both love, work for you.
Tip 2: Try neutrals with lots of different textures.
Image via City Farmhouse.
If your husband has a truly horrible sense of style that you just cannot work with, try and turn him onto a neutral color palette. A furry neutral toss pillow is often much more easily accepted by the male species than a furry pink toss pillow. Just sayin’. Take a look at the pictures above and below and notice how rich, comfortable, and cozy each space looks. Although these living rooms are both done in neutrals, they are an excellent mix of masculine and feminine elements. Choose warm woods, cozy throws, seagrass baskets, leathers, and a mix of neutral patterned textiles to create a space that melds the two decor styles seamlessly.
Image via Design Manifest.
Tip 3: Follow the 80/20 rule.
In interior design, the 80/20 rule states that as long as 80% of your furnishings are unified then you can get away with deviating with the other 20%. For example, the only things that aren’t in a traditional farmhouse motif in the picture below are the mid-mod chairs, mirror chargers, and artwork. The rest of the room is unified in “traditional farmhouse” decor. This is a great rule to follow when trying to incorporate two different styles. So who gets the 80% and who gets the 20%? Well, the wife of course gets the 80%! Duh. Ha! Really it will depend on the mix of furnishings already within your home and what you are willing to purchase and what you are willing to part with.
Image by Nuevo Estilo via Desire to Inspire.
If you liked this post, be sure to check out the related posts below.
What are the paint colors in tip 1?
Great post Beth, I definitely agree that sticking to neutral shades is often the best way to keep both parties happy although i do like the 80/20 rule, great way to incorporate a bit of each others personality into a room without going overboard!
I just found your site and am loving it! My husband and I don’t disagree on our style, but are having trouble figuring out how to incorporate it. Our house is sort of art deco which we love, but we also love the beach. We purchase leather furniture for our living room and it is oversized. The living room is a rectangle with a huge opening for the doorway, a large picture window, a smaller window on another wall and then on the 4th wall are two holes that are above a stairway that supposedly was to be used for bookshelf area (you get to one of the attics which we don’t use through this area). There is also a round glass/metal coffee table. We also have a stereo with tv on wall above, a piano, a large book case about 4 feet wide and tall and a curio cabinet. The wall is painted a goldish yellow. Since we love the beach we have used a coral color and a light blue/green in other room and this goldish color in the living room. Just don’t know what to do for room arrangement here. I feel that the furniture is too big, but it is fairly new and can’t do anything about it. Any ideas?
The furniture is a dark tan and the carpet is probably a seafoam green color. I do love your neutral colors, but I think my husband would have a fit if I decided to repaint.
Hi Ruth,
How wonderful that the two of you agree! It makes decorating so much more pleasant when you share a common vision. It sounds like you are wanting to incorporate more beach into your space as well as a different furniture arrangement. Something that helps me in space planning is to utilize a drawing of the room on graph paper and furniture cut outs. Playing with your furniture arrangement will give you an instant idea of what the room might look like with a change. Oversized couches are difficult to work with but a different arrangement might help you feel better about your space. Try incorporating some fresh toss pillows to bring more beach into the room.