At last/ My love has come along… or so sings Etta James on the record player as I waft around paint swatches in the direction of my other half. You see, I live with an artist whose etchings pay homage to industrial buildings in varied tones of black and grey. And when he’s not printing Whitstable’s ‘cathedral’ (the Asphalt plant…) then he’s leaning in to a painstakingly detailed drawing of sea life. In graphite.
Colour, dear reader, is not so abundant over here in our patch of Oxford. Well, not yet…
His crisp, meticulous art works speak to the rest of his home: a 30s house, sensitively restored with white walls, plenty of plants and mid century pieces. There’s a clean calmness to the place that’s inescapably restful. I remember soft sandalwood smells, unfussy candles and good whisky from my first few visits. And I appreciate him, his eye and his whisky deeply.
Now that I’ve moved in we’re contemplating what our joint aesthetic might be. Where do we overlap? What are our must haves and no gos? I’m after more colour, pattern and a few softer fabrics. He’s driven by things that have a more architectural, modernist sensibility.
So how do we find a happy medium at home?
Don’t try and second guess each other. Yes, you might know them like the back of your hand but if you’re sharing an idea you think they’ll like too you’re already starting from a compromised place. Share what you love
Argos top 3. When we were little, my sister and I used to spend ours pouring over the Argos catalogue and we got triumphantly good at being able to pick out each other’s top three from the page of rings or 90s plastic. Obviously your equivalent might be a run of sofas but see if you can start to understand each other’s tastes more keenly by playing top 3
If you’re hunting for a piece of furniture decide where from, agree on your filters then, independent of each other, choose 10 pieces you like and see where your overlap lies. Let’s hope you have some overlap, eh…
When it gets heated, use head led stuff to manage your decision making.
Where does this sit within our budget? Where would the pattern repeat on that fabric? Practically, how would that actually work?
Get samples
Remind yourselves that this is an opportunity to discover a shared voice that plays out in 3D. That’s cool
And finally,
One of the hardest things about designing and decorating in a partnership is being able to describe the thing you are imagining accurately. If you possibly can, find an image instead. I know it’s a cliche but a picture paints a thousand words and it can save you precious time and energy
So, wish me luck and I’ll share the fruits of our aesthetic labour with you soon.
Over and out,
S
psst! Need someone who’s one step removed to get you moving on your project? Find out more about our design consultancy here. I am endlessly fascinated by working with people on their homes. Drop me a message if you would like a fuss free chat about what it’s like to work together.