Spouses with Differing Design Tastes

I used to think the true test of a marriage was hanging curtains. I was wrong.

Selecting a drapery style, installing the rod and deciding on a valance is child’s play compared to remodeling a bathroom. If your relationship survives gutting (the mere sound of that word can be unsettling) your bathroom, debating traditional vs. modern bathroom accessories, and the dreaded tile color war, then I would wager your marriage is golden, sure to last for years of decorating bliss.

Differing design tastes

One of the things we realized pretty early in our marriage was our differing design aesthetics. He’s more of a comfort food kind of guy, so he likes his furnishings homey and traditional, while my tastes are a bit more trendy. I’m thrilled living in sleek, contemporary lines with a dash of personality thrown in, while he thinks if early American was good enough for Mom and Dad, it’s good enough for him. I come from a family where men are responsible for outside things like mowing and the garage, while the woman reigns supreme over the indoor decor. My mother used to say in regard to decorating, “There’s nothing worse than a man with an opinion.” I would nod agreeably, but I didn’t really understand the depth of her wisdom, but I was about to find out.

So as we started looking for the finishes of our guest bath remodel, I was prepared when my husband vetoed out of hand the cool Dreamline above-the-counter square vessel sink I showed him online. It was also a thumbs down on the ultra-modern stainless steel bathroom faucets, towel rack and coordinating accessories. When we went to choose tile, he wanted navy blue ceramic, and I wanted back painted glass in a mix of light neutrals. It seemed we were butting heads at every turn.

What to do…what to do…

Then spurred by the memory of my parent’s past division of duties, I got an idea. We headed to our local home-improvement store and went right past the modern bathroom accessories in favor of the garage organization department. With eyes glazed over, my husband was suddenly enchanted by the handy shelf nooks and wall hooks that promised garage organization perfection. Right there, in the middle of the particle board aisle, we struck a deal. He could outfit the garage exactly as he dreamed it, if I could do the bath.

Today my dream bath has come together beautifully in a clean mix of stainless steel and modern glass. Now, if I could only get him to come in from the garage and help me hang the bathroom curtain…

Are you able to combine decorating tastes with your spouse? If so, how do you do it? If not, do you have an agreement like this?

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Hailey Andersen likes to share tips about home improvement ideas. Find out what else she finds interesting on Twitter at: @HaileyWrites.

Tagged as: Decorating, Home, Relationship