I was watching UP the other day (of course, my 9 month old
daughter was watching it and I just happened to glance at the TV while doing
housework. Yeah right) and just after the heart-breaking story of Ellie’s
death, we see Carl Fredricksen sitting in his bed. It’s a sad little scene: Old
Carl, grumpy face, clearly sitting on his side of the bed; Another day without
his wife, sob. And in this momentary view, we see a teeny tiny insight into
their love.
So many stories focus on the beginning of love: the exciting
part where it’s all lust and passion and “I can’t live without you” and “I must
have you now”. We’ve all been there. But few stories look at love in the real
sense: the part beyond the throws of passion, beyond the marriage proposal,
wedding and honeymoon period. This is day to day love – the boring kind. But
look into your grandparents eyes, and that’s what they have. That’s what we all
want, really. And that’s what Karl and Ellie had.
So, how did they survive a lifetime together? What was their
secret? We’re shown how they were total polar opposites from the moment they met:
Carl the quiet type, with a passion for the mechanics of the world and with a rather square face; Ellie with her bold personality, passion, love
of adventure and Oval face. But they share a single dream: to travel to South America. That’s
like America, but South. I think the answer is simple: They are two halves of
the same whole. Ying and Yang, slotting together to make a compete piece. Carl
brings the stability Ellie needs, and Ellie provides the excitement. It’s a
mutual, equal relationship.
Anybody who has been in a relationship for a long time will
tell you it’s about Compromise. So, when it comes to the Bedroom (and I mean
Bedroom Design of course), should there be compromise here too? Design can
easily sway to the Feminine or Masculine. Shabby Chic = Feminine. Urban Modern
= Masculine. But can the two exist together? Compromise says yes, as long as
they complement one another. And no, I’m not saying that shabby-chic-urban-modern
is a new upcoming trend that you should watch out for, because that’s just
silly.
So, I’ve drawn together a little “his and hers” bedroom
scheme. I’ve opted for a monochromatic palette (neither male nor female as a
rule) and have allocated the black to the feminine and white to the masculine
side (which is maybe a little unconventional). I think by using simplistic
furniture with some feminine detailing for the female side and dynamic, solid
pieces for the male, a real fusion can be achieved. And I’ve done it all on
super bargain budget as 90% of the items are available from Ikea!
Have you achieved a perfect unity of male and female in your
bedroom design? If so, we’d love to hear how!
