how do i blend cultures when decorating?

we're canadian, both immigrants, i came over as a baby and he's been in canada some 20-odd years. the problem is our house.

my background is british/finnish/scandinavian - i like natural stuff like wood, stone, rough or tumbled glass, woodsy-type plants, etc. i like dark, rich colours like eggplant, blood red, etc, and i love copper but hate gold and silver. i don't much care for patterns unless they're more subdued - not at all big on florals. i like pale, rich wood (think maple) or dark wood (teak, mahogany); don't like pine.

his is east indian/trinidad - he likes black lacquer, loud colours, lots of brass/gold/etc, lots of brocades and florals. he likes neutral coloured wood - not too light, not too dark. he loves glass tables (ixnay on that with kids or pets around!) and kitschy stuff like hammock chairs and big blowsy fern-type plants and mirror art and fibre-optic flower arrangements.

an example: i would like to have pennies cover the floor coming down the split entry and continuing into the basement. he thinks that's the stupidest idea ever. he wants laminate - i think that's horrible simply because of the water problem (canadian winters, you know).

so right now our house has cream walls, nothing on them; nothing on the floor because the ancient carpet HAD to go; my tiny little couch in the living room and a set of hand-me-down coffee tables. that's it.

how do we mix such disparate styles without it looking, well, awful?