Union of modern and traditional
Don’t fight over furniture — create a new living space both will love
Q I’m getting married this fall to a wonderful man. This is a second marriage for us both and our children are grown and living on their own. All good so far — except when it comes to trying to figure out how to combine two households of furniture. In the name of fresh starts, we decided to sell our respective homes and purchase a new house together. That’s the easy part. Now comes the heavy lifting. He has a rather formal, traditional home, whereas my condo has a more modern esthetic. I’m already starting to feel a little pushback when we’re discussing our new decor, and I’m wondering if you have any advice or ideas. A Like you, I have in the past been a participant in the delicate dance of combining households. And though at the time it seems like it might be easier to maintain separate households than to merge into one, take it from someone who made it to the other side: it’s worth it. If you do this correctly, you and your fiancé will look at your new home with great admiration at what you’ve created together and not with regret at what you donated to charity. Take a look at my inspiration photo designed by Ty Larkins Interiors (tylarkins.com). My suggestion for a happy compromise is an interior with a transitional decor. Neither traditional nor contemporary, it combines elements of both. Transitional interiors are classic and timeless, balancing the curves of traditional furniture with the straight lines of contemporary, resulting in an interior that reads neither masculine or feminine. Keeping an open mind, take a good look at my inspiration room. The roll-arm sofa in the photo leaves behind a chintz-- covered lineage when upholstered in a solid neutral fabric and placed between mismatched end tables holding classic table lamps. The straight lines on the arms of the velvet chairs carry through the same clean lines of the Lucite cocktail table, while the large abstract painting above the sofa provides the perfect balance. The details of the mouldings, doors and panelled walls may be more formal than the look you’re after, but envision every item in the photo in a room void of architectural details. The room will still be as sophisticated and perhaps even more transitional in feel. The key to achieving this new look will be to use a bit from Col- umn A and a bit from Column B, i.e. your house, his house. Study your fiancé’s furniture as well as your own to see if you can curate transitional rooms that appeal to you both, and remember to consider every piece for every new room. Chairs that reside in your fiancé’s living room may look completely different reupholstered for your new bedroom. Your modern sofa could take on an entirely fresh look with his Chippendale side tables. You get the idea. It’s important for you both to have an allotted number of nonnegotiable selections. It’s only normal to have items that hold great sentimental ( or financial) value that neither of you will want to part with. But just because you get to keep them doesn’t mean they get pride of placement. Work some of these keepers into a spare bedroom or study. And, most important, try not to keep a running tab of how many of your pieces make the cut versus how many of his. The end goal is to create beautiful rooms that you both enjoy and not to win a design challenge. I bet you will both be amazed once you move into your new home how much you like the other person’s furnishings. And remember, you can always go out and choose new pieces together — not everything has to come from your current inventory.