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7 Things that Make a Room Made for a Man, but Livable for a Woman
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst, and a stay-at-home mom.
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst,... More »
I like to think of this ideabook as a guide to making a home "manageably masculine."
A lot of the design I notice in shelter mags and online has a distinctly feminine touch. Even if the rooms aren't all ruffles and cotton candy pink, they've got a girly vibe that's hard to deny. They're pretty rooms and they work in a lot of homes, where design is the woman's domain.
I, however, do not live in one of those homes. I'm married to a big, strapping guys' guy...who has a lot of opinions about our home. He's into home design and for me that's great - how many guys like both NASCAR and antiquing? - but it also presents a challenge. When it comes to decorating, we have to compromise.
As a result, our house is on the masculine side, but in a way that's quite bearable for me, a girl who lived in a pink room until I was 22. No ruffles in our house, but it's not all dark wood and dogs-playing-poker prints, either.
These seven tips represent what's worked for us - if you've got any additional ideas, please share them in the comments!
A lot of the design I notice in shelter mags and online has a distinctly feminine touch. Even if the rooms aren't all ruffles and cotton candy pink, they've got a girly vibe that's hard to deny. They're pretty rooms and they work in a lot of homes, where design is the woman's domain.
I, however, do not live in one of those homes. I'm married to a big, strapping guys' guy...who has a lot of opinions about our home. He's into home design and for me that's great - how many guys like both NASCAR and antiquing? - but it also presents a challenge. When it comes to decorating, we have to compromise.
As a result, our house is on the masculine side, but in a way that's quite bearable for me, a girl who lived in a pink room until I was 22. No ruffles in our house, but it's not all dark wood and dogs-playing-poker prints, either.
These seven tips represent what's worked for us - if you've got any additional ideas, please share them in the comments!
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1. Furniture on a serious scale. These chairs actually inspired the whole ideabook. There's something very masculine about their scale, but they're interesting enough that their size isn't their only draw.
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2. Intense color. I love this show house powder room - it's just off a men's lounge/bar area. The use of really intense color makes it masculine, but it's nice to see it softened with a flower or two.
3. Woodsy wood. Dark wood has long been the domain of man space - but I think the best wood is stuff that looks a little rough, regardless of color. This dresser is simple, but has some personality thanks to a little texture.
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And this desk's natural lines give it an outdoorsy, woodsman feel. It's a perfect desk for the lawyer who watches a whole lot of Ax Men...
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4. Serious rugs. This is Rainn Wilson's "man room" - and even if I didn't love Dwight, I'd lov ethe room for it's balanced combination of wood and light, and the way the rug works with the space. Masculine spaces need serious rugs in rich colors - just like this one.
| 5. Books. OK, I think books work in every room. But there's something traditionally masculine about a library. |
by Amy Lau Design
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6. Booze. I'm generalizing here, but when I see bars, they've usually got a bit of a masculine vibe. I like the way this one combines interesting wood and liquor...
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And I like the intense color of this one.
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7. No frills. Seems obvious, but it's true: guy-friendly spaces can't have lots of ruffles. For that reason, minimal, Eastern design lends works nicely, especially in the bedroom (which often suffers from girliness).
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Minimally-decorated bathrooms are great, too, and have the added bonus of being easy to clean.
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Good luck!
Luckily, we both like modern design so it works :-)
stldesign and markjbecker- the first photo is beautiful and so does the rest of the loft...
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