Making Two Homes Into One!
Merging Two Homes Into One
To love, honor, cherish; that is what you're going to promise. But does that mean you can find a place not only in your heart, but a place in your home for his furniture? For two lovebirds building their first nest together, merging your homes can be the beginning of a long battle over territory, habits, and memories. The result is often reflected in your furniture and in your home.
It Takes Two
When bringing two homes or apartments together, you can get a 'hodge-podge' look unless you carefully combine your antiques with his contemporary leather and chrome. This doesn't have to be an issue.You can work both styles together to create an eclectic and harmonious feel without having to get rid of perfectly good and often new furniture. Use his new black leather sofa with your striped upholstered slipper chairs. Use some softer throw pillows to add color and texture. In the dining room, add your tailored side and arm chairs to his glass top dining table and display your antique ceramic vase collection on top for color. Hang his contemporary art and bring in colors from the artwork with your linens and chargers.
Love Him,
Love His Recliner
But wait a minute; what if his stuff is trash? He's bringing a sofa from college and an old, ugly recliner. You're thinking there is no way that this junk is going in your new home. He is not backing down and says that he is not throwing any of it out. Don't worry; there are many ways to make this transition go smoothly.
Keep in mind; he is probably not very excited about sleeping on your pink floral comforter so be sure to consider his feelings, too.
The first option, which is the easiest way out for you, is to offer him a room of the house that will be his domain. He can decorate it himself with his old, shall we say, memories. Usually this is one of the smaller rooms, enough room for his TV, videogames, etc. As you know, many men are easily pleased with the smallest of things. Just make a big deal about his space and let him put all his energy into making his room a very testosterone heavy environment. This leaves the rest of the house for you to do as you wish.
Say Good-bye to the Memories...
or Cover Them Up!
Another option is to sit down with him and decide together, civilly, which pieces of his stuff you really do not want in your home (for example, his mattress from his single days). Ask him if there are any of your things he is not particularly fond of and let him nix those. This way he will feel that he has some say in his home (after all, it is his home, too) and has the ability to make decisions. If he insists on keeping that old sofa because he cannot let go of those memories, simply deep (really deep) clean the cushion covers and use a slipcover. Slipcovers are a very inexpensive way to redress a room, and you can take them off and throw them in the wash very easily. This will not only ensure that your newly merged home will have a cozy and livable ambiance, but will help your new husband feel involved in his home, too.
COME TOGETHER
Here are some ideas that can bring you together. Just use a little paint and some creativity and you can make your two styles look like they were meant to be together--just like the two of you!
Bedroom
First, get a new mattress and bed linens. Paint the room in a color he likes--or at least won't mind--perhaps a soft neutral color that is not too feminine. Think taupe, fawn, gray, sage, moss, or even a shade of deep red.
Living Room or Den
If you have two extremes in style--yours traditional and his modern--you can easily blend your styles with just a little thought. Black leather and chrome chairs look great paired with an overstuffed white damask sofa if you pull in a metal and glass coffee table. Use a more traditional rug, like a Persian. Pull colors from the rug for drapes, throw pillows, or an ottoman. Use a softer version of those colors for the walls. His glass and chrome desk will work fine in a corner of the room, but use traditional artwork and accessories to bring it together.