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When moving in together, its all about compromise
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When Caleb and Brittany DeMore decided to marry, they needed new furniture inside their White County home. They did, however, keep a television for the bedroom already owned by Brittany.

One of the first hurdles couples reach after the excitement of the wedding is moving in together.

This new world brings new challenges - like, for example, how to combine two lives of stuff.

There's doubles of beds, sofas, lamps and knick-knacks, which means couples have to decide what stays and what goes.

Take Caleb and Brittany DeMore. They were married in October, but said they have had a pretty easy go of merging their furnishings.

Mainly because they just bought most of it when they moved in together.

"We bought the house together, so we pretty much had everything new," Brittany said. "So we didn't really have to go through and decide that. The only thing that we really had to decide on really was the bed, and we just chose his because I had a twin at the time and he had a queen.

"But otherwise we bought all new furniture."

Buying new furniture, pictures and accessories sometimes is a feat for newlyweds, but the young Cleveland couple said they planned their merge.

"We saved for a while and he (Caleb) lived there for a year before I moved in, so we furnished it over that year," Brittany said. "We both had lived with our parents up until that time of saving money; we had been engaged for a little while, so we've been through all of that."

Alison Hudgins, an interior designer with Traditions Furniture and Design, said couples should keep a few things in mind when blending furnishings.

"For the most part, guys' stuff has usually seen more wear and tear, and it's probably not in as good of condition," she said.

If an item is of particular value to either husband or wife, Hudgins said, there needs to be compromise.

"I think that it is really important to make some decisions together to purchase new, just to establish your home as a couple," she said, to "make sure that his and hers are represented."

Hudgins said to be open minded about keeping and getting rid of certain items.

"If it's something that really has meaning to you and is worth fighting for, those are the pieces that you're going to want to really try to hold onto," she said. "Not everything is worth keeping because you've had it for 10 years - you want to think about what are most prized possessions that you wouldn't want to live without."

Tammie Herring, mother of Jennifer Stonecypher who was married to Daniel Stonecypher on Dec. 31, said her daughter and new son-in-law didn't have any problems when decision time came for furnishings and home decor.

Mainly because much of the furniture was given to them.

"I mean, you have the normal married couples getting used to each other - their likes and dislikes - but otherwise nothing other than that," she said. "Luckily his brother and sister-in-law left them furniture."

But when it is time for new couples to choose new furnishings there are a few things to consider, Hudgins said.

"You want to think about what your likes and dislikes are and decide together before you even go look at anything," she said. "Each person, just discuss what you like and what you don't like straight out so that when you do go and shop you aren't wasting your time arguing."

Investing in upholstery, a nice mattress and classic bedroom furniture is a way to save money in the long run.

"If you really invest in quality items, it can last you 20 or 30 years," Hudgins said, "if you don't go too trendy with what you pick."