Couples Share Decorating Stress

By Lynne Edson

Traditionally, women have been responsible for choosing the colors, designs and themes for the home. Remember looking at china patterns? There were so many to choose from, not to mention dealing with the dreaded bridal registry. The stress was just too much. Most of my friends chose bland, simple designs based on fear of making a mistake.

Well, welcome to 2010. My couple-clients make most design decisions as a team and consequently there is a lot less stress, right? Don’t you believe it! While it’s nice to see couples sharing the stress, it’s still stressful. It doesn’t have to be that way. I am here to tell you decorating your domain, especially wall cover & art pieces should be fun. Remember this, there are no completely right or wrong answers. This is the “grey” area we strive for in life. Oh, there are some very basic rules-of-the-game, but believe me….you must trust your gut.

If your home (first or second) is filled with basic “contractor” white walls, don’t despair. In the old days you could go to the local paint store and find out what the latest “trends” are and get a trusty 2” X 2” paint chip. I recommend first, look in your closet and drawers. What colors do you buy to wear? Chances are those are your pallet. Trust yourself.

I spoke with “Mike” from Lindsey’s Paint & Paper this afternoon. Guess what, Moss Green is still big. Remember when it was Avocado & Burnt Orange? (You are old as I am!) Mike mentioned they offer neat little sample jars of paint. From one little jar you can paint a 4’ X 4’ area of the wall and live with the color. It’s best to do this at least 24 hours before you decide, as colors can change a great deal under different lighting situations throughout the day and under artificial light at night. Now this is a great plan, unless you just don’t have any clue. “The record holder for our store used 39 sample jars until she was satisfied.” I wondered how she picked her china pattern.

For wall art, have you seen the new photographs printed on canvas? The Framed Art Superstore in North Conway, NH has been offering them for almost a year now. Mike of Lindsey Paint commented that some of our clients have brought them into his store to assist in their color choice process. Now, that is smart. The color of the image wraps around the sides of the canvas. Consequently, no matting is required, nor frame for that matter. In this senario wall color is VERY important. The color chosen for the wall surrounds the image without a buffer. Essentially, your wall is now acting like matting for the artwork. Now, with the right attitude and a few tips, decorating isn’t a stress; it’s fun! Let’s have a party!