The Odd Couple

 "What is she doing with him?" When the laws of attraction aren't so obvious, couples become the object of much curiosity and scrutiny. In the reality show, Beauty and the Geek, seven good-looking but academically challenged women are paired with seven brilliant men who are socially challenged. The object of the game is to be the couple who will walk away with "everything"--gorgeous, smart and rich ($250,000). 


One would think such a show would be rife with stereotypes and inevitable double-standards, but maybe there is something to that idea. After all, why shouldn't a couple have it all? The most successful couples I know in life are great together because the man and the woman have at least one or two extremely conflicting characteristics that makes them complete as a couple. They compliment each other. The same principle applies to why Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas works and Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag do not. In the case of the latter, they are both full of pretty much the same things yet even that put together gives them nothing substantial to offer the world.

            

                 "Why can't you see that our living room looks like a doctor's waiting room?"            Photo credit: www.hivemodern.com

Moving on. In our living rooms as in life, the same laws of complimentary attributes can apply. If you have had the pleasure of knowing at least one boring couple in your life, you will understand what I mean. There has to be enough similarity there to keep two people together, yet there also needs to be just the right amount of uniqueness between the two, so that their physical and mental attributes bounce off each other. Sparks will fly.

Invest in a good, basic, substantial sofa. Get one that will stand up to years of TV, popcorn, kids, and wanted (or unwanted) guests. Then, get a funky or pretty chair to go with it. Whatever you do, don't get the chair-reincarnation of your sofa. What can be more boring? A standard-issue, solid-color couch needs an interesting chair. Keep things interesting and have fun with a chair with colors and patterns you would not otherwise use on a sofa. 

 

Couple of the mid-century: Serious couch meets funky yet pedigreed chair, Le Corbusier lc4 lounge chair, www.hivemodern.com, Reese leather sofa, $2,899, www.roomandboard.com

Beauty and brains?: No-nonsense sofa meets dainty slipper chair, Leonardo chair, $799, Dublin sofa, $1,199, www.roomandboard.com