apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

any info on those awesome chairs?

I pay for everything & I clean everything so I do what I want. The crumpled Motorhead & Iron Maiden flags came off the wall when I started getting nice furniture.

Awesome, Jenny.

Teeze,

Starck's Mr Impossible chair:
http://www.bonluxat.com/a/Philippe_Starck_Mr._Impossible_Chair.html

Thankfully we have a similar sense of style so creating our home has been relatively painless. There was the occasional love seat or piece of art that one of us has had for 20 years and couldn't part with so we had to compromise on those.
Tabitha @ http://www.fromsingletomarried.com

We started from 0 so we got to decide most of what came in our home. We got two sofas and a kitchen table from his parents, but bought everything else. We actually wrote many posts on this issue in our blog http://www.wetakeiteasy.com

I think the most important thing here is to be honest. If you don't like something, say it. It may be hard for you at first, but you don't want to have to live with certain piece of art the rest of your life!

It's been a challenge for us since we have opposing tastes. I'm very quirky and he's very traditional. I've tried to keep things toned down in the main living area. I'm in the process of setting up our guest bedroom as a workplace/craft area for me, and I'll let it run wild in there.

Boy o Boy. If you've got money enough to afford those chairs ($504 a piece?)....who cares what the other person wants. Clearly you could afford to buy their kind too. Build an addition....yeowza.

I also forgot - we're implementing the game of House Chess...mostly because we're merging my apartment with hers....but IN her apartment. (I'm moving in with her and bringing all of my stuff too, thankfully the house itself is big enough.)

House Chess: Person 1 can move any item and/or replace it with another item....and Person 2 can either move it back (items can only be moved twice) and give the next "move" to Person 1...or they can move/replace another item. It's a nice way to "try out" new looks...and not get feelings hurt.

My first move will be taking her "ottoman" to the curb. She can bring it back if she wants, but then she lets me make the next move.

We have very similar tastes, which has helped. I usually will email or IM him pictures of several items - all of which I like and would be happy with - when choosing a new piece such as a bed or couch...he then helps choose among them. It's worked well so for all major purchases.

Since I started reading AT over a year ago, our condo is really starting to evolve. My husband and I have similar but not exact tastes and that helps a lot. I have learned that all artwork and furniture pieces must be bought together. Accessories first where only just me but as our condo is evolving, my husband is starting to enjoy shopping for them as well. I am mainly the one making the changes and he has veto power but so far it is working out quite well.
Our tastes are starting to evolve as well but now we are kind of in a holding pattern as far as new furniture is concerned for the next couple years until we decide to move and buy a house. We aren't willing to give up any pieces but we dont really have room for more.

oh jeez, this post is exactly what i need. glad to see i'm not alone! i moved in to my bf's in march- it was so full i couldn't bring any of my furniture (yet). so, i've started with surfaces- they don't take up any more space but make a huge impact. i convince him to let me try something, i do all the work and pay for it... and then he likes it. eventually i hope this will lead to less resistance to change, and partnership on the projects. so far, removed wallpaper and carpet, painted 2 rooms and starting the den painting today. the house is the only thing we fight about- but i'm making progress. you are right about compromise- its both peoples' home- and nothing is worse than not feeling at home in your home!

I tend to have much clearer ideas of what I want than he. At first, I would just do what I liked and he would go with it. But then occasionally we'd have these big drag down fights over something random, and I decided that just because he didn't know how to express his design opinions doesn't mean he doesn't have any.

So, we did some homework. I spent a lot of time showing him pictures in magazines and catalogs and asking him what he likes. And then when he liked something, I'd ask him why. I would also show him what I liked and explain why. This wasn't his favorite game, but I kept asking. Eventually, his design tastes and style became clear. And with a little effort, we found some common ground.

Now we are both committed to our vision of our home. This is really important because I fully expect him to help! No way am I going to do all the work of setting up house. I have a job too!

When my ex moved in - I made room for him and his Ethan Allen stuff...
...but I drew the line at the massive set of matching Pfaltzgraff and the hideous and massive Oak Cannonball Bed and matching nightstand that came up to my shin.

When we broke up - I was so happy to see his suburbanite stuff leave, that I ran right out and bought all new BluDot furniture for my bedroom.

My recommendation is to start with a single room that you both design together. Not the bedroom, that's too hard. Maybe a little nook or a second bedroom/home office area (if you're lucky enough to have one). That gives you both a taste for the other one's style and also an idea of how you like to work. I like to plan it out and move things once, my lovely bride likes to move things lots of times. That's why I think it's best to start small. As you continue to live together, start looking for purchases you can make (or at least decide on) together. Then it's yours together. We started by buying some art prints to build a room around. Since we got married this summer, we've sold a lot of our old stuff (college-style desks, the old bed) and brought in new that we picked out. It's been very fun.

I'm the designer, he's the builder.... its a match made in heaven! :) it gives us both a sense of control over the outcome as he can modify the construction details to suit his tastes as long as it is in keeping with the original intent. (he admits that i have better taste and that helps a ton!)

the only room in our house where you can see how our personal tastes clash is the office. My desk area is as ergonomic and practical and sleek as the Mac itself. My hubby's (PC) desk is hidden under the pile of papers, gadgets, who-knows-what-else.
As for the rest of the house and shared closets - the key is the maintenance. You have to agree on how it should look, and how often do you need to tidy it up to keep it looking this way.

yolio - that's exactly what i'm working on right now. it's slow going, but i'm finally getting an idea of what he actually likes rather than just what he hates.

i tend to like more bold colors while my partner prefers neutral. it's a compromise. we tend to try and settle somewhere in the middle.

My fiance was living in a pre-furnished apartment so he came with nothing but a (surprisingly large) collection of clothes. He's grown to appreciate my taste - a mix of reworked midcentury modern pieces (we've done some refinishing together), a neutral palette with pops of color here and there. Now I ask his opinion before changing the furniture, but he usually tells me to do whatever I want.

we're both very opiniated and stubborn, so all purchases require joint approval. Foretunately we have similar taste most of the time. To ease into decorating our house we bounce a lot of ideas off of each other, whether he emails me pictures of things or I show him stuff in magazines.

We've come a long way - one of our first joint purchases was a bedspread and it took us 2 years to agree on one. Seriously!

I do all the designing and he tells me he loves it. Oh how I adore him~

Well I must admit, I thought all the decorating process was going to fall completely on me. But just as we were moving the furniture in, my boyfriend starting telling me where he liked everything. I'd consider his opinions and tested all potential locations for small furniture and accessories. The best thing is that since he is color blind I have the LAST word and I can get away on displaying girly colors in some places.

Yikes - those chairs are almost $500 each!