When merging two households, think “her space,” “his space,” and “our space.”

Start with “Our Space.” This means the kitchen, living/family room, laundry room and storage areas. In this space you don’t want to duplicate anything, so first take inventory of what you have. Give away or sell any duplicate items like bread machines or blenders. Register for any items that you both want but neither of you have. If you have two sets of casual dinnerware, and would love a more formal set for entertaining, give away one of the casual sets and register for the good china.

In the bedroom: Who sleep on which side of the bed? Who wants to be closer to the bathroom? Who wants to have the phone on his/her side? Do you really need two alarm clocks? Maybe register for one really nice one with a CD player in it that you both can use. Less clutter is good feng shui! The upper right hand corner is the relationship corner. Make sure this is kept orderly, and enhance chi with plants and crystals to strengthen the relationship.

In the living/family area – decide on which major pieces you want to keep, and build your decorating scheme around those. Wood pieces last longer and can be refinished. Upholstered pieces, if quality, can be recovered – but generally it is less expensive to just replace them once the fabric fades or gets worn out. When deciding what to keep and what to dispense with, keep pets in mind. Will Smoky’s black cat hair make that modern white couch look dinghy? Make sure that there is some continuity to the overall design. Fraternity beer steins looks out of place next to English tea pots. Whatever doesn’t work in “our space” can find a home in “his space” or “her space.” (Usually it’s “his space!”)

Laundry room: Think FUNCTION. You’ll want hanging space and storage space – keep cleaning supplies behind closed doors. Whose iron is in better shape? Could you use a steamer iron? Keep the most energy efficient washer and dryer, sell or donate the others.

Storage: Less is more! Get rid of everything you can. Remember that you will accumulate things over the years, this is only the beginning! How do you divide up the closet space? Invest in closet organizers and make use of every square inch! Store off-season clothes in another closet, or get a wardrobe storage unit for the garage.

“His space” and “Her space”: Do one or both of you work at home? How much room do you need for computers, files, office equipment? You may want to register for something you both need but don’t have, like a fax machine, or a laser printer that you can network with your computers. Do one or both of you work out at home? Where will the equipment go? Who will use what? Maybe you want to register for some light-weights, or a pilates reformer! Do you each have a bathroom or can you divvy up the one that you have? Are their two sinks and adequate storage for his shaving stuff, her make-up? How about registering for a two-person shower head, or a jet machine to turn your bathtub into a jacuzzi spa!