Bad décor is a relationship deal breaker

They say love is blind – except when it comes to badly decorated homes, apparently. Forty per cent of people have said that if they hated how their partner’s house or flat looked, it would actually put them off moving in together.

And more than half claimed that, no matter how loved up they may be, they’d happily hide their boyfriend or girlfriend’s fugly furniture – which could be a challenge if it’s the sofa they hate. A ruthless third said that if it wasn’t to their taste, they would have no qualms about actually throwing out things that belonged to the other person*.

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Interior design has turned out to be as big a battleground between couples as Brexit, with 60 per cent claiming they have fought over it. But there seems to be more willingness to compromise (slightly) over the issue, with 70 per cent saying they would be willing to sacrifice a room for their partner to indulge their unique decorating style.

When it comes to control of the decorating mood board and paint samples, it is lady’s choice. Fifty six per cent of women said they are completely in charge of decorating the home compared to 20 per cent of men. In fact, men are five times more likely to completely stay out of interior design planning.

The major cause of arguments over interiors is actually the small things – accessories – as more than a third of people said they bickered over this most. After that it was paint colour and furniture followed by wallpaper choices.

More than 25 per cent of men admitted they hated any kind of ‘glam’, chiefly in the bedroom where their mate might be fond of sparkly chandeliers and mirrored furniture. Nineteen per cent said they disliked having to deal with stacks of unnecessary pillows on the bed at night.

However, the biggest turn off for women was sporting memorabilia. Nearly 40 per cent said they had no time (or space) for dust-gathering trophies celebrating past glories or framed footballing t-shirts from a favourite team.

The one thing that does unite them – according to the survey – is a dislike of fake plants or fruit. Forty nine per cent of men and 36 per cent of women said they hated the trend. But maybe they just haven’t met the right faux Monstera yet.

What do you hate about your partner's taste. Get in touch on Facebook or Twitter or show us on Instagram, using the hashtag sorealhomes. We would (quite literally) love to know.

• *According to the survey conducted by Mattress Online