Hi Jodie...I feel for you girl but this is where the art of compromise comes into play.
My husband and I have different tastes too but sometimes I give in to him and sometimes he gives in to me. I do, however, draw the line at dead animals in the house (taxidermy)! We've always had an agreement...I get the inside and he gets the outside. That worked for 20 years or so and then he retired...all of a sudden...he wanted a say in the decorating decisions since he was home more. I slowly let him have input and you know what I leared? He actually has pretty good taste!
When we moved here he wanted a big screen plasma t.v. and I mean he wanted a huge one. But, 'we' chose a tastefully sized plazma and he built a fireplace mantle for it to sit on...it does look nice and I enjoy it too but I was against it in the beginning. I think he scared me when he used the word 'huge'! I used to go in for the heavy country decorating (pinks, blues, teddy bears, bunnies, baskets, crocks...you know, stuff everywhere!) but after seeing the homes of a friend who is a 'minimalist' I started thinking about my decorating ways...I saw the light and decided to simplify! I gave up the pink and blue country colors that were so feminine and went with neutrals so I could use different colors for contrast...this made him feel better too. I still get to enjoy 'my' things but they are contained in smaller areas and arranged differently now and his favorites are also included in the whole scheme of things.
We had a life changing experience in '02 that made us realize it was time to let go of some things...they just weren't that important to us anymore. We had a few yard sales, gave some things away and gave some family items to other family members. We are both comfortable with less now but that doesn't mean we love our things any less...
Good luck...2 people with totally different styles can live in the same house...it takes some work but it can also bring out some interesting ideas that weren't thought of before! |