The Biggest Interior Design Deal Breakers

Mattress Online surveyed the UK public to uncover the biggest interior design deal breakers. We found 60% admit they’ve waged war when redecorating – but what are we fighting about? Plus, we reveal how far we would really go to avoid living with someone else’s ugly furniture.

• 70% would rather give their partner a room of their own to avoid confrontation
• 80% of men admit they leave their other half in charge of interiors
• 70% secretly want to throw away their partner's ugly décor
• 40% would be put off moving in with someone until they removed a bad interior design feature
• But men and women agree on something – over 40% hate the fake plant trend

The four stages of interior design acceptance

Our survey exposed some shocking results about our relationships. We’ve reimagined our findings to show you the four stages of moving in with your roomie when you’re tangled up in interiors. Are you familiar with any of them?

So, what causes these steps towards interior design acceptance? Read on to explore the research behind our home décor differences.

70% would consider sacrificing a room in their home to let their partner choose their own decorating style

Astonishingly, a huge 70% agreed they’d think about giving up an entire room so their other half could pick their own interior design – and not interfere with the rest of the home. Are you guilty of giving your partner a walk-in wardrobe or a man cave so you can decorate everywhere else to your own tastes?

1/3 would throw away someone else’s embarrassing home décor

No matter if it’s our spouse’s family heirloom or a roommate’s precious piece of art, 1/3 of us would put someone else’s interior decorations in the bin if we found them embarrassing.

Even more have considered it, with a massive 70% in total admitting they’ve thought about chucking away humiliating home design choices. Luckily, not everything is going straight to the rubbish dump.

Over half would consider hiding furniture if they didn’t like it

Both men and women say they’re guilty of hiding away furniture they don’t like. 56% of respondents said they would contemplate concealing someone else’s unattractive furniture – for example, in the spare room – so it’s out of sight, out of mind.

40% would consider putting off moving in with someone until they removed an ugly interior design feature

It seems that love isn’t blind after all. Nearly 40% said they might steer clear of cohabiting until any ugly ornaments or furniture were removed. What’s more, women are twice as likely to reject their roomie’s offer of moving in if they dislike their home décor.

But once you do move in together, will interior design even matter? It appears to be ladies’ choice for most households.

56% of women are completely in charge of decorating the home

When asked how involved they are with interior design, a huge 56% of women said they take total control, compared to only 20% of men.

And as women are happy to stay in command of the home décor, men are keeping away from furniture catalogues. Men are five times more likely than women to completely stay out of interior design planning.

For those who do want to get involved with interiors, watch out – women are twice as likely than men to argue ‘all the time’ about how their home looks. But what’s the reason for the rowing?

Accessories are the most common cause of arguments

Surprisingly, it’s the little things which are the main cause of quarrels. More than 1/3 revealed they argue over accessories the most.

Paint colour and furniture tied in second place, with 20% confessing these interior features had caused serious ructions with their roomie.

Over 25% of men say no to glam while 40% of women can’t stand sports memorabilia

Chandeliers and mirrored furniture lose their sparkle as more than 25% of men say glam furniture is their most hated interior feature in the bedroom.

Following closely in second place is lots of pillows, as 19% say they dislike battling with a big stack of bedding at night. 15% of men also loathe patterned wallpaper, so kiss goodbye to your Damask feature wall if you want a romantic night in.

As for those dusty trophies, framed autographs and that ancient football shirt hanging on the wall – these strike out with most women. Almost 40% say sports souvenirs are their biggest turn off in the bedroom.

While memorabilia from the big game is unlikely to score any points with women, if you’re an entertainment fan, you’re in luck. Only 5% of women said they hated film, music or game posters most, meaning that Avengers artwork can stay up a little longer.

20% of men say gaming equipment pushes their buttons

What we found most surprising is that men are now turning the video gamer stereotype on its head. No longer are living rooms crowded with consoles and pool tables, as 20% of men said gaming equipment is their biggest no-no in the living room.

But men and women do agree on something – over 40% hate the fake plant trend

When it comes to decorating, it seems men aren’t always from Mars and women from Venus. Both agree that the faux foliage trend is one that has to go. 49% of men and 36% of women said fake plants or fruit is their most hated interior feature.

60% have fought over interiors – but experts agree it’s healthy to argue in a relationship

Relationship experts say arguing with your partner can be a good thing. It’s thought that couples who never argue are more likely to be unhappy, as they could be keeping their true feelings bottled up.

Though experts do say couples who argue together, stay together, so the occasional fight over furniture shouldn’t matter that much. You can avoid the extra stress by meeting halfway.

10 tips on how to compromise when interior design choices clash

1. Keep important pieces you really love, throw away the ones you don’t
2. Decide who will use the space the most
3. Fuse styles together when you can
4. Think rationally – are you just trying to get your own way?
5. Seek advice from a professional interior designer if you can’t agree
6. Create inspiration boards to show the look you want
7. Show appreciation
8. Don’t be resentful, instead be honest about how you feel
9. Be open to change
10. Communicate everything

Don’t let a furniture fallout hurt your relationship. Think about how you can co-operate with your roommate – or just hide things in the spare room instead!

Compromising isn’t just important for interiors. Whether you’ve found yourself arguing about bad bedtime habits or how to split those tedious cleaning chores, check out the rest of the Mattress Online blog for more articles on relationships and family life.