Furnishing Your First Home

For newlyweds, one of the most challenging tasks is furnishing their first home together.  Choosing  themes and colors is overwhelming not only because there is a vast expanse from which to select, but because bride and groom, each with their own unique tastes, are combining their belongings to form one household.  John Batte, owner of Batte Furniture & Interiors, recently added The Bridal Registry at Batte to assist newlyweds with china, crystal, silver, accessories, and furnishings of course.  Batte believes registering for furniture goes “hand in hand” with getting engaged.  And, what is more, he says, the beauty of having The Bridal Registry in the store is that it “offers the complete package” to couples.  Batte also recommends selecting color schemes, furniture, and accessories well before the “I Do’s” to enable the prospective bride and groom to set and achieve their design goals ahead of time so they are ready to start building their new life together as soon as they return from their honeymoon.

To begin, a couple should confer with an interior designer to successfully determine goals and needs for their home décor.  Batte emphasizes the importance of “building a personal relationship” with someone who can help the bride and groom furnish their home throughout their life together – not only for the first home, but for years to come as their needs change.  An initial consultation allows designers to make suitable design choices by considering a couple’s lifestyle as well as their future; that might include furnishings for entertaining, a home office, a sunroom, or a guest suite that comfortably accommodates the in-laws when the firstborn arrives.  Regardless of their needs, organization is key.  Coordinating a plan also allows the bride and groom to remain focused on building a collection of crystal, decorative accents, furniture and the like, over a period of time.  With an immeasurable number of lines synonymous with class and style such as Vietri, Simon Pierce, William Yeoward, Fabergé, Miller Rogaska, Philippe Du Juliet,Waterford, and Herend, seeking direction from a professional is essential.  Organization allows designers to address the finest details; for instance “choosing a china pattern that is appropriate for a particular color scheme” as well as one that “coordinates with the décor throughout the home,” says Batte.  Whatever the case, guidance during the transition from independent single to married couple is especially helpful and will allow the bride and groom to concentrate on pre-wedding responsibilities.

And, when the couple returns from their honeymoon, they will have tabletops to dazzle friends at their first dinner party, a versatile piece of furniture, such as an armoire, that adapts to almost any design concept, and accessories that have been carefully chosen and arranged to flatter their furnishings.  The end result is a happy couple with a beautiful home.

Reprinted from an article in and courtesy of Premier Bride of Mississippi, Georgia Brown, copyright 2004, Premier Publishing, Inc.