Please answer, need advice from men and women about a situation at home..?

The important thing here is to understand and be considerate of your boyfriend's needs (and for him to understand and be considerate of yours, which it seems he is trying to do) With any two people, differences arise, and when you love each other, it is best to come up with a solution where you both "win," i.e., both of your needs are met. That's what relationships are about.

My suggestion for you is to talk with him about his needs (what is it that makes these sports items so important to him? who is it he wants to see them?, are some items more important than others?) and try to find a creative way to fulfill them that does not involve taking over the entire living room with sports memorabilia for the rest of your time in this house. Can you make a plan to finish the basement and turn it into a man-cave where he can have a massive TV, invite his friends over and watch sports to his heart's desire? If it can't be done now due to finances or whatever, would it work to put one display case or isolate one wall or set of shelves in the living room next to the TV (I assume this is where you watch TV?) so he can at least display the items that are most important to him? You might even be able to find a beautiful piece of display furniture with doors that can stay closed some of the time, but open up to display sports items when people he wants to see the items come over.

The solution itself is not really so important as the process where you have give and take to come up with something that works for both of you, and just going through it can bring you closer together, which is far more important than any decorating choice.:-)

Hope this helps!

It's a house, not a sports center! Don't feel bad. Sports memorabilia doesn't belong in a living room. It just doesn't.

It's not HIS house, it's both of yours.

I'm going through the same thing- my husband is a mamas boy and only likes what his mother likes. Old lady things.

We have been going to furniture stores non stop trying to find snappy medium, and finally he is stepping away from the doilies.

You two just need to come to a compromise, I mean, why does he care about people seeing his junk? You're going to be too embarrassed to have people over and then no one will see it.

Don't back down or feel bad, honestly. That stuff doesn't belong there. If he wants a den or finished basement- that's in the future.

Tell him this is part of the deal with living together.

His old place was JUST a den. That house you're at now is NOT a den.

Compromise! Take the nicest things of his sports memorabilia & combine them with your normal knick-knacks on a etagere or entertainment center. You didnt mention if you had a spare bedroom if so it should be designated as your boyfriends entertainment/sports room (which you are not allowed to decorate) & all of his things can be displayed there along with a tv, video games, etc.

How about one wall in the living room, he has his sports put out and you have three walls to use to make beautiful. Don't focus on the interior just on the relationship, and let him feel comfortable in his home.

Decorating issues are not a "situation at home". And a boyfriend is not a husband.

Don't make any of this into a bigger deal than it is. Ultimately, you both will have to continue to communicate your wants and needs and then compromise. Expect that you both will receive some of what you want...and sacrifice some of what you want.

In the meantime, do you know that living with a man decreases the chance that you will marry in the long run...and increases the chance that you will divorce if you do end up marrying? Think carefully about the decisions that do matter, decorating isn't one of them.

EDIT: My apologies if the words above came off as a lecture, they weren't intended to be. Actually, they were meant to be helpful & informational since you posted this question in "marriage and divorce" instead of "singles and dating" which led me to believe you might have been hoping to marry him one day/ stay with him long term (in which case living with him and viewing decorating as "a situation at home" sent up a red flag).

I in no way intended to judge you. Take care.

Let him put up some, not all, of his sports pictures where they can be seen in the living room

so he can be proud of them and show them to visitors. I know how he feels---in my living room I

have an autographed Magic Johnson plaque, an autographed picture of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a

huge action photo of Kobe Bryant, all Lakers. Of course, I am not married (I would like to be but it's

to late for that) and live in an apartment in Los Angeles. How would a few of his sports pictures

ruin the decor of your living room? Just let him do it, put up his pictures. You will both be happy you did.

If you wont compromise he WILL get fed up and begin 2 miss being alone and will start to reminisce and in time will leave I know 100%.

Whats more important to you?

Your decor or your relationship?

what about an entryway showcase ?