Decorating tips for the recently divorced modern man

[Doc4]

Beware the pitfalls ...

1. cheaping out and living amidst milk crates, bricks and plywood.
2. midlife crisis overcompensation and trying to recreate a young man's swingin' bachelor pad (and is that your red Ferrari in the driveway?)
3. overspending to try to recreate the opulent life you think you would have had if things had worked out different.

You are old enough to be able to make sensible, prudent, and fiscally responsible choices. Do so, and demonstrate to the world that you can. (If you also intend to start a new relationship ... you want a lady who will be impressed by your sensible prudence, not by your flashy spending.)

 

[MrSpeedy]

Reviving this old threat just to let you all know that I'm going through a divorce, have 5 and 8 year old girls, and I've been to Ikea threebtimes this week

I'm really sorry to hear that. I've been there, and my kids were about the same age as yours when I got divorced. You've been given some great advice by everyone else, so I'm not going to say anymore about decorating. I will tell you that at some point, and maybe more than once, your kids will be angry. Like, really angry. My oldest became angry because of something minor, kicked a wall, and screamed, "Your house is so small!" (In fairness, my rental house was small.) It was all I could do not to laugh.

Life does go on. Things will get better. Ten years on, I can honestly say getting divorced was the best thing I ever did for my marriage. I now have an amazing life with a woman who is my soulmate. She's great with my kids. Is it perfect all the time? No, of course not - no relationship ever is. But this is a time for you to reinvent yourself and create the life you always wanted.

Good luck.

 

[Go West Young Man]

I appreciate all the kind words - I wasn't really looking for sympathy, just enjoying the fact that Divorced Dad + Ikea is a combination that spans decades

If anything, our split up has been very amicable. We've worked on things for years (we were in counseling when our 5-year-old was still in utero), it's been a long slow realization that we're just going in different directions. The kids have been great so far, they've proactively started seeing a counselor themselves, I expect fireworks and screaming fits nonetheless but so far so good.

Decorating-wise, I'm starting with a few pieces from the family home but mostly starting from scratch - new beds, new couch, etc. We're threading the needle of quality and cost, living in the Bay Area doesn't make that easy! Ikea's been great for the kids stuff and housewares, Target for towels and sheets (Target's housebrand is a Parachute copy, 90% as good for 25% the price!), Wayfair for furniture. I can highly recommend Zinus beds, quality-wise they punch way above their price (I chased them as a client for years - unsuccessfully - so I have lots of inside knowledge about them.)

We're also in the golden age of electronics - Costco will sell you a 50" 4K 120hertz TV with Roku built in for $250 DELIVERED! Video snobs will turn up their noses, but for my old eyes I can't tell the difference the extra $1000 would get you.

 

[patten1969]

I am going through a divorce. I'm a chef and enjoy cooking. My soon-to-be Ex is in the house now with my stuff. The first thing I did was go to my local restaurant supply store and refit my new kitchen. I got everything, and I mean everything, I use in a professional kitchen for about $150. Made me feel better having my gear. My Kitchen-Aid food processor and mixer are still at the house, but I'll get those. When my daughter is staying with me we cook (she's 2.5) and when I'm alone I can make whatever I enjoy. You can't have too many wooden spoons or spatulas. Good luck.

 

[MrSpeedy]

I am going through a divorce. I'm a chef and enjoy cooking. My soon-to-be Ex is in the house now with my stuff. The first thing I did was go to my local restaurant supply store and refit my new kitchen. I got everything, and I mean everything, I use in a professional kitchen for about $150. Made me feel better having my gear. My Kitchen-Aid food processor and mixer are still at the house, but I'll get those. When my daughter is staying with me we cook (she's 2.5) and when I'm alone I can make whatever I enjoy. You can't have too many wooden spoons or spatulas. Good luck.

Good luck to you. I need to go to a restaurant supply store and get now pots and pans, at minimum.

Southern NH, huh? If you don't mind me asking, where specifically? I grew up in Nashua.