Getting started and avoiding arguments about things such as which color to paint the living room are the most difficult parts of decorating for couples. The first challenge – not to mention possible argument – is determining the budget. Look at your savings and how much you have to spend on necessities each month (from groceries to the mortgage) to figure out how much is left over. Then, discuss how much of that chunk of change the two of you are willing to invest in decorating.
The next step is taking an inventory of the house, room by room, to determine where to allocate the money in your budget. For example, if your bathroom is falling apart but the basement is salvageable, you’ll want to put more funds toward improving the bathroom. You’ll also have to discuss – and perhaps negotiate – your priorities. For instance, your husband might want to spend more on a game room, whereas you would like to invest in the kitchen. Be practical and think about what you can put off doing for a bit if you run into these kinds of disagreements.
You can spend little money, and use a bit of creativity and elbow grease, to pull off a look that works for both of you. Here’s how to get started:
Clean house.
This might seem obvious, but cleaning up your space can make a big difference in how you see it. Cleaning doesn’t mean running a dust rag over the furniture and vacuuming the floor. You should take stock of the things you have accumulated from before and after the wedding and keep only the stuff you really need. Make sure there is a space for everything and everything in its space.
Consider this clean up a cleansing of the soul, a way to make room for this new part of your life: marriage. Cleaning out closets and drawers if you and your husband or wife are moving into an apartment or house that you previously lived in alone is a particularly nice gesture. It shows the other person that you’re willing to make room for him or her. Besides, organization, which doesn’t cost you anything more than time, can make you see your apartment or house in a whole different light.
Paint your home pretty.
One of the cheapest and most dramatic ways to change the look of your home is with paint. Large home supply stores, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, offer interior and exterior paints in a variety of colors at affordable prices. You can check out colors online before you even get to the store. Even if you can’t agree on a color, you might be able to come up with coordinating colors on which you both agree and paint some rooms one of those colors and some rooms the other. Or you might decide to paint your office a color you like and the game room a color your husband likes and then compromise on common areas.
Paint isn’t just for the walls. Using paint to spruce up old cabinets in the kitchen, furniture, doors, or even floors is a cheap way to get a completely different look. And there’s something about a fresh coat of paint that makes everything seem newer and nicer.
