How to Do (Stylish) Unisex Decorating

From movie nights to favourite dinners and household chores, relationships and compromise go hand-in-hand. It goes without saying, then, that decorating your first home together is bound to be a subject that sparks debate between the two of you. But how do you find the middle ground when it comes to your home décor?

Enter our Him + Her colour palette – your solution to decorating dramas that doesn’t scrimp on style. It’s a carefully edited selection of shades that balance traditionally masculine and feminine hues, so you can use them in any combo you (and your other half) fancy. Banish stereotypical man-caves and girly boudoirs and say hello to domestic bliss. 

Choosing a base colour that appeals to both you and your partner can be tricky. You want to find the happy medium between a typically feminine colour (like lavender) and a typically masculine colour (like dark blue). Check out our gender-neutral colour palette ideas for inspiration.

• White and cream – shades such as Absolute White or Fine Cream will make your space feel light and bright.
• Pale blue – this is a popular choice when it comes to creating a gender-neutral home. Consider using shades such as First Frost, Pistachio Whip or Jade White.
• Brown – this is an excellent shade for a gender-neutral living room or bedroom. Choose shades such as Malt Chocolate or Crispy Crumble for an effortlessly stylish look.
• Green – gender-neutral green can be anything from olive hues to pastel shades. Decorate your room in shades like Luscious Lime, Soft Apple or Melon Sorbet for a brilliant splash of colour. 

Contrast is key in any relationship, and this includes when it comes to decorating. Our tip is to mix dark and light schemes throughout your home to make each space feel interesting and different from the last.

For the living room, choose either a light shade (such as pale pink) or a darker shade (such as brown) for your base colour, depending on what look you’d like to create. Keep the neutral theme with furnishings and textiles that match, or choose contrasting colours for sofas, rugs and cushions to add character and a pop of colour. 

Whether you’re going for sultry pinks or cool blues, bold colour-blocking is a sure-fire way to keep your scheme looking contemporary and fresh, thus avoiding falling into man-cave or girly boudoir clichés.

Remember, you don’t just have to colour-block bold colours. You can tone it down by colour-blocking neutral, pastel shades or by using thin strips for just a touch of impact. 

Much like a gender-neutral living room, creating a gender-neutral master bedroom comes down to compromising on a base colour. It’s usually safest to go with shades such as cream, grey, pale blue, or pale green, which don’t lean towards being too masculine or too feminine. When it comes to furniture, try to find a wood you both approve of (this will also require compromise).

Metallic furniture is also a great option for a gender-neutral master bedroom – just make sure that both parties are completely happy with the design.