The customary moving in together of newlyweds is an underrated part of wedding plans. It’s underrated because it’s rarely talked about. Regardless of how long you’ve known your partner or how well you know them, moving in with them is likely going to bring about a new dynamic between you both.
When moving in, top of the list of concerns is designing your new home to meet your needs. Considering that you’re newlyweds and still have a lot of getting-to-know to do, we’ve put together some tips to help you through.
Read more after the jump:
• Talk about it: One of the mistakes new couples make is thinking things will fix themselves naturally. They never do. If you’re thinking of a redesign for the house, you should talk about it with your partner. Even if one of you has more experience designing homes, don’t make the mistake of leaving it all to them. Make sure everyone’s happy with the decision to redesign and plan for it.
• Create a budget: Getting married can put a strain on your finances, especially if you had a big party. Ideally, your wedding plans should have included the budget for designing your home. If you forgot to create it then, it’s not too late to do it now. Take a look at your family finances (yes, you’re now a family person), and decide how much you both want to spend on designing the house.
If the budget seems like a lot, you can focus your efforts on a room and expand the decorations as time goes on.
• Prioritize the bedroom: For newlyweds, the bedroom is where you’re going to be spending most of your time. This means it should be numero uno on your list of priorities. Design your bedroom such that it’s a comfortable and romantic escape for both of you after a long day at work. You should ideally be looking at new bedding, rugs, furniture, and lamps for your side tables. You can add a personal touch with anything from wedding pictures to custom foam board printing.
Simpler is better when it comes to the bedroom. Though a homeowner doesn’t have to go absolutely minimalist, for too little can bring a sense of deprivation, the fewer things there are to distract the mind in the bedroom, the better.
Opt for soft colors and neutrals. Soft colors include pastel shades of green, yellow, blue and violet, shile neutrals include soothing shades of white, gray and brown, often with a hint of another color such as green or lavender.
• Choose a suitable color palette: The color palette is the foundation on which all your house design will be done. It’s the most important thing you’ll get to choose as it determines how your room will look. The best way to choose it is to start with something you both find visually appealing. It could be an artwork, the floor finish, or even a magazine.
• Get comfortable with compromising: Unless one party is continuously deferring to the other, there’s no way you and your partner will agree completely on your interior decorating choices. Sorting disagreements out will require some negotiation. For instance, if you really want an art piece and they don’t, you can offer them the opportunity to keep something of theirs, too. On the flip side, you may both have to give up on things you want to avoid cluttering up the house.
Conclusion
Redesigning your home is one of the first projects you’ll have to perform as a new family. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate and learn more about your partner. Provided you treat it as a learning avenue, it can prove to be fun and rewarding in more ways than you had anticipated.
