New survey results show that wedded bliss is left firmly at the door for most newlyweds. In fact, the cracks begin to show as soon as they’ve crossed the threshold, as 20% of co-habiting couples are currently at war over how to decorate their homes. And forget arguing about what school to send the kids to, or who’s going to take out the rubbish, as 6 in 10 newlyweds cite differing ideas on how to decorate as one of the greatest causes of severe arguments between them.
The findings are the result of a new study by Crown Paints* into the decorating habits of UK couples, commissioned to launch their Colour for Life colour counselling service. With William and Kate due to set up their marital home in just a matter of weeks, they may be alarmed to hear about the fights and friction they have in store.
With recent reports claiming that Kate’s family are feeling sidelined in the run up to the nuptials, they will be disturbed to hear that their presence in the marital home may be marginalised by William too. In a double blow to Mrs Middleton, Crown’s survey has found that men can’t bear any reminders of the mother-in-law in their homes, with 19% of men wishing to banish photographs of the in-laws and their partners’ family heirlooms. For women, the greatest bugbear is their partners’ games consoles and DVD/CD collections, with 30% wishing to ban them from the house all together.
Unfortunately for HRH Prince William, it appears that British women are stubbornly intent on ruling the roost, as the survey exposed that a quarter of women detest the way their partners would want to decorate and insist on always having their say. Only four out of ten women are happy to compromise their tastes in order to keep their partners happy, compared to six out of ten men.
So it may be a women’s world when it comes to decorating, but it’s the men who harbour the most resentment when it comes down to making the house a marital home. 15% seethe in silence about their partners’ choice of colour and decoration. However, women are much less likely to suffer in silence, with only 7% admitting to quietly and compliantly letting their partner have absolute free rein with the decorating choices.
Crown’s Colour Consultant Judy Smith comments, ‘At Crown we have been aware of the disparities between male and female decorating preferences for a long time, but the results of this survey show what a strain decorating can put on co-habiting couples. Women are often the ones that choose the colour schemes and styling, whilst the men are often roped in to do the actual DIY, and more often than not, both parties will disagree on what the ultimate result should be, leading to fights and friction. We have launched the Colour for Life service because we want to combat the issues that can so often arise from trying to bring two very different personal styles together, and hope to provide couples with a harmonious living space from the outset.’