Fellow nerd here, my SO and I are organizing our first home and have separate offices, but nerd stuff 100% will be in all common areas; he has a greater quantity of stuff than I do, but representation will be as close to 50% as possible while accommodating my need for neatness. Some of our friends have a nerd basement, others have separate sewing/gaming rooms, it just depends on the partners and the space available.

OP is right on the mark here, keep talking through your partner’s assumptions with them and make conscious choices about the dynamic you want to set in your future cohabitating relationship. Hopefully, you’ll get on the same page.