05 June, 2021

Merging Your Home, Merging Your Lives – According to LiLu Interiors

 MERGE YOUR LIVES, MERGE YOUR HOMES

The process of turning two homes into one is always exciting at the start. However, when merging your lives and merging your homes, you may start to realize that yourself and your partner have different ideas of the perfect home, driven by your different styles, tastes, backgrounds and hobbies. After all, opposites attract. While that rule holds steady in most areas of life, it can cause discord when setting up a new home together.
Beginning the shift from your “me style” to a “we style” is the key to harmoniously and successfully turning two homes into one.

Opposites Attract - Merging Your Homes

For one thing, different styles can be difficult to contend with when merging your homes. If your partner still has the style his college dorm had in mind, you might find that your tastes for the finer things in life appear strange against the football memorabilia and plain furniture. But seriously, creating a harmonious look when dealing with two distinctly different styles and tastes can seem impossible!
Maybe you love to add color to your space, while your other half prefers a more subdued, neutral palette. Maybe one of you is fond of a bohemian style, while the other is inspired by minimalist instagrammers when envisioning a new home.
Whatever the case may be, it is possible to merge two different styles as you merge your lives and merge your homes, however impossible it may seem at first.
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The Trials of Inherited Furniture - Merging Your Homes

Another common problem is the family heirlooms that you can’t part with, but your partner can’t stand. Maybe this inherited piece doesn’t fit the style you envision together, or maybe what fondly reminds you of time with your grandparents as a child simply screams “old lady” style to someone else.
Not knowing how to deal with an inherited piece of furniture like this is not uncommon, nor is it too difficult of an issue to solve. Restyling might be the answer to modernizing a family heirloom.
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The Dueling Armchairs

The favorite armchair is a staple of many people’s homes, but what happens when each of your beloved armchairs clash?
It may seem as if there’s no solution – the colors don’t match, the styles are completely different, and the height and size of the chairs make them look ridiculous next to one another!
Despite it all, you might find a way to harmoniously style these dueling favorite chairs by creating an eclectic, mixed look in your living room.
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An Eclectic Style

An eclectic style shows off a mix of styles by nature, but you have to be careful to toe the line between eclectic and bizarre.

Asymmetrical Accessories

Lastly, a balanced mix of art and accessories can be difficult to achieve. If one of you collects deer antlers and rustic lamps, while the other has invested years into collecting a few works from their favorite modern artist, it might seem like there’s no solution to merging these styles.
However, with the right strategies, you can create a harmonious look when merging your lives and merging your homes.
Check out our quiz for the solutions to all of these problems, specific to your needs and situation.
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Comments on Merging Your Home, Merging Your Lives – According to LiLu Interiors
  1. Leslie Carothers says:

    I love this post, Lisa. I really witnessed this in action between a couple friend of mine in my 30’s. They had diametrically opposed tastes..and she let him win. He wasn’t willing to compromise his vision…and they ended up staying married….but living in separate CITIES!

  2. Mary Ann Benoit says:

    It’s funny how often I see this exact problem and it always seems a hard thing for people to compromise on. A designer really earns their money when finding solutions for these design dilemmas.

  3. Christie says:

    I am so grateful that my husband and I are on the same page with decor! But I know this is such a common dilemma – such a great topic!

  4. Janet R Lorusso says:

    Haha, I’m working with a couple right now with fairly opposite tastes – it is a challenge for sure, but a very satisfying one to solve! Great examples here, Lisa!

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