Decorating and Design: What's Your Man's Perspective?

Would the man in your life make a comparison that undergoing a root canal--even without anesthesia--would be less painful than having to think about paint colors, carpet swatches, sofa fabrics, and window treatments?



Have you been able to push aside his objections like “What’s wrong with the old ones? These keep the light out and our private lives in, what more do we need?" to let them fall on deaf ears?

My husband used to cringe when he would come home to find our table covered with torn-out pages from my “inspiration file”. He’d have that look that said, “Oh boy, this can’t be good!”

A client told me he knew he was in trouble when his then-girlfriend-now-wife said to him, “We have an appointment on Saturday with a designer."

“What?”

He said, “I didn’t even know what window treatments were, so you can be sure I definitely had no thoughts about calling a designer."

One of my funniest memories, though, is with my husband. I was at the workroom one night finishing up a treatment. Ed had stopped by so I asked his opinion, to which he quickly replied, “I think you should put the welting under the jabots but leave it on top over the swag.” It was good advice and I was impressed, but he immediately dropped his head in his hands, elbows on the worktable, and shook his head. I said, “What’s the matter?” and he responded with an exaggerated, “What is happening to me? Not only do I know the words, but I understand them. It’s your fault!” Maybe you had to be there but believe me, it was hysterical! I will forever remember it as one of my funniest moments in business and life.

What about the man in your life? Is he into the process of design and decorating or completely tuned out? I find that with most of my younger couples, the husbands really want to have a say, and although they may not be talking about it to their buddies when watching a game, shhhh, between you and me, I think they really enjoy it.

Another common scenario I see is that guys surprise themselves. They start to get antsy until they see it; they see something they like. That's it. Then they have an opinion and before I know it, they are totally involved, moving fabrics around, being verbal with their choices and preferences. It's almost like when a child suddenly realizes he can ride a bike on his own. Okay, maybe they don't get that excited. But suddenly their silence is a thing of the past and then the real magic happens:

Hey, she agrees with me! The ones I chose are perfect! And while the price did make me do a double-take (or two) and take a couple of deep breaths, I know after seeing the other options, I just had to commit to this choice. I'm convinced, and it’s not just because I'm ready to get it over with. I'm into it; I actually enjoy it.

Okay, maybe a guy doesn't say all that. But I can tell; he's thinking it!

I love it when a once reticent client says to me after a completed project, “I almost hate to admit it, but this really makes a difference. What's the plan for the rest of the house?" Yup, that's right. Suddenly the man of the house is leading the charge to decorate the house.

Ahhhh, how nice…a convert! I love that!