Melding the Two

Most people scroll through Pinterest and Instagram when searching for inspiration for their home. It is a great way to help you narrow down your style. Now does that mean that your style and your partners will be the same? Not necessarily.

There is a joke that I heard once that the husband items are farthest away from the front door. I think it is because some people look at functionality over design. There is a way to meld the two together. Having a functional home that is very eye appealing but does not give furniture showroom vibes.

Designing a home for a client involves both partners. Usually one partner is more invested in the home design then the other. Although it does not mean the other partner does not have an opinion on certain elements that are important to them. I always want to make sure that they both feel part of all the design work even though they may not be interested in some of the elements that are going into it.

So, where do you start when you want to meld those two different ideas together?

1. Try and find common ground is the first thing you do with your couple.

2. What are their favorite colors? Do they both like neutrals or does one of them love a splash of intense color? You can always incorporate a splash of color here in there when one is a neutral color lover. It makes the melding of the two much easier or if they both love the same signature color but maybe in a different hue.

3. Displaying your favorite things. Accessories you have gathered over the years or inherited. Your favorite photography or artwork. You will find a special home for these items as you meld your design aspects together.

Let me show you a few examples. Here we have a very neutral living room with walls that are a slight taupe with a light green hue. All the the furniture are in shades of cream and taupe. As you can see, the signature color here is green. As you can see, having neutrals and a signature color works really well. The green is pulled it into the artwork as well and again across the room beautiful green garden stool. They chose metals of gold and brown rustic iron to even out the space. I love the two matching small black console tables that are used to help give heaviness and ground the artwork above. The rug has cream, light green and touches of brown to bounce off the gorgeous chandelier.

This pallet is great for transitioning to different seasons and just changing up their pillows and accents.

In this South Hampton inspired nautical room the obviously signature color here is Navy. Most guys are blue lovers so this would appeal to them. There are many ways you can do a nautical design but here is classic white walls and furniture is usually white and navy. The fun accent in this design is the oversized leather ottoman that is used as a coffee table. This design is very masculine and feminine. The large leather ottoman is a wonderful compromise when one person loves leather but the other doesn't want to invest in large pieces of furniture for the future. You can see they used a leather navy accent chair in the corner as well to pull the navy color to the other side of the room with the navy sofa. They could have went with two leather chairs here as well instead of the white canvas and a neutral ottoman if one of the clients really wants to have that soft leather chair to sit in. The accent chair across the would then be a canvas navy chair. The Ikat blue and white pillows add a touch of softness to all the white and blue. There is so many options in design that you do not have to fear if the two of you do not always agree. Compromise is the key.

Most men love the wood paneled library look and love to have all wood in the home a natural color and not painted as you see here. It is just a preference but most feel it is too dark especially if you do not have a large space. A small office will feel cramped and will not have enough natural light to work in.

Here is a beautiful compromise of melding two design preferences. They used a dark blue paint but kept he recessed ceiling and all the molding bright white. The bookshelves and built in are not painted but a light gray wash stain to keep the room reflecting light throughout. The desk is in the same hue and adding the dark chair brings out the color of the walls. The light rug helps to keep it bright, you can always change up the rug in the winter months to make it more dark and moody. This is a beautiful office that you would love to have at the entry of your home.

One place that both partners need to be in agreement is their bedroom. What is your style throughout the house and what makes you feel cozy and relaxed so you can drift off to sleep? These are usually the two questions I ask first. Not that you have to have a nautical theme in your bedroom because that is what you have in the living room. LOL Just try and stay in the same color pallet.

If your like me, I have an obsession with pillows. They are like jewelry to to the bed. They make it inviting and feel like you want to jump right in. Well, after you take them off. My husband knows that very well. There are ones you lay on and ones that are just for looking at. Here are a few bedrooms that are cozy and comfy to me.

This is not a very large bedroom but you can see keeping it light and bright makes it feel much larger. The beams on the ceiling give it warmth and play off the the woven chandelier.

The bedding is all neutral accept for the throw at the end of the bed. The pillows although they are all neutral come in different textures to give it movement and interest. The nightstands are dark and really pop in this room. This is bedroom that is relaxing and neutral enough for both husband and wife.

This more traditional bedroom plays off the dark furniture and everything else in the room is neutral accept for the pale blue color they added throughout the room including the ceiling. This is feminine but not over the top. The lace bedding with the large creamy duvet folded at the end of the bed gives it a very homey southern look. The white dresser used as a nightstand is amazing because the canopy bed can be very overpowering in a room. A small nightstand would get lost. A traditional look appeals usually to both clients and gives them a feel of home.

I talked a lot about colors in the home and bringing the two together. Make sure you find homes for all the treasures you have collected from travels, inherited and know you want to pass on and just accessories that mean a lot to you. Treasures can be books, artwork, decorative items and even down to kids picture they have drawn. There are always a special way you can display these and make them part of the overall design.

The examples I have given are just a beginning of all the things you can do to meld two styles and color preferences together. Do not be afraid to speak up when you are designing a room to your designer. I always want both of my clients to happy with the final product. It is your home and you live there.