His and Her Remodeling

From Anna on November 21st, 2008 in General Remodel

Each household has their own marital arrangement and rules, whether spoken or unspoken. How does that fit into remodeling projects? Have you ever encountered the concept of “his” and “her” remodeling?

Like most couples, you and your partner probably don’t agree on everything. Those disagreements inevitably tend to be more often and intensified with the stresses of renovation projects. Do each of you have areas of your home that you tend to claim more as your domain? Thinking back to our own remodeling project, there were definitely decisions my husband and I gravitated toward dominating.

The master bedroom, the kitchen, and color schemes were all in my court. Now that I think back upon it, my husband really left most of the decisions up to me. The poor guy doesn’t have the luxury of a garage, office, or shop to escape to, so there really aren’t a whole lot of areas for him to claim.

You can probably say our family is more traditional, but not everyone is the same. Some men are quite passionate about their space, whether it is the kitchen or their garage retreat. Depending on how each of you likes to spend your time, different areas of the house will naturally be more important to you. To get the most out of your remodel, I think it is important to acknowledge and embrace this concept. Accept that different things are important to each of you, and allow the other to have what is really important to them.

If he wants the surround sound and the plasma over the hearth, and she wants the Jacuzzi and a fireplace in the master bath, then I say go for it! Your home should be as comfortable and happy as possible; whatever it takes to make it that way.