Inside Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay and Fiance Bryan Abasolo’s First Home Together in Dallas

After getting engaged on The Bachelorette last August, Rachel Lindsay's fiancé, chiropractor Bryan Abasolo, 38, moved from Miami to Dallas, where Lindsay, 33, is an attorney. But her place was too small for the couple and their rescue dog, Copper. "And I felt like it wasn't home for Bryan," she tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

Finding a place was easy: They fell in love with the second two-bedroom rental they saw. “They had one apartment left and it had just been redone,” she says. “It was perfect.” But decorating was more of a challenge, as Lindsay's decor was traditional and Abasolo favored an all-white look.

Instead of trying to blend their furniture, they donated it all to charity and started fresh. They turned to Donna Garlough, style director of the online decor destination Joss & Main, who helped them choose a "rich, calm, sophisticated" look that captures both of their personalities.

She also built in smart solutions, like this sleek media cabinet that stashes everyday essentials in style. “It has room for not only the electronic components, but also magazines, décor, and even pet toys!” Garlough says.

One of Lindsay’s favorite details is the bar cart where she keeps all of the fixings for her go-to cocktail, a vodka soda with lime, ready for when guests visit. “It’s the first thing that they point to when they come over,” she says. “I can’t wait to host a party and roll it out.”

Lindsay’s one stipulation for the bedroom was nightstands that supported their everyday ritual. “We love to wake up and watch sports, and we bring in coffee or other drinks,” she says. “It was important that they were big, but not too big that things would clutter.”

The couple is also making good use of their kitchen — a habit Lindsay hadn’t quite picked up before moving in with Abasolo. “You would not recognize me!” she says. “I am in there every day cooking something for all of us.” And although she admits it was “a compromise,” creating their new home together has brought them even closer. "We're blending our lives together and creating a home for the Abasolos,” she says.

For full details of their space, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now. Shop Rachel’s look at Joss & Main.