What do you do when you can’t stand each other … but still live under the same roof?
As for the apartment, interior designer Francesco Bilotto agreed with Landes, saying the first thing to do in a situation like this is “to create a ‘time management’ calendar of rooms (like who gets the bathtub on Wednesday night and who gets to binge Netflix on Friday) plus reconfigure your everyday costs.”
“Even if you’re sad or mad, you still should communicate and figure out a way to set new rules and boundaries between you both as roommates,” he said. “From sharing the living room to the division of groceries, and especially the rules of the house when it comes to guests and any late night visitors. When it comes to delicate areas like the bathroom, especially in the mornings if you’re stuck sharing just one, this is the time to invest in that gym membership if you haven’t already showered before work.
“As for your home, create ‘zones’ that are more private and separated,” Francesco added. He recommended “turning a bedroom (or if you’re lucky to have a guest room) into a ‘studio apartment’ [or] dividing a smaller space in half with bookshelves or a strong huge folding screen. Also, get rid of any personal mementos from the past — think hotel living with minimal clutter and personality just until you both can move on. If you’re not getting along, it’s probably best to store items at separate storage location so no one goes Angela Bassett in Waiting to Exhale.”
