How to decorate your home if you and your partner have different decor styles

They say that love is blind but when it comes to interiors, that’s definitely not the case. Our research shows that over a third of Brits wouldn’t continue dating someone if their interior choices gave them the proverbial ‘ick’, and nearly half of you think that good decor makes a person more attractive. What's more, nearly 1 in 2 Brits think that home decor is a better indicator of someone's personality than their fashion choices. As Tash Bradley, our Head Colour Specialist explains:

How we style the interiors of our homes and ourselves are really good indicators of who we are, so it makes a lot of sense that colours also play a part in the dating world.

Tash Bradley

“How we style the interiors of our homes and ourselves are really good indicators of who we are, so it makes a lot of sense that colours also play a part in the dating world. Often couples who have similar interior decor styles and attitudes to their home can find more harmony in their home life.”

This is not to say, however, that a successful relationship relies on having the same decor style - just a little bit of compromise. So, we’re here to ensure your decorating journey is a harmonious one, with our definitive guide on how to decorate your home if you and your partner have different decor styles.

Couples’ home decor tip: focus on what you both love

Our International Colour Consultant Charlotte Cropper says “a good starting point is to focus on what you have in common”. Perhaps they’re partial to that urban industrial decor style whilst you like all-things modern farmhouse? Don’t worry - it’s not time for one of you to move to the city and the other out to the country. Just start by thinking about what these styles have in common: rustic woods, metals, industrial pendant lighting, exposed architectural features, house plants, and a neutral backdrop. In fact, fine tuning your decor choices in this way can actually make design decisions that bit easier.

A good starting point is to focus on what you have in common.

Charlotte Cropper

Couples’ home decor tip: find a way to compromise

This is just good relationship advice full stop, but finding a way to compromise is key to decorating your home if you and your partner have different decor styles. You might love neons but they prefer neutrals. That’s ok. You can still incorporate colourful elements against a neutral backdrop. Whether that’s through colour blocking, neon signs or painting or wallpapering your ceiling. There are lots of ways you can inject a little colour into your home even with a neutral colour palette.

Couples’ home decor tip: create a personal sanctuary

That said, we all need a space that feels like a bit of us. According to our Colour Specialist Sam Bramley; “it’s part of our makeup to have territory and to mark it, to make us feel safe. So expressing yourself in an agreed area is good for harmony at home”.

It’s part of our makeup to have territory and to mark it, to make us feel safe. So expressing yourself in an agreed area is good for harmony at home.

Sam Bramley

Whether that means your very own man cave, a la Jim Chapman or a dressing room that’s a total boudoir. Even if you don’t have space for an entire room, use the principles of broken-plan living to carve out a space that is yours. Whether that’s a reading nook or yoga corner create a personal sanctuary that’s unapologetically you.

Couples’ home decor tip: do it gradually

One for the maximalist decor devotees and eclectic decor clutter bugs, if ‘more is more’ is your design mantra but your partner prefers things minimalist, then tread lightly. Don’t overwhelm them by creating an entire gallery wall all at once - add to it gradually. You can also add a few scatter cushions here, a couple of trinkets there, the odd plant pot where you can. Just go slowly and allow them time to adjust.

Couples’ home decor tip: find a colour scheme you both love

The colours in our home affect both our mood and how we feel about our partner, whether it’s a first date or long term lover. Whilst almost half of Brits claim they’d be happy if their partner's bedroom was painted white, almost two-thirds of women claim they dread finding out their partner’s bedroom is painted brown. “If your partner hates green but you love it, look at the undertones,” suggests Charlotte Cropper. You could go for a neutral with green undertones or even a teal.

This was the case with Jim Chapman when decorating his family home; “I love green, but my wife doesn’t”. So they managed to find a happy medium with their gorgeously rich Teal 03 in the living room. Check out how they decorated their family home by watching the home tour below:

Couples’ home decor tip: create a joint bedroom sanctuary

The bedroom is a space you both share and want to feel like a joint sanctuary. It’s also a very emotional space, and according to colour psychology, different colours conjur different emotions. So think about how you want your bedroom to make you both feel. Whilst almost half of Brits claim they’d be happy if their partner's bedroom was painted white, almost two-thirds of women claim they dread finding out their partner’s bedroom is painted brown. In fact, according to our research; brown, orange and black were the most dreaded colours to find in a bedroom.

So, if your less decor-savvy half is after one of these, some alternatives could include;

• Grey 07 or Grey 08 in place of black
• Red 01 or Red 03 instead of orange
• Beige 05 or Beige 02 as an alternative to brown

Or if you’re desperate for pink but your partner wants a neutral, look for a white with pink undertones, like White 06 or Pink 01 masquerading as white, as seen in Tash’s bedroom below.

One of our top tips is to ask yourself a number of questions; what do I use this room for? When do I use this room? And don’t forget to consider whether your room is North, East, South or West facing. Once you’ve nailed these, you can whittle down your choices and pick from the paint colours that are left—a much more diplomatic way to choose.