Marrying Different Tastes

• Marrying Different Tastes

  Newlyweds quickly discover that marrying a lifetime of possessions collected by each partner can be a bit of a challenge. Actress Rebecca Budig and musician Bob Guiney are no exception. The All My Children star and the subject of the talked-about realityseries The Bachelor were known to millions of television viewers individually before they found storybook romance with each other. But at home together, Rebecca and Bob are no different from any other couple, trying to merge his-and-her accumulated belongings and find common ground despite their somewhat different tastes. As it turns out, she favors antiques and traditional furnishings with plenty of decorative detail, while he prefers an unadorned, contemporary vibe yet both are fans of Country Living."I've been reading it every month for years, and pulling out pages for inspiration," Rebecca says. So, for suggestions on how to merge their two tastes in one living space, the couple turned to Country Living, and Senior Lifestyle Editor Nicole EspositoPolly was happy to help them achieve a harmonious union of old and new, country comfort and city sophistication.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  Achieving design harmony is an important part of sharing personal space. Rebecca and Bob were married in July 2004 at his parents' lakeside Michigan cottage, in a country wedding held far from the TV cameras that have made them household names. After a honeymoon in Mexico, the couple came home to Rebecca's apartment on New York City's Upper West Side, where the warm, heirloom-filled decor was very different from the spare, cool style of Bob's bachelor digs in Michigan (there, the stainless-steel dining table was surrounded by black leather chairs!). Surprisingly, the avid antiques collector ("I'd see something, and if it spoke to me I'd buy it") and her guy, who describes his taste as "modern and crisp," each had a club chair covered in patina'd brown leather -- a happy blend of her warmth and his cool, and a great omen that their connubial decor would have a strong common ground.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  BEFORE
  
  Rebecca's signature fondness for antiques and traditional furnishings is evident in the Persian rug, captain's chairs, and wrought-iron chandelier.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  AFTER
  
  Post-repainting and the addition of a few bright touches -- creamy faux-suede upholstered chairs and a new ceiling fixture -- Bob says the once-dark dining room "looks brighter and feels bigger."
  
  The Persian carpet was lifted to reveal the honey parquet floor, and the bulky captain's chairs substituted with armless ones in creamy faux suede.
  
  Symbolizing the happy union of antique and contemporary style: vintage wine labels in handsome modern frames.
  
  Lighting: Shades of Light. Wall art: Style de Vie. Wall paint: Benjamin Moore. Bookcase paint: Yenkin-Majestic. Chairs: Mitchell Gold.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  Venetian blinds and balloon draperies were replaced by a mail-order roman shade of sheer white, and the bookcase was painted white.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  The wrought-iron chandelier was traded for a contemporary fixture with white shades to maximize light diffusion.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  When one half of a couple moves into a place previously occupied solely by the other half, the challenge becomes this: how to make subtle changes that reflect the newcomer's taste, without sacrificing his partner's style. When Bob moved in, the apartmenthad been Rebecca's for three years, so it boasted some unabashedly feminine flourishes: a rosy brocade sofa, dark draperies with decoratively tassled tie-backs, lacy, sheer white drapery panels, and an antique painted screen. The romantic boudoir atmosphere had "lots of character and warmth," allows Bob. All it needed -- and got -- was a balancing infusion of masculine style.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  With its new look, the living room is even more romantic than before, celebrating the fact that two people share the space. A couple's decor should harmoniously merge the tastes of both residents. The addition of a few key, streamlined details ensured that the man of the house would feel equally at home here. Trading the original sofa for one covered in taupe cotton, and adding a matching ottoman established a tonal palette appealing to both partners. The elaborate draperies were replaced by a single shade with panels of sheer, no-frills white linen; Rebecca's triple-paneled antique screen also got turned around to reveal its lighter side. The ivory shag rug is a whimsical touch that Rebecca and Bob agree feels "amazing" to bare feet.
  
  Sofa: Mitchell Gold. Ottoman: Lee. Rug: Capel. Throw: Rani Arabella. Shade, window hardware: Smith and Noble. Curtains: West Elm.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  Like many apartment fireplaces, this one is strictly decorative. Placing a TV and stereo unit above the mantel turns the hearth into a functional focal point (no need for a bulky armoire). "I had a lot to do with the gadgets and gizmos," Bob says.
  
  Flatscreen: Philips. Sound system: Bose. Wall art: Village Court.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo

• Marrying Different Tastes

  The walls, painted "Cape Hateras Sand" by Benjamin Moore ("We loved the name," Bob says), are keyed to the space's warmly neutral palette.
  
  Rebecca's treasured 19th-century goddess candlesticks have moved from the dining room to the living room, where, sans candles, they are now sculptures.
  
  His-and-hers leather club chairs, gently distressed, appear at once vintage and modern -- as does the ?tag?re, whose open shelves command minimum wall space. The chaise lounge, a favorite spot, sports a cashmere throw big enough for two.
  Consulting a designer -- or stylish friend -- can help a new couple meld their tastes. As Bob says, "It went from being her place to being truly our place."
  
  Chaise: Mitchell Gold. Etag?re: Global Views. Chair: Crate & Barrel. Urn: West Elm.
  
  Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Marrying Different Tastes
  
  Photo Credit: Steven Randazzo