Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

or with dh/dw/so?

we don't make any decorating decisions without consulting each other first, unless it's something one or the other expressed interest in and then we surprise each other with the purchase.

but I don't go out and shop for home stuff without him...and if he sees stuff he has me look at it too.

we are just both very involved in the "look" of our home(s)....though it does get interesting at times we are usually pretty good at finding common ground.

Message edited 6/24/2009 1:06:59 PM.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

Same here. We like to consult with each other Sometimes I wish he wasn't so opinionated about these things, but it is fun to decorate together.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

Unfortunately, our tastes are as opposite as can possibly be, so we definitely need to consult each other before making any decorating purchases. We always are able to reach a compromise, but once in awhile I think there are things that neither one of us are thrilled with.

*sigh* sometimes I miss the days when I had my own apartment and could decorate it my own way to my hearts content

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

We make pretty much all decisions jointly. Sometimes I buy things without consulting my husband but it stays packaged/with receipt until he gets to weigh in!

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

I have more of an eye for decorating then him, but he still wants to go with, or see whatever it is I am buying. He tends to not be able to "envision" the whole picture unless everything is complete. So when I show him pieces, he may be on the fence as to how it will all come together, but he generally trusts me and always loves the finished product.

The only idea he nixed right off the bat, was zebra skin accents in the living room :(

Sooooo basically I do everything, but he likes to think he is helping and has input :LOL:

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

I make them with minimal input from DH... He's very, very traditional and is leary about taking a chance so I have to prod him and tell him to trust me.

For big purchases (furniture, mirrors, paint colors, fixtures, etc) - we're side by side on all the decisions.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

It pizzes me off when my DH gets involved in decorating. But he stil does it. And now all my extra money goes to my kids so I have not gone "home shopping" in months!

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

he would never want to go home furnishing shopping - I have to take of it

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

I've tried it both ways but he ranges from no style sense to bad style sense (in home stuff-in other areas (like ladies and clothing, he is fine) and it makes it worse when I involve him.

I only do it when I have it narrowed down to 1 or 2 items and can't decide. In these instances I'll take his input.


He will often second guess my purchases/picks at first, but once he sees the complete look he gets it. I've heard him say to his mom or friends how impressed he is that I can pull a room together-and trust me, I'm no savant, it's just that he has no clue so when anyone else can do it, he is impressed.

I think it helps that my taste is not too eccentric or traditional so it's not overpowering to him.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

He claims to not care but then he always has an opinion
I ultimately have made the picks - but sometimes humor him with a "what do you think of this?"

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

Posted by SweetCaroline

He claims to not care but then he always has an opinion
I ultimately have made the picks - but sometimes humor him with a "what do you think of this?"

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

Well, things like furniture and paint colors, we did together, although he has less patience for it, so I research then we make the final decision together. For accessories and such, he could care less what I do. Every now and then, he'll see a picture or something he really likes, and I'll always go back and buy it for the house because I want him to have input into our house, too. We have these awesome picture in our livingroom that are kind of pop culture-y that he picked out. At first I hated them, but I snuck back to the gallery and bought them for him anyway, and I'm so glad I did because they're awesome. Then, for our bedroom, he had been talking about a photo of Fenway Park to hang, so for Christmas I went out and found this gorgeous black and white photo of Fenway and he hung it in our bedroom. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a huge Yankee fan, so that's the last of his input for a long time!

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

He is not much into decorating. When we bought our furniture I asked him if he liked it. But little things like pictures and other accessories - that stuff I run by my mom!

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

Posted by CrankyPants

Posted by SweetCaroline

He claims to not care but then he always has an opinion
I ultimately have made the picks - but sometimes humor him with a "what do you think of this?"

That's worse-because if I do that and then DON'T choose his pick, he gets all mad. I find it's better not to ask.

He keeps threatening to bring home things to help "decorate". He thinks he is being fun but I find it scary.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

DH and I have similar tastes so for textiles, accents - or small things I purchase alone. For major decisions like paint colors, lighting fixtures, furniture, we discuss and then purchase.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

I do 100% of all of the decorating. I dont ask his opinion and he doesnt care to give it. He fully trusts me to beautify our home. He has zero interest in it. Now if I sukd at it, he may have an opinion

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

sometimes I make the decisions (with DH retaining 'veto powers') and other times, it's a joint selection.

never do we purchase a major piece of furniture if one person objects to it

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

pretty much alone.
He's a terrible shopper and has little patience.

He had a say in the paint color & couches. As for everything else, he couldn't care less.


He often travels for work & comes home to find a new piece of furniture or area rug.
Luckily, he likes my taste and usually just smiles and says," that looks nice, babe!"

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

We're both involved & this is why we have gotten nothing done!

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

We decorate together, we know each others style, so if I am unsure about something, he'll weigh in on it, and the other way around.

The only thing I nixed immediately is when he wanted to put large movie posters (that he had in his original apartment-he lived alone) of Saving Private Ryan, and other military movies in the den of our new house, because he claimed it was the 'movie room'.

Since then, I've seemed to have 'misplaced' them and honestly could not tell you where they are hidden... I mean stored.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

funny you mentioned this. i am actually in the process of decorating some of the rooms in his house (office and den). he basically just told me what colors he likes, the feel he wants for each room (vintage masculine) and a budget. i am pretty much scouring stores and making the purchases without his assistance. the only decision he did make was the paint selections (aka me showing him swatches and him pointing to the one he liked). he choice navy for the office and hunter green for the den/game/media room.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

It really depends on what and how expensive the purchase is. For the most part we hae similar taste so it is really an issue.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

alone....I like it that way and am a total control freak when it comes to decorating.....DH couldnt care less though so it works.

Re: Decorating Decisions...do you make them alone

furniture and paint colors we decide together but other than that, I just buy what I like. He doesn't have the interest in decorating that I do. He says he likes everything I pick anyway and he hates shopping.