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Living with a significant other can be difficult when you have completely opposite tastes in design. To easily merge your décor preferences, check out my tips for stylish cohabitation below.

Find a wall color that makes you both feel at home.
Greens, yellows, and creams work well as neutral colors.

Choose your storage unit wisely.
Storage is a huge necessity when you’re living with someone, so make sure to find the perfect wall unit that will fit both your love of sports memorabilia and their love of porcelain figurines.

Compromise is key.
If your partner is into stark modern design and your taste is more sumptuous, make sure to include soft touches such as plush throw pillows and soothing candles to help soften the minimalist look.

It’s okay to let everybody win.
If you can’t compromise on furniture, keep it all. Place your sharp leather couch atop their super soft shag rug – it’ll make you both happy and create a contemporary-meets-cozy space that you both can live with.

Have any tips on stylish cohabitation? Share them in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala.

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Who said upholstery materials and prints are for décor alone? Here, ten easy tips to incorporate upholstery and other nontraditional materials into your wardrobe:

1. Your ratty old jeans are so comfy, and yet the holes are so UN-chic. Let some patches do the work to spruce them up!
2. Nothing takes a beating like your handbag… so why not allow it to be walked on? It can be when it’s a carpet bag.
3. If you could walk a mile in these shoes, you’d see that they need some loving. With just a can of Simply Spray Fabric Paint, they’re suddenly made for walking.
4. Fanny packs went out with David Hasselhoff in the 80s, and now we love Lady Gaga and hip bags. Between you and me, the name might be different, but they’re still fanny packs – extra cute when they’re made out of upholstery fabrics!
5. A bike can be so utilitarian unless you jazz up the seat with fabric like this. Seriously loving the floral terrycloth!
6. I am obsessed with vintage bow ties. This bow-tie hairpiece ups the ante and this ring raises the ante even more.
7. Buckle up for safety… or just to protect your MacBook®. Now you can go from 0 to 60 with this seat-belt briefcase when pitching your ideas at the office.
8. No, this fab vintage swing coat is not Chanel, but rather chenille… and Coco would be envious.
9. Brocade isn’t just for plastic-encased living room couches anymore.  It’s perfect for a chic dinner-party dress.
10. Take samples from an old leather furniture company, give them a ladylike S&M vibe, and – voilà – this fringe necklace!

 A room Alex loves

It’s high time to feather our nest, so we went right to the source. Alex Bernhardt, whose furniture company bears his name and earns praise for its modern refinement, shares a room he loves, a little of his design sensibility, and more.

Rue La La: Who has made a huge impact on you in this industry?
ABJ: My father, Alex Bernhardt, Sr., CEO and Chairman of our company.

Rue La La: What does style mean to you?
ABJ: To me, style is the visual manifestation of one’s personality.

Rue La La: Sum up your aesthetic in three words.
ABJ: Relaxed, minimalistic, and traditional.

Rue La La: If you had to give our Members one piece of lifestyle advice, what would it be?
ABJ: Don’t be trendy in your home!

Rue La La: What three items would you leave a burning building with?
ABJ: Two vintage guitars and my young daughter’s stuffed duck!