When I teach a young couple about living as a Christian family, I touch every other topic ranging from sex, to money to even housing. As newlyweds, the two have to combine their stuff, start from scratch, or a little of both when it comes to decorating their new home. Either way, they have to create a space that represents both their tastes.

A new home for the newly weds symbolizes a new a beginning, and therefore very important. 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. Looking at the savings and how much they have to spend on necessities each month to figure out how much is left over. Then, discuss how much of that chunk of change the two are willing to invest in decorating.

The next step is taking an inventory of the house, room by room if it is a house they have been occupying before the marriage, to determine where to allocate the money in their budget. For example, if the bathroom is falling apart but the garage is salvageable, one of them may want to put more funds toward improving the bathroom.

They will also have to discuss – and perhaps negotiate – the priorities.

For instance, the man might want to spend more on his home office, whereas the lady would like to invest in the kitchen. Two of them are advised to be practical and think about what they can put off doing for a bit if they run into these kinds of disagreements.

Painting the house
One of the cheapest and most dramatic ways to change the look of a home is with paint. Visiting the local paint dealers and choosing the color palettes can give the couple an idea if they could not agree on a color.

As a result the two might be able to come up with coordinating colors on which both agree and paint some rooms one of those colors and some rooms the other.

Or one might decide to paint the office a color he likes and then compromise on common areas like the bedroom, the kitchen and the bathroom.

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.

Organizing the house
This might seem obvious, but organizing space can make a big difference in how people see it. Organizing doesn’t mean running a dust rag over the furniture and vacuuming the floor.

The newly weds should take stock of the things they have accumulated from before and after the wedding and keep only the stuff they really need. They should make sure that there is a space for everything and everything in its space.
They should also consider organizing their home a cleansing of the soul, a way to make room for this new part of their life: marriage. Organizing the entire house so that it looks neat is very important.

This exercise should be done by both man and woman just so that each can throw in an idea and in the long run, each one will be happy because they will have combined efforts and blended in the way they want their house to be decorated.

Furniture and Accessories
Depending with the budget, furniture has to be chosen wisely.  Just because the budget can’t afford new furniture at this time doesn’t mean you can’t make your house beautiful with accessories.

Investing in smaller items that pack a punch can make old things look new again. For example, colorful throw pillows can brighten and old white couch. A few picture frames with images from the wedding and honeymoon can cozy up an old end table.

A rack for the pots and pans can bring visual interest and additional storage space to the kitchen. Candles and dried flowers in the bathroom make everything look more glamorous and romantic.

To my newly wedded friends Lewis and Teddy you are not an exception, two heads are better than one.

Discuss every thing and bring your ideas together and make it a reality, then there will be less blaming as far as decorating the house is concerned because each will feel the very part of the house.

Ends