The #1 Home Improvement Project That Will Make Your Relationship Stronger

Taking on a major home renovation project with your S.O. is a commendable feat. While a serious home improvement project is guaranteed to put your relationship to the test (hey, anything can happen once you have a hammer in your hand), it turns out that it can also make your love stronger.

Porch, a home improvement service that matches homeowners with professionals in the industry, recently surveyed over 900 people who are currently in a relationship or married and living together about the types of home makeovers that matter the most (and least) to their overall happiness. So which room won in the romance department? The answer probably won’t surprise you.

According to Porch, 50 percent of women and 54 percent of men said that renovating the bedroom with their S.O. had a lasting impact on their relationship satisfaction. While at least half of men also listed the kitchen, front porch, and living room as relationship boosters, women weren’t as generous with their responses. Only 39 percent saw an increased level of happiness from remodeling other rooms alongside their partner. Case in point, it looks like the old saying is true: The bedroom really is where the magic happens.

Want to trade date night for demo day? Here are three bedroom renovation ideas you and your live-in partner can tackle together.

Install a Shiplap Accent Wall

Take a simple paint job one step further by introducing a touch of charm to the walls. Brittany Chinaglia, the blogger, designer, and owner behind The Vintage Rug Shop, streamlined her previously neon-hued bedroom with clean, vertical shiplap. Once you’ve gathered your tools and taken your measurements, the process of installing the trendy wall treatment yourself is easier than you’d think.

Refresh the Bedside Lighting

There are a lot of reasons we love plug-in sconces—chief among them is that you don’t need to call in an electrician to do the dirty work. The non-mounted fixtures that hang in Lisa Przystup’s upstate New York bedroom is a much-needed reminder that the most straightforward swaps are often the most stylish.

Wallpaper the Ceiling

Want to take your relationship to new heights? Consider elevating the ceiling. While we’ve seen our fair share of bold botanical wallpaper prints work wonders in the bedroom, we’re especially drawn to the simplicity of the textured blue wallpaper that Homepolish designer Crystal Sinclair used in this Brooklyn apartment.  

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