Tanja H. Ellis: When Sharing Living Space, Home Decoration is Tricky

PHILADELPHIA, PA, December 18, 2012 (Press-News.org) A San Francisco Chronicle article offers up help in an area where most roommates seem to need it most: decorating their homes. Interior designer Tanja H. Ellis is certainly no stranger to the design challenges posed by oppositional viewpoints. Yet there is home in the form of open-minded compromise.

Indeed, fabulous design is often the product of a collaborative design process. This is good news for the many Americans who live with roommates well into their 40s.

The article shared statistics compiled by Pew Research which reports the rates of co-habitation among the 30 to 44-year-old demographic has more than doubled over the past decade and a half. Indeed, a tough economic climate and an increasing cost of living have made living with a roommate necessary for many to make ends meet. There is certainly something to be said for the benefits of combined resources. Yet challenges can present themselves when personal tastes collide.

So just how can couples and roommates see eye-to-eye on design? Get comfortable with mixing styles, suggests the article. Furthermore, implement a style scale to determine what stays and what goes. When both individuals are not in love with a piece, it is easy to donate it or sock it away in storage.

Tanja H. Ellis suggests roommates employ the same techniques to determine how they imagine the feel of the space. "Some people enjoy an eclectic style, while others prefer a minimalist view. A roommate who prefers sparse furnishings is more likely to agree with a more robust decorating style when the elements incorporated are in line with other tastes. A traveler, for instance, is likely to enjoy filling spaces with global art as opposed to shabby chic furnishings."

The article offers other tips in the form of timeless continuity. Instead of investing in pieces reflective of trends, brightly upholstered furniture for instance, bring those colors into the home in the form of inexpensive and easily replaceable accessories like throw pillows. Similarly, it is important for home dwellers to carry the theme they decide upon throughout the home.

ABOUT:

Tanja H. Ellis is a well-known photographer and interior designer. Her vivid photography--which ranges from unique portraits to scenic landscapes--captures the details of everyday life. Through her business, Culture Home by Tanja Ellis, Tanja successfully blends form and function to create luxurious spaces designed for modern living. Outside of her professional life, Tanja is an active supporter of the charitable organization Eyes of a Child, which seeks to empower disadvantaged children through photography. Tanja and her husband are also the busy parents of
four children.

Website: http://tanjahellis.com