Living together: merging both your tastes

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Moving in together is a huge step for any couple and it's not only the implications for your relationship that need to be considered; you have to think about what it will do to the style of your home! Suddenly you will have twice the clothing to house and someone to ask before you buy furniture. Are you ready?

We have compiled some handy hints and tips to keep the process of moving in and decorating together nice and simple, but remember, as in life, the key to a harmonious home decor scheme is communication and joint decisions. 

Take a look at our advice and see if it could help you create a perfect love nest for you and your new cohabitee!

Be honest about your style

If your style is more eclectic, like this fabulous red living room from Bhavin Taylor, while your partner favours classic decor, you may be in for some trouble when it comes to moving in together, so be honest and talk about what you like best about each other's choices.

For example, this red sofa is sleek and unfussy, so could work well in an otherwise relatively neutral space, making compromise the order of the day. You never know, once you get talking about decorating, you may realise you like exactly the same things, in which case, you are one of the lucky few!

Pick and choose elements you both like

If one of you likes ethnic textiles and the other thinks purple is the best colour ever, why not combine the two elements to make a home that is uniquely suited to you both as a couple and individuals? Take a look at this example for an idea of what we mean.

Far from looking too disjointed, the room has a natural sense of compromise, creativity and combined styling that makes it really pop and come alive. The various textiles and patterns all work together wonderfully, while the colour palette that has been selected heightens the ethnic feel. Now that is the kind of teamwork that moving in together requires!

Buy something new together

A first port of call for many couples that decide moving in together is on the cards is to buy new furniture together and no item says fresh start quite like a new and luxurious bed.

Nobody wants to feel as though they are sharing memories with former partners, so a new bed is a great way to make your mark on your cohabiting status. This is a tried and tested idea for when one partner moves into another's existing home, as it allows for a sense of authority and can help the new resident feel as though their choices are just as valid as the owners. To be honest, we don't really need an excuse to buy a bed this stunning, it just speaks for itself and has us reaching for our wallets!

Choose a neutral colour scheme

Atticus Sofa Loaf Modern living room Sofas & armchairs

If you like blue and your partner likes yellow, short of compromising on green, you might struggle to choose a colour scheme, that appeals to you both equally. With this in mind, we recommend that you opt for a neutral colour scheme and accessorise with your preferred hues.

Living rooms, in particular, seem to be an area that causes a lot of disagreement, potentially because you will naturally spend a lot of time together in there, but by choosing something more neutral for the walls and furniture, you can inject individual slices of personality through accessories that will keep everyone happy.

Try dividing the room

Maybe you really can't agree on a colour scheme, a style of furniture or even what to do with your available areas and in that case, we suggest you each get some space to take control of. It might sound drastic, but if your home can accommodate it, we think it's a valid suggestion to ensure that moving in together is a longstanding arrangement!

Take a look at this room, which has been divided neatly with the chimney. Rather than having a living and separate dining room, both areas could be lounges, but decorated according to your differing tastes. This could even lead to a little extra romance, as you can take a trip to each other's room for date nights, while all the time avoiding arguments!

Just do it, they'll cope!

You've tried compromising, talking, being receptive to your partner's ideas and still, you can't agree on anything when it comes to moving in together and decorating your home. In this case, we have one more suggestion, but it is a little daring… just do what you want and tell your partner to cope with it!

Yes, we know this will cause some arguments, but if you can get through them, you were clearly right to move in together and who knows, you might find that they never really minded what you wanted to do in the first place, so go ahead and put a walk in wardrobe where they wanted a music room… what's the worst that could happen?

For more happy home inspiration, take a look at this Ideabook: Before & After: Renovation Project For A Young Couple.

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