Moving in together? How to turn two homes into one

Any time a couple moves in together and has to blend two homes and lifestyles into one, there’s going to be come conflict. When it’s your belongings at stake, emotions run high. Moving in together should be something to celebrate, not something to regret, so here are some tips for getting through this challenging phase with your relationship intact and with a living space that you both love.

Claim your favorites

Everyone has their favorite pieces of furniture, their favorite artwork, and sentimental knick knacks that may seem like junk to someone else. When merging two living spaces into one, each person needs to claim their favorite things and come to some kind of agreement about what gets displayed. If a particular piece of furniture is a major source of contention (one absolutely loves it and the other absolutely hates it, perhaps it can be repainted, reupholstered, or refinished to give it a new look that both are satisfied with. Ideally, you’ll be in agreement about enough of each other’s favorite things to not cause too much conflict.

Embrace contrast

As a rule, you want some kind of unifying design principles that go into your decorating decisions. However, a little bit of contrast is a good think. Keep that in mind if one person really likes a piece that doesn’t quite blend with everything else. You don’t want things to look haphazardly thrown together but if things are mostly unified and there are a couple of pieces that stand out and provide contrast, it’s okay.

Try new locations

If a particular piece of furniture has always been in a particular room, it can be hard for that person to think about it going anywhere else. But sometimes, people are surprised that a piece of furniture works even better in a different room. As a couple, play around with the placement of furniture and try to be open-minded to a layout that’s different than what you’re accustomed to.

Shop together

Even if you both have plenty of things to fill your new space, you still may need to go out and pick out a few new pieces to tie everything together. Always do this shopping trip together. Select things that you both agree on and things that will complement the furniture and belongings that you’re already planning on using in your new space. If you’re on a tight budget, you may agree on some furniture that can be sold to make money for new items.

Most importantly, remember that furniture, artwork, belongings, and other belongings are just stuff. Be willing to compromise and you’ll both love your new space without damaging your relationship.

Source: Global News

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