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The best thing about living with your partner is, well, you get to live with your partner. But what's the worst part? Decorative styles need to be meshed.
Most of the time, I always love my boyfriend's minimalist sense of style. From an attire standpoint, he is a sharp and classy dresser. And from a home decor standpoint, I knew he wasn't the type to beg me for a man cave. Plus, his clothes are so well-chosen that he instantly provided an extra closet in our space for extra storage for our always-overflowing maximalist wardrobe. Talk about a win!
We never argued over closet space, but we did clash several times when deciding on the overall aesthetic of the apartment. What do you expect when you combine a minimalist boy and a maximalist girl? Fortunately, our strong communication skills (and great relationship flexibility) have made us both excited. We were able to compromise on purchasing home decor. The resulting choices helped transform an empty two-bedroom into a home that strikes the perfect balance between bold and conservative style.
When we started shopping for home decor and trying to make the space our own, our great neutralizer was the color palette. I'm inspired by bright, vibrant colors, while my partner prefers the classic black, white, and gray combination. In the end, we settled on a classy neutral color scheme of tan, brown, and gold. We added some fun pops here and there and some playful textures to give these muted tones a little more edge.
And that was just the beginning of a series of successful compromises. He's been living with us for a month now and we've almost finished putting the finishing touches on our space. I truly believe that by combining each other's styles, we were able to make the apartment look even better than if we had stuck to just one of our individual tastes. . Check out below for shopping for minimalist and maximalist-approved interiors.
One large piece of art instead of a gallery wall
I've always been an art lover, and several apartments I've lived in recently had huge gallery walls. However, my boyfriend prefers one small print or poster to a huge collection of frames. Unfortunately for him, our 9-foot-long sofa needed a little more headroom.
Our compromise was just one piece of art, but it was big. I was worried this would cost a ton of money, but I found Anthropologie's incredible Tapestry option and it worked out just fine. We settled on a 5' x 8' printed paper tapestry that perfectly matched the colors of our living room. It also came with classy wood accents and hanging hardware, and cost just under $200.
The piece is as large as a large gallery wall at 40 square feet, but far less distracting. Still, it will draw compliments from everyone who walks in and give your living room a calming atmosphere.
Buy: Anthropologie April Sky Tapestry, $198
Decrease decorative objects, but cherish them
I don't know a maximalist on this planet who doesn't love accessories. I want to get as many small animals as I can, and they're all lined up on a nearby shelf or side table. And as you can probably imagine, my boyfriend doesn't want it at all.
Imagine my surprise when I showed him Jonathan Adler's stunning collection of acrylic animals. He jumped at the chance to get it. I couldn't believe my luck! The lesson I learned here is that narrowing down your decoration choices is fine as long as you make what you get worthwhile.
Our gummy gorilla (as we affectionately call him) is a spendthrift, but he's a playful statement maker perfect for a neutral living room, and I buy him over a dozen trinkets every day. I want to take you there. If my minimalist boyfriend has taught me anything, it's that quality over quantity rings true in the form of acrylic statues that hit the right light.
Purchase: Jonathan Adler Acrylic Gorilla Object, $895
metallic shiny neutral wallpaper
Our apartment has an open floor plan, so I immediately knew I wanted to wallpaper the corner of the dining room to separate it from the living room. After suggesting a few peel and stick options, I was shocked to find they agreed on Target's gold crosshatch iteration.
The metallic sheen felt very maximalist to me, but in the end, my boyfriend preferred it to a larger pattern with a less metallic feel. “More patterns feel like less,” he says of crosshatch designs, and he's right. It blurs into the background of your dining room table and vintage chairs, helping to make this little corner of your apartment feel like your own special room. Besides, continuing to do that is a kind of “bonding experience” of living together, right?
Buy: Threshold Metallic Crosshatch Wallpaper, $34
spacious coffee table book storage
Let me start by saying that maximalism can sometimes lead to clutter. I had an insane amount of books on my coffee table, which took up so much space in my last apartment that the table was basically useless. From the beginning, my partner warned me that he wanted the coffee table to be usable as is, which was a reasonable request and I couldn't refuse him.
So I decided to find a better way to store coffee table books. He visited one of his favorite thrift stores in New York City, Housing Works, and found the ultimate solution. A large wicker basket that fits perfectly under vintage books. Gold and glass table.
Instead of stacking books on the table, I was able to stack them under the comfort of a basket. Thanks to the glass top of the table, you can view and enjoy your books, but it does not take up space when placing sweets or lighting candles. We call it controlled chaos. I sometimes leave a book out for aesthetic reasons, but even I admit that the option of storing it under the table is easier in the long run.
Buy: StorageWorks Jumbo Wicker Basket, $42.99
XL bed with crisp white bedding
Before we discuss decor, there's one thing our minimalist/maximalist dynamic completely agrees on. That meant I wanted a huge, comfy bed with hotel-style bedding (aka the fluffier and whiter the better!). I believe that to truly appreciate maximalist taste, you need contrast. So a simple, clean bedroom is perfect to complement the funky accents in your living room or dining area. Plus, what could be more maximalist than sleeping on a cloud?
The most innovative item in our home is our Earthfoam mattress, which is made from natural rubber, organic wool, and soft organic cotton. We decided to go big with the California King (a pretty maximalist choice for a 5'1'' tall girl like me, but totally realistic for my 6'4'' tall boyfriend) This is a great choice). I slept better than ever in my life. Whether you're a minimalist or a maximalist, you need to invest in a mattress.
I set up my bed on a simple bed frame from Amazon with a purple and West Elm European flax linen duvet (includes two inserts to increase fluff, thanks to a hot tip from a West Elm salesperson) and a parachute. I have added my favorite pillow from Organic Cloud. A cotton quilt on top.
Buy: Lucid California King Bed Frame, $319