While home
decoration isn’t a gender specific thing, some of us want our home (or space)
to have a more masculine feel. I know I do.
Broaden your
horizon and look past severed animal heads and plaids and instead focus on
design tips that will help you accomplish your goal without sacrificing your
personality!
First, try
to have a theme. It doesn’t have to be very specific, just something you can
relate to, like vintage cars, sports, nature, travel, whatever it is that you
enjoy.
Pulling
colors from something that inspires you gives you a great starting point. Find
a specific piece of furniture, an antique, or piece of artwork you can use for
inspiration.
This item
can help guide you in your color scheme, for example if you were into classic
cars,you might opt for chrome accents, black leather, and pops of candy apple
red.
Use fabrics
throughout the room that have definition and texture, coarse weaves, leather,
canvas etc. all have a more “masculine” feel than softer, flowy fabrics. You
want your window treatments to have clean lines to avoid a frilly look, and
avoid the temptation of to many throw pillows that might be more reminiscent of
Grandma’s house than Gramp’s man cave.
While you
are pulling from a theme and using it for inspiration, it’s important to keep
it subtle. Choose one or two great accent pieces to tie your theme in
throughout the room without beating someone over the head with it.
For example,
a vintage license plate artwork, large antique maps, a jar full of the best softballs you can find can get your point across and look much more refined than a sports
poster sticky tacked up to the wall.
Rustic
pieces will always have an instant testosterone appeal for most people, but
instead of opting for that cabin look using chopped down logs (unless that’s your
thing), try tying in the vintage feel with old crates stacked for a coffee
table, antique volumes displayed, old fishing gear repurposed into lights or
other creative finds.
The key is
to keep you design clean, minimal, comfortable and coordinated and you’re sure
to stay on track and make a positive impression.
