At Decorno, a quote on the stresses of home improvement on a relationship:
At the tile shop tonight, we saw a sign they had posted which read,
HUSBANDS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SELECT GROUT WITHOUT A NOTE FROM WIFE.
We laughed.
Obviously not every couple has an official "wife" but every couple probably has someone calling the shots (or trying to) when it comes to big projects...in your household, is it you or your significant other?
Via: Decorno
Photo: Erin Adams Tile via Erin Adams Design

Nomade Express Slee...
Heterocentrism...it's everywhere!
Oh come on. You have parents. You know your mom probably made all major decorating choices.
I'm sure the local hardware store is still waiting on their inclusive literature, informing them of their heteronormativity. But really, get a freaking sense of humor.
My mom and I have a longstanding joke that I am my father's daughter. This is definitely true with design decisions. My father must be the primary decider and so must I. If not, we both get a bit cranky about the whole thing. Yep, we can be really mature.
We have a painter coming in a couple of weeks. I normally look after all this kind of stuff in our house but I asked my husband to just call him and confirm fee, etc. and to let the painter know we had most of the materials, but did he need anything? I overheard my husband ask him if he needed any "caulking patching" and laughed my head off, I couldn't help it. To be fair, my husband does know the names of the different kinds of screwdrivers and I do not, I just call them the slotty one, the starrish one, and the one with the square bit on the end.
Alas, this gets an 'Amen' from my house: my kitchen was exuberantly regrouted with almond caulk against the white paint. "Did you not notice the color of the caulk?" said I. "Huh?" was the reply.
My husband's an engineer and I'm in the arts, so he's slowly learning to be creative about our space...But I'm SO not ready to take th training wheels off yet! The last word is mine, all the way!
Silly side note: President Harding once referred to a "return to normalcy" and was mocked without rest, since "normalcy" is not a word. Now I hear it constantly, and most people don't know it isn't proper English...
...This is the third time I've seen/heard "decider" this week...HeeHee...
I have a design background and he is colour blind, need I say more?
(although he does say "no" a lot, an "that can't be done")
I have an art degree (and am color blind)...and have money - so I make most of the design decisions. However, I don't do anything without consulting my bf - out of respect for his opinion and the fact that he lives in the house with me. Almost nothing is done solo
While the grout joke is funny it's also a little sexist. (let alone homophobic)
Alas, there is no design dictatorship in this household. The democratic home-design process takes much, much longer.
@empirewaste HAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh wait, except that was neither clever nor funny....