Not emotionally, but more in the design sense. When you pair up, so does your stuff. And more often than not, your tastes in decor differ. It’s the tale as old as time where shabby chic has to move in with minimalist modern and find a happy medium.

Since moving in with the man friend, I’ve been trying to slowly incorporate color into the former bachelor pad where beige and plaid originally got married. I found this project on Kelly Hicks’s blog and decided to try a full-length version for above the fireplace. I loved it because I got to combine colors we both agreed on AND it involves no real artistic ability whatsoever. See steps below.

1. Paint the canvas in whatever color scheme you like. Experimenting and mistakes welcome.

2. Using painter’s tape, cut rectangular strips and place in a herringbone pattern (think brick sidewalks.) Feel free to leave spots untaped as shown.

3. Using whatever color you’d like, fill in the areas untaped. You can also use spray paint for this part.

4. Once dry, remove tape and BAM! You’re an artist.

Notes: Cutting the strips is the most time-consuming part. Watch the strips to make sure you’re cutting them in straight lines – angled ends may cause a headache for type-A personalities when laying them on the canvas. Also, use painter’s tape rather than masking tape because the white paint will bleed around the edges. <–I learned this the hard way.