His + Hers: Decorating Challenge

{Via}

My husband and I disagree on everything when it comes to interior design.  I like painted cabinets {preferably white}.  He can't stand painted cabinets.  He prefers a darker stain with the wood grain showing through.  I like rooms filled with light and color.  He would rather hang out in a "dark and cozy" room with mostly neutral decor.  What can I say?  I guess opposites really do attract.

Needless to say, we've had some serious arguments debates.  Finally, I pleaded my case: "Honey, please let me just decorate the house.  We're never going to agree on anything.  How am I ever going to know whether I have any decorating skills unless I try?  And, how can I try if we never agree on anything?  So, please, honey, just let me do this...".  Okay, so, that wasn't exactly word-for-word, but you get the idea.  Basically I love all things decor and want to attempt to try out any skill that I may/may not have.  He could care less about decor, except he has a strong opinion about everything.  This conversation was my attempt at calling a truce... in my favor, of course.

Finally, he came around and gave me permission to decorate however I wanted {minus all things pink and "frilly"}.  With this newfound freedom, I started the House Dreaming series because it would allow me to "play" with possibilities, as well as to force me into making some decisions {I am EXTREMELY indecisive}.  I was having a wonderful time dreaming up color schemes and looking at fabrics.  However, ever since he agreed that my inner interior designer could come out and play, I've had this uneasy feeling.  

Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic that he had finally gave in graciously allowed me to pursue my hobby.  But as I showed him some of my ideas, I knew he was less than thrilled.  After all, I wasn't exactly taking his tastes into consideration because he had given me permission NOT to.  As the weeks went by, I just couldn't shake the feeling that if I kept going down the decorating path I was on, he wouldn't even enjoy being home.  Not because of me, but because he wasn't comfortable in his surroundings.  Thing is, I don't want a home decorated perfectly to my liking if my own husband doesn't even want to be in it.

So, once again, I approached him and said, "Look, honey, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to decorate however I want, but I really want us to do this together because it's your home, too.  It should reflect both of our tastes.  So, do you think we can try harder at this whole working-together-to-decorate-our-home thing?"  Again, not word-for-word...   He agreed.

Now that I know he's on board, I've spent the last couple of days trying to figure out what "our" style is.  My research lead me to this photo I pinned a long time ago on Pinterest to my "Whole House Style" board, because I really do want our home to reflect all who live there {yes, even my little man}:


{Via}

What I like about this one, though I'm not crazy about some of these pieces, is that it gives me an idea of how masculine and feminine accessories can, in fact, play nicely together.  So, instead of having him pack up his "collections", my goal is to find a way to incorporate them into our shared spaces.  {Lord, help me!}

Another part of my research was done through email with a friend of mine, Jesse from Good Girl Gone Glad, for advice.  Here is what she had to say:

"My thinking on this design is, if he likes dark wood, give him dark wood. If he likes modern shapes in furniture, give him modern shapes. They both make such a great base when designing a room. Then layer in something feminine you like. For example a pretty mirror or a lamp with some curves. Even a pretty coffee table with some pretty accessories. Try adding some patterned curtains and pillows for a lighter brighter touch to the dark furniture. I love the contrast this creates in a room and think it looks much better than the out of the showroom look."

In addition to her awesome advice, here's a mood board she creative to give us all a visual example of what this "his and hers" style might look like:

his hers board by gggglad on polyvore.com

Perfect!

Basically, it's like a math formula:

Modern, Masculine Furniture + Lighter, Feminine Pieces =
One Happy Couple

So, armed with this new knowledge, I logged into my Polyvore account and got to work on a {very basic} moodboard for our living room:

His and Hers by domesticblissdiaries on polyvore.com

I took his love of darker colors {sofa, entertainment center, coffee table} and combined it with my love for all things light, bright and colorful {lamps, pillows, flowers}.  The foundation pieces of the room are more masculine in nature, but the accessories soften things a bit, reminding visitors that a woman lives here, too.

With that in mind, all future House Dreaming posts will be run by my hubby before publishing.  And, of course, as we are able to update our home, I will share all of the details right here!  Oh, and if you're curious as to how I feel about having to "share the decorating reigns"... I am actually pretty excited about it. It's going to be a roller coaster ride, that's for sure.  You can't stick two opinionated people together and expect nothing but smooth sailing.  BUT, I think the finished product will be well worth it!

So, now I am curious, is your husband as opinionated as mine?  Does he like to have a say in the decor?  Or does he let you take charge?

Blessings,



Linked To:
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