Decorating one room to suit the tastes of two completely different people can be a difficult thing to do.  Most couples fight over colors and patterns until they aren’t sure they want to be a couple anymore, and some couples just end up with one person giving up and letting the other take over.  

There really isn’t any reason to be unhappy about choosing décor for two.  I have found that the best solution for my family, is to let one person choose the colors, while the other chooses the patterns and finishes.  My bedroom for example is muted sage/ olive green color, with rust and beige accents.  These were certainly not my first choice of colors.  What I did with these colors however was my choice.  I found a wonderful flower pattern in the rust and beige color to cover the walls in a section of the room, and to use as window toppers.  Curtain panels are in a beige plaid that both of us liked, and the wall is the deep masculine green color I mentioned.  I change out bed linens seasonally between these colors and we are both very comfortable in the room.  

If you are having this dilemma, I strongly suggest that you make a compromise of this type.  If one person chooses the colors, and the other the items, it will be hard for either person to be unhappy in the room.  

A good example of an item that would suit one person’s colors and another persons tastes could be this Georgia Round Swarovski Wall Mirror.  This porthole style wall art mirror is in a deep navy blue color with black accents that would certainly suit any man’s sensibilities.  It is however, embedded with 250 crystals, transforming it into a lavish piece to add to any woman’s collection.

• November 2007