Hello! Sorry my blog went silent at the end of last week- I decorated a model home for work and it was just craziness (plus working 12+ hour days). If you want to see some sneak peeks, follow along on Instagram. A few weeks ago, I shared you my plans on spicing up my hall and was so excited about it! I did all of my research and THEN showed it to my husband. Major fail, because he was not on board with the wallpaper idea. Usually I am much better about this! I have some exciting news plus some tips on how to get on the same page with your husband about decor.
First up, the big news- we are DEBT FREE!!! (besides our mortgage)! I wrote this post awhile ago about how we paid off $40,000 in debt. We still had $2000 to go, but it was slow because I got some big bills. Side note, no one ever told me that it could take almost a year for the hospital to finish billing me from the birth of my baby. Also, small tip with medical bills- if you call and ask for a discount they may give it to you. They gave me 10% off if I paid the bill all at once. Anyway, I threw a party for my husband and I where I taped up all of the thermometers that I used as we paid off each debt, bought us a nice dinner, got balloons, and we paid off the very last of the student loan. It felt SO good!!!
It took us about 3 years to pay off $42,000 in debt. My husband had two job losses and we had a baby which slowed things down a bit. I thought it would take 2 years, but I am beyond happy that we rolled up our sleeves and got it done! One of the best “side effects” of being debt free is that my husband are on the same page about money. We talk to each other about big purchases and have the same frame of mind that we want to have a big life without a lot of “things” weighing us down. After our debt free party we sat down and talked about our next big goals and it was the best to dream together! There are big things coming for our little family :)!
All of that being said, sometimes I just want to do my own thing when it comes to home decor! Haha, but my husband cares so I have to include him. It is his house too. So here are my top tips for How to Get on the Same Page about Decor as your Husband:
Talk it Out
Before your start a project, sit down with your husband and talk about why you want to do something. With our hall I should have told him how it felt like a cave and that white would have brightened it. Plus, adding the wallpaper would be a fun way to add character. Here is where he would mention that he hates wallpaper and that birch trees are girly to him. Then you can work through any disagreements so he doesn’t come home to a big surprise that he hates and you have put a lot of work into.
Have Photos to Illustrate your Point
Pinterest is your best friend! Having a photo can really clear up any discrepancies you might have. Photos paint a picture much better than words and he can see where you are going. That way you both are communicating about the same thing and can better work together.
Show him how he will Benefit
When you are improving your home, you are improving your life. Show him how you think this will make things better for everyone. I want to add a desk to our living room. Right now all of our office stuff is in half of the baby’s closet and it is a pain when you want to work on something, but the baby is sleeping. We have big empty space in our living room and I could tell my husband it will be a place where he can do school work and all of his supplies will be in one place. How can he say no?!
Ask for his Tips and Ideas
Your husband is smart! That’s why you married him! Ask him what he thinks and how your project can be better. I really believe that when more than one person works on a project, it can be bigger and more thought out- two heads are better than one! With my craft closet organization project, he really helped elevate it with coming up with the idea of the wrapping paper holder. Plus, it was so fun to talk about different options and come up with something together!
Finish up with the Budget and Timeline
Now that you are on the same page, you can talk about how much it will cost and when you can make that happen on your budget. Painting the hallway with paint we already have on hand? Go for it! Buying a $1000 desk? Might take a few months.
So although it is more work to get on the same page as your husband, and he might not let everything be pink, it is worth it! That way you are building something together! And it might be better and bigger than you could have made it on your own!
All of that being said, here is how the hall is progressing:
I started by painting the top half white because I was going to wallpaper the bottom half. When my husband veto’d that, we decided that painting the whole thing white would look awesome! It really feels more open and our art really “pops” against the contrasting background.
We both love this photo and are working towards making it a reality.
[…] related: Our debt free party! […]