Making a Home Together

February is the month of love.  Many people got engaged on Valentine’s day and are now planning a wedding and a life together with their fiancé.  I first shared this article in Bridal Bliss magazine back in 2017.  The ideas still ring true, so I thought it would be helpful to share with you and those you know who are in this stage of their life.

First comes love…then comes marriage…then comes moving into a new house together.

It’s an exciting adventure to outfit your new space with your spouse. It’s also a great opportunity to create a place that reflects you both.  That can be easier said than done, so where do you start? These rules of thumb will keep your house update running smoothly.

• Change your color- The simplest way to freshen a room is to coat the walls with a fresh color.  Gray is still the top neutral. Steer clear of grays with blue undertones, as it will make the space feel cool and sterile. My personal favorite shade is a warm griege (blend of gray and beige) called Amazing Gray by Sherwin Williams. The color works well with any other colors you use in the room and doesn’t read as too dark once on the walls.

• Add extra Touches- Never underestimate the value of throw pillows, lamps, greenery, art and accessories in a room.  These are the components we spend the least time thinking about but they all work together as layers to give our space the decorated look while still being functional.  If you want to embrace a trend, this is the place to do it.  These items are more economical to replace when the trend fades than would be a larger piece of furniture.

• Dress your naked windows- Layering a light-controlling treatment (like blinds) with a decorative fabric treatment (like curtains) gives the windows a finished look that ties into the room’s decor. The current trend is for the draperies to remain stationary flanking the window as opposed to fully opening and closing over the window.  Never buy unlined panels for your windows.  The sunlight will shine right through them and distort the color and pattern.

• Have a good foundation- Place an area rug among a furniture grouping to define the seating area.  Rugs add warmth to a space and look nice layered on any flooring type, even wall to wall carpeting.  Make sure you buy the right size area rug. Ideally, you want all four feet of the furniture pieces to sit atop the rug.  If that isn’t possible, it is acceptable to let the back two feet sit off of the rug.

• Re-purpose the space- If you find yourself never using a space, give it a new purpose.  The builder’s floor plan may name the room one thing but it’s your house, so use it the way you want!  A formal dining room can become a reading room or a home office just by swapping some furniture.

• Spruce up your deck or patio- These days we spend as much time entertaining outside as we do inside.  You can affordably soften the space by adding an outdoor rug and furniture cushions.  In the instance that you have a covered deck, consider adding outdoor curtain panels to the posts.  They serve a dual purpose- aesthetics, as well as privacy and light control. Don’t forget to add some ambient lighting with lanterns or string lights.

• Compromise- This will be hard to hear, but…. you and your new spouse may not have the same taste in decor and furnishings.  Shocking, I know! You love everything about them; so it’s impossible to believe you wouldn’t 100% agree on how to furnish a space. If you can’t agree on how to complete a room, each of you should make a list of your top priorities.  Compare notes and then figure out how to blend your wishes.  An alternative would be for each of you to choose a room in the house and take charge of decorating that room.  Either route you go, the end result will be a home you’ll love because you created it together.

-Liz