Moving in with someone—whether a partner or a roommate—means merging not just lives but personal styles. Whether you're creating a welcoming space in your shared apartment in Inglewood, CA, blending styles in a new home in Bellevue, WA, or designing a comfortable Dallas,TX retreat together, this moving in together checklist will help bring your vision to life.
Combining different design preferences can be a rewarding process, creating a unique space that reflects both personalities. Here’s expert advice on how to blend styles smoothly, from the initial setup to thoughtful, creative touches that make a home feel balanced and uniquely shared.
When creating a foundation for a moving in together, “Begin with neutral home decor items like a sofa or versatile lighting that both roommates can agree on to establish a cohesive foundation,” suggests Carolyn from Spaze Furniture located in Los Angeles, CA. These pieces, often in calming, neutral colors, provide a starting point, allowing each person to build upon them with more personal items.
Vincent from DateMe Tips, a site with dating advice, books, and blog posts, adds, “Think of it as the canvas where each person’s style can pop through the details, such as bold cushions, quirky art, or a favorite throw.”
April Braswell, a mid-life dating mentor in Newport Beach, CA, adds, “The living room is the most important room to agree upon when starting a home together. Spend time discussing preferences before making large purchases, like a couch or wall color. You might even discover shared tastes, such as a love for bright colors or green, which can guide your decisions.”
To prevent design clashes, it’s also helpful to set a shared design vision early on. Interior X Design recommends creating a “style mood board” together. “This visual approach helps identify common themes and avoid clashes, while ensuring both styles are represented in a balanced, cohesive way,” they explain.
Bulent Ada, a consultant psychologist from Mind Health, suggests taking this one step further. “Make individual boards first and then share them to identify overlaps. This process not only reveals surprising commonalities but also creates a foundation of mutual understanding and respect.”
Once the foundational pieces are in place, the next step in the moving in together checklist is adding personal touches that can make the space feel like home. “Use artwork, throw pillows, and unique décor to infuse personality into the space,” says Carolyn from Spaze Furniture. She encourages mixing styles, explaining that “Pairing vintage and modern decor can make the space feel truly unique.”
Similarly, Lori Mirabelli, a contemporary artist, suggests embracing eclectic elements: “Mix modern and vintage elements, selecting bold art pieces as focal points to unify diverse styles. This method allows each person’s individual pieces to shine, creating a visually interesting space with layered accessories like cushions and throws to add personality and warmth.”
Krayton Davis from home improvement and remodeling magazine, Letsrenovate adds, “Effective communication is key when designing a shared space. Start by identifying common styles, like modern or minimalist, and use a neutral palette as a base to add personal touches through art or shelving. Collaborating on a focal point, like a gallery wall, ensures the space reflects both personalities.”
Blending styles doesn’t mean eliminating differences; in fact, celebrating them can lead to a more interesting, eclectic space. Psychotherapist Nicole Chew-Helbig advises, “Think of your home as a wild Pinterest board where the most interesting spaces come from happy accidents and mismatched styles.” This approach values contrast as an asset rather than something to be smoothed over.
Professional organizer and productivity expert Diane N. Quintana of DNQ Solutions highlights the importance of compromise and finding harmony through individual preferences. “When moving into and decorating a new home, it’s important to take each person’s preferences into account,” she says. “Couples or roommates may decide to use one person’s furniture and the other’s artwork because the colors of the pieces work well together.” This kind of flexibility allows each style to find its place within the overall design.
Giving each person a designated area to personalize can help make shared spaces more enjoyable. “Set clear boundaries within the space so each roommate has their own personal area. This can be as simple as a corner with a favorite chair, bookshelf, or display of cherished items,” suggests Carolyn from Spaze Furniture.
Steven Reigns, an LA-based therapist from Therapy for Adults, adds, “Designate specific areas where each partner has complete creative control, ensuring that each person feels a sense of ownership.”
Frances Bradley from Lello Living, a family business creating prints, gift wrap, and cards, expands on this idea, recommending "zones" within the space that reflect individual personalities but are unified by a common theme. She explains, “If you’re dealing with mismatched furniture, pick a unifying material such as a specific wood type, or swap out the handles on different pieces to bring them together.” This approach allows each person’s unique style to come through while maintaining a cohesive look.
As you’re working through the moving in together checklist, open communication is essential to blend styles successfully. Dr. Kathryn Ziemer of Old Town Psychology in Alexandria, VA stresses the importance of understanding why certain items matter to each person. “Maybe lots of plants calm you, or the scent of candles reminds you of childhood. Discussing the emotional connection to design choices helps to balance each person’s needs while maintaining respect,” says Dr. Ziemer.
Dr. Lanae St. John of The Mamasutra located in Fremont, CA echoes this, noting that, “Blending decorating styles in a shared space works best when it's guided by open communication—just like in relationships.” She suggests beginning with a discussion about each person’s “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” From there, “Each person’s unique style can shine through in select, individual pieces. This approach allows couples or roommates to create a space that feels both personal and connected,” explains Dr. St. John.
Christal Allen, a life and marriage coach in Las Vegas, NV, adds that expectations should be clear and unspoken assumptions avoided. “Have a conversation and be clear about how the space can be used, who pays for what, and any other decisions that need to be made ahead of time. This upfront clarity helps prevent misunderstandings and allows everyone to enjoy the shared space fully,” she advises.
Los Gatos, CA-based Dr. Thomas Lucking of Therapy Inmotion also emphasizes the need for structured conversations, particularly for “complex or emotionally charged issues.” In his words, “The more challenging the topic, the more structured the conversation should be, ensuring that all parties are heard and have space to share their perspectives.” This approach fosters mutual respect and a shared sense of ownership over the living space.
Ultimately, a shared space should feel like a sanctuary. Heinz Waelchli from Plentiful, an online well-being resource based in San Francisco, CA, suggests taking time to understand each person’s needs for a calm, stress-free environment when following the moving in together checklist. “If you meditate regularly, prioritizing a quiet area with dim lighting and a sound machine might be key. Small accommodations like this can make a world of difference when it comes to feeling at home,” he explains.
Sheryl Novak from Vallarta Mirror encourages couples and roommates to see their shared space as a curated collection of personal stories. “Blending styles in a shared space is less about compromising and more about curating a home that reflects both personalities, and where each piece tells a story, and together, they create a harmony that feels uniquely theirs.”
Before diving into furniture shopping, it's essential to begin with a discussion around style and goals. As Mia Hannon, an interior designer and organizing specialist from In Form Design, suggests, “Before picking out a single piece of furniture, take a moment to sit down and share your goals, priorities, and visions for your space. This is an opportunity to understand each other’s non-negotiables and explore any strong feelings about specific styles, colors, or items.”
Creating a joint inspiration board is a great way to visually explore and discover common ground—such as images of interiors, colors, and furniture pieces that both people like. Methuselah Marava from Lokonida also emphasizes this. “Decide together what you want to achieve with the space early on. A shared goal allows for easier compromise when ideas differ on achieving a certain look and feel.”
Merging contrasting styles can create a layered, personalized look. Seattle, WA–based interior designer Mia Hannon advises, “As you’re working through the moving in together checklist and your styles are not perfectly aligned, don’t despair. Some of the most beautiful designs are born from combining two opposing styles.” She suggests using a 70/30 approach—letting one style take the lead and the other complement it with accents. “Identifying an anchor piece, like a sofa, can help ground the main style, while accent items such as chairs or décor can highlight the secondary style. Unifying elements, like a color or pattern, add harmony.”
When selecting colors, Mia Hannon also advises couples to consider three elements: a grounding neutral, a dominant color, and a contrasting accent, applying the 60-30-10 rule for balance. She explains, “Pick a few colors from a piece of art, a colorful fabric, or a vibrant rug you both love, and apply them in varying amounts for a polished look. Starting from shared inspirations not only adds color with confidence but also creates a harmonious style that feels personal yet balanced.”
Creating a home together is about blending styles, fostering communication, and building a space that honors both personalities. By following this moving-in-together checklist—from starting with a style conversation to blending colors with confidence—couples and roommates can craft a space that feels personal and harmonious. With thoughtful touches and mutual respect, a shared home becomes a unique reflection of both lives, turning the experience of moving in together into a rewarding and memorable journey.
Freda is a skilled Content Marketer at Redfin, driven by her passion for storytelling, writing, and crafting engaging content that resonates with audiences. Based in Seattle, she enjoys exploring the city’s restaurant scene, spending quality time with friends, and unwinding with movies, TV shows, and her cherished Smiski figurines. Freda dreams of a home that blends the timeless elegance of midcentury modern with the simplicity of Japandi design.