A long time ago, I had dated a great guy who got down on one knee and popped the big question. “Will you marry me?” he asked. I never could take my eyes off him—his big baby blues. In a hypnotic-like state, I said, “Yes.” He wrapped up the proposal with, “Your ring is on layaway.” And that was it; the event, which was supposed to be one of the most memorable times of my life, was over. Unfortunately, later in the week when my friends and family asked to see the ring, I had to drive them to the mall.
Later that month,for an engagement present, my fiancé surprised me with a pair of peach-faced lovebirds. Instead of a diamond ring, my true love gave me parrots. They were cute, but not the kind of accessory I had envisioned in our apartment. We needed important stuff like furniture, pillows, throw rugs, candles, and lights—maybe even my ring—but not birds. Later that year, we flew the coop and went our separate ways.
BUILDING YOUR NEST TOGETHER
Playing house and filling it with stuff can be daunting if you have to choose a color scheme, furniture and accessories from scratch. It can be especially daunting if you’re decorating for two and you’re both at a loss for how to pull off a certain look or style. That’s why it is always a good idea to consult a trusted professional designer, one who can help guide you from room to room, from start to finish.
Design experts say couples should be mindful of their budget and have some kind of plan in mind for the things they already own. They say communication and a little compromise on both sides is necessary to get the job done and that finding common ground is important for couples who are able to agree to disagree.
YOUR HOME IS NOT A BATTLEFIELD
Award-winning decorator Anita Yoder of Heritage Design Interiors Inc., New Holland, says she sometimes has to act as a referee for couples who have different decorating styles. “If they have similar tastes and are willing to compromise, I try to blend the two together,” she says. “If their tastes are totally different, I separate them into individual rooms.” Generally, "couples bring a variety of furniture, furnishings and ideas to their new place together," she says. "If there is a major difference in decorating styles, it is better to dedicate a style to an area rather than to mix them."
For example, if your guy collects nautical conversation pieces — classic ship models, telescopes, and the like — he will want to display his collection somewhere in the home. Even if it’s not your style, show some interest and then quickly find an appropriate place for it. That way you’ll be off the hook to put his fish stuff with your stuff, or with the Olde English country look (or any other contrasting style) that you’ve selected for your home. His nautical look will be contained in an area where it belongs and is better appreciated.
“You can have fun by being eclectic and blending décors,” says Anita. “It really just depends on the two styles.” Styles like Victorian and contemporary, Anita says, are very difficult to blend in the same home. In this situation, Anita recommends using Victorian in the living and dining rooms and contemporary in the kitchen and family room.
MAKE ROOM FOR HUNTING CAMP
After remodeling their kitchen in 1995, Teresa and Mark Hoffman of Fleetwood were ready to upgrade to an open-concept layout in their living room and dining room. The couple always envisioned the space as warm and inviting, but didn’t always agree on how to achieve it.
For instance, they talked about removing the wall that separated their kitchen and dining room: their first disagreement. “I did not want to remove that wall, but Mark insisted and I am now glad he did,” says Teresa, who loves the open space, but feels she lost a good wall for hanging family photographs.
Mark also wanted to keep his hunting trophies on display in the room. “In spite of my protests, they were going to stay,” says Teresa, who compromised by making room for her husband’s prized eight-point buck mount. All other trophies were relegated to his woodworking shop, where he spends most of his free time turning specialty woods, antlers and stones into collector pens and bowls for sale on his website at personalturnings.com.
Mark’s last request was absolutely no red carpet. “I really wanted red carpet,” Theresa shares. “We argued about these things, sometimes passionately, but it was only fair to let him have some say since I was going to choose everything else.”
For decorating advice, Teresa hired a designer for a one-hour home consultation. “She helped me see my space with a different perspective,” Teresa says. A watercolor painted in Italy by local artist Debbie Moore inspired a color theme. “I realized how much I loved it and how it worked with the kitchen cabinet color already in place,” says Teresa, who, because of the art piece, chose a Tuscan color palette comprised of toasty yellow, rusty brick red and sage green for the room.
NEED HELP DECORATING? CONSIDER:Heritage Design Interiors Inc.1064 E. Main St., New Holland717.354.2233heritagedesigninteriors.com
Pillows and draperies, in the same color range, were used as accent pieces. A strong-colored blue throw helped tie in Teresa’s favorite primitive blue cupboard. A love seat and recliner made of dark brown leather, in addition to a tapestry sofa, added earthy elegance and provided the room with an abundance of comfortable seating for large family gatherings.
A mantel decorated with elk antlers above a wood-pellet coal stove in the dining room area gives the room the look and feel of a hunting cabin without compromising Teresa’s rich Italian heritage and love of large family gatherings. A tile floor in the dining room and a mosaic entranceway—both accented with small river rocks—support both themes and pull it all together. The tile work was laid and designed by Teresa, who learned the craft from her father, the late Umberto Tucci. The Hoffmans’ home, purchased in 1983, is also shared by daughter Janelle, when she is not away at Drew University studying political science, and son Mason, who is still in high school. There’s also Lucy, or “Lulu,” a rescue dog adopted by the family.
Marcia Weidner-Sutphen | photos by John Secoges
