31% of Couples Argue Over *This* When Decorating a Home

Time Several Hours

Budget $ $$$

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WORDS BY Kelsey Clark

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Published on November 1, 2023

We don’t have to tell you that decorating a home can be a stressful experience — Havenly exists in part because of that reality. From buying a home in today’s market to renovating, furnishing, and decorating a shared space, interior design can be just as overwhelming as it is fun.

But per a survey from online furniture brand Article, the home renovation, furnishing, and decorating process is rife with arguments between both platonic and romantic housemates. With the help of OnePoll, the brand surveyed 2,000 American adults about the furniture buying experience in an attempt to better understand these common pain points and disagreements.

Couple arguments interior design

They ultimately found that the biggest disagreement (31% of those surveyed) revolved around one thing in particular: finances. “All the decision-making, particularly around such expensive items, puts a lot of strain on relationships,” reports Fast Company. Arguments about overall design style came in second place, followed by disagreements over color palette.

The survey also found that the average American couple has 72 arguments about purchasing decisions when furnishing a home, many of which take place in furniture stores, at home, on an airplane (yes, really), or in front of friends and family (likely as a bargaining chip to get the third party on your side and sway your partner).

Couple arguments interior design

All of these arguments ultimately lead 15% of couples to avoid furniture shopping with their partner altogether, while 58% of people simply withhold their opinions on furniture and decor to avoid a disagreement, per the survey. We can’t say we blame them.

Don’t worry — we’re more than happy to make interior design decisions for you! Work one-on-one with our expert interior designers for just $129 per room. Get started today with our style quiz.

Words by Kelsey Clark