10 Secrets: How to Add Masculinity to Your Home Now
Masculine Home Decor Ideas That Both Partners Will Love
McCroskey Interiors| Traditional Bedroom, Kansas City
Traditional/Modern Bedroom by McCroskey Interiors
Photography by Chad Jackson
Example of a classic medium tone wood floor bedroom design in Kansas City with black walls
Introdcution
If you're looking for inspiration on masculine interior design in your home, here are 10 tips that can help. We've also pulled the best design ideas from around the web for you to explore.
It's commonly assumed that men aren't as into interior design as women. As a design professional, I'm here to tell you that's not true! Even men can benefit from reading a blog for ideas and inspiration — it's the low-risk way to get started.
Young bachelors, now is the time to invest in adult furniture! And wives, why not add a bit of your spouse's flair to the home. (He won't stop praising you if you do!)
Visualizing your father or another significant individual in your life will help you to grasp what I'm saying better. Tell me about them. Where does he truly feel contented? Describe the colors and textures he would have. Moreover, employ the following suggestions and representations to inspire you to endow your home with strength and virility, even if it's a little.
Embrace Black Cabinets + Farmhouse Style For Masculine Interior Design Touches
A statement wall made of this hue can be stunning. Fans of Joanna Gaines will love copying her signature black and white color palette. Warm up the space with various textures. This farmhouse kitchen by Arlene Williams (more info below) is made modern with a statement wall of cabinets in black. While black is widely known for adding drama and sophistication, you'll notice how farmhouse style evolves for a fresh look.
Tips:
If you're having trouble choosing between hues, consider Farrow & Ball's Pitch Black. As long as you have a spacious room with excellent lighting, this is as pure black as possible.
Earthly accents are essential to warm up space such as this, specifically natural wood accents such as the x-brace on the island. Burlap stools not only add a natural flair, but they also are a nod to farmhouse style. Marble adds to the sophistication and drama.
Brass metallic accents especially pop and add a flair of sophistication against the black cabinetry.
The clean lines in this kitchen inspiration are definitely say that this is a masculine space.
Image Information: Palmetto Bluff, Transitional Kitchen.Designer: Arlene Williams. Photographer: J. Savage Gibson. Transitional dark wood floor open concept kitchen photo in with a farmhouse sink, granite countertops, paneled appliances and an island
Pros of Using Black on Your Cabinets:
Black adds a sense of modernity, elegance, and mystery.
While all-white rooms can seem too sterile, incorporating black adds coziness and drama.
Smudges are less noticeable on dark cabinets than lighter ones, which is a bonus whether you are O.C.D about cleaning or the opposite.
Cons of Using Black on Your Cabinets:
Right now, black kitchen cabinets are a trend in reaction to the all-white kitchen trend. As all trends go, if it falls out of favor, it could impact the buyers' opinions of your home's value if you go to sell. Keep in m
Keep in mind that dark hues create an illusion that your tiny space is even tinier than it is. If your kitchen is small with poor lighting, black will make it feel gloomy and confined, as if in a small dungeon.
Creating more daylight or installing more light fixtures for a black kitchen might be necessary. Black soaks in the light instead of bouncing the light around.
If you are set on black in your kitchen, yet have a compact footprint, embrace unfussy and sparse decor. The room might feel spacious with a feeling of orderliness despite the black cabinets.
Where to Shop:
Ebay (believe it or not!)
Hardware
Kitchen Stools
Local to Rochester: Value City Furniture, Walmart, Home Depot, Kohls
Another Overstock Find
Black Kitchen shopping list
If black kitchen storage finds fail to load, please refresh the page. (F5)
2. Embrace an Eclectic Mid-Century Modern Boho Look to Bring in Masculine Interior Design Touches
Justin Riordan, the founder of Spade and Archer Design Agency, predicts that Mid-Century Modern, aka MCM, will develop into a more modernized style, and the shift is underway now, resulting in the Mid-Century Boho style. These two styles can harmoniously co-habitat due to their shared love for vintage and retro. Create a powerful atmosphere in your office with mid-century modern decor featuring bold and inspiriting masculine design style.
Pros of Mid-Century Boho
Mixing mid-century and boho creates contrast, making your room more interesting.
The timelessness of midcentury modern offers you minimalist and functional furnishings that are masterly designed. It pairs well with bohemian style to warm up the space and transforms it into a homey atmosphere.
Inspired by California Coastal, 'mid-century boho' is an easygoing free-spirited expression channeled by the effortlessness of the western seaboard lifestyle.
A harmonious combination of weathered woods, antiques, and artisanal accents amounts to a refined look.
MCM elements include warm wood furniture, walnut, and teak in linear silhouettes. It's popular to splurge on MCM bar carts or sideboards. While Midcentury style and Boho decor seem to be ill-matched opposites, the warm palettes, fascinating textures, eye-catching patterns, and houseplants have hooked many.
A relaxed collector's vibe translates to family-friendly foundational pieces, such as sofas and beds, accented with colorful accessories, such as a side chair found at a flea market.
The result is a clean-lined, artfully curated aesthetic that brings together the best of mid-century style and bohemian flair.
More information about Mid-Century Boho Style continues below the following image of a living room idea.
Image information: Archie's Library, Midcentury Family Room, DC Metro. Designer: Residents Understood. Photographer: Bonnie Sen.
Example of a mid-century modern dark wood floor family room design in DC Metro with a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and multicolored walls
What to Buy in Boho Style:
Home decor from Effortless Composition
Live Houseplants (delivered)
Macrame (this one is done in MCM style)
Where to Shop: (see MCM list also)
Flea Markets
TJMaxx (buy fast, as things sell out quickly and are not restocked)
Local: Estate Marketplace, Tuesday Morning, The Shops on West Ridge, Arhaus, HomeGoods, At Home
What to Look For in boho style:
Ceramic Side Tables (also called Garden Stools)
What to Buy In Mid-Century Modern Style:
Dorothy Thorpe and Georges Briard barware
Where to Shop:
Urban Outfitters: Boho Style & Mid-Century Modern
Anthropologie: Boho Style & Mid-Century Modern
Design Within Reach: Mid-Century Modern
Joybird: Boho Style & Mid-Century Modern
IKEA: Boho Style & Mid-Century Modern
The Citizenry: Boho Style & Mid-Century Modern
West Elm: Boho Style & Mid-Century Modern
Local to Rochester: Midcentury585, Axom Home, AbodeROC<
What to Look For in mcm style:
Look for these designer names:
You may enjoy:
MCM Boho Living Room Shopping List
3. Embrace a Consistent Neutral Color Scheme (for him) + Feminine Shapes (for her)
Ladies, can't live without your love for French Country style? This interior design inspiration demonstrates how to add masculine interior design touches by using neutral palettes while maintaining French Country elements that you adore. This combination will give your space approachable elegance.
When adding masculine elements to a feminine interior, these elements need to be balanced: graceful & delicate versus strong & manly, light and dark, two contrasting forces. According to Dolores K. Baker, interior decorator, and owner of the Decorating Den Interiors franchise in Walnutport, Pennsylvania, a balance of contradictions will make a room or area more gratifying.
Usually, masculine decor has a simple, modern look, so the accessories are kept to a minimum, and the materials tend to be stronger, like wood and metal. Feminine design, on the other hand, is more elegant and softer. You can use objects that contrast each other to create a dynamic space, or you can choose some items that are in between the two themes.
Men and women alike can enjoy an elegant yet practical look with Roman shades, wood blinds, and stationary panels. Susan Buss, the owner of Susan M. Buss Interiors of Upper Milford, Pennsylvania, believes that men are generally drawn to ample, heavy draperies, not for their elegance but for their ability to control heat and cold. My husband prefers thermal light-blocking draperies for privacy in the main living areas and the bedrooms.
It is a simple task to stick with a neutral color palette when selecting furnishings. Well-wearing leather and big, somber furnishings are manly, while feminine furniture is lightweight, has curving lines, and softer fabrics. For something gender-neutral, focus on contemporary lines and mid-range.
This point continues below the image.
Image Info: Castle on the Hill - French Luxury. French Country Bedroom, Phoenix. Designer: Fratantoni Interior Designers & Architecture Firm
Tips for Blending Masculine and Feminine Elements:
COLOR
Big pieces such as rugs, furniture, and headboards are best in neutral colors.
Use color on small items such as decorative pillows, bedspreads and draperies, all of which can easily be swapped for updated colors in the future.
As a general guideline, darker colors tend to be considered more masculine while lighter colors are associated with femininity. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it can be helpful when trying to blend styles.
When mixing feminine and masculine styles, go for a sharp contrast in colors such as seen in the room above designed by Frantoni Interior Design and Architects.
While sage green and navy are popular, the next big color is going to be provencal lavender. It is a gender-neutral hue that has “calming qualities that promote balance, stability, and serenity,” reported by Livingetc.com. Designer Jonathon Adler shares that “lavender plays well with others – navy, chocolate brown, taupe, and white.”
Mid-decade, we will see more digital-inspired colors such as electric blue, hyper pink and ultraviolet. Popular colors will also be an iridescent green,
Look for PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri (a joyous periwinkle blue, the happiest and warmest blogged by The Fashion Frill) and COLORO: 134-67-16 Digital Lavender.
Other color trends will be Sundial | Coloro: 028-59-26, Tranquil Blue | Coloro: 114-57-24, Feminine colors to watch for is PANTONE 19-2024 TCX Rhododendron and Luscious Red | Coloro: 010-46-36, Farrow & Ball Babouche No. 223, Stone Blue No.86,
Warm gray is going to be a trend for neutrals.
Use the hue french vanilla to make rooms look more spacious.
Hazelnut, gray with a tone of green, white and iridescent white, copper, gold, brass, zinc and silver.
Eco-friendly issues will bring forth neutral schemes such as white, unbleached, ecru and beige to a range of sustainable materials. Play up surface texture where possible to add depth and tactility, according to forecasters.
Combine non-toxic black with matte, semi- and high-gloss finishes to add surface interest.
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Continued below…
PATTERNS
“Stripes are your secret weapon if you want to mix patterns together in your home because they go with almost any other pattern! Florals, ikats, geometrics, solids, or even other stripes, they’re very versatile!” states the experts at Ballard Designs.
Don't overaccessorize! Strive for minimalism.
Combine geometric and abstract patterns containing harsh lines with feminine floral patterns, damask, and whimsical designs, like polka dots.
It is possible to layer florals over geometrics to create a nice balance between the two.
If you want to meet in the middle, circles or stripes are both gender neutral choices that can be swung in either direction depending on the color and what they are paired with.
Mix masculine patterns (listed below) with feminine ones:
Bold Stripes: Stripes can offer a distinguished mood, and is a pattern that is timeless. This pattern is often seen mixed with dotted, floral patterns
Geometric: Graphic forms and arrangements remain prominent and elemental, despite being likewise comfortable in a ladylike interior.
Paisley: Think of a business tie or a bandana. This surprising conformable pattern paisley cane be described as both off-beat and audacious. Paisley offers a bohemian style yet being a bit proper. You can find soft goods and seating patterns in paisley.
Pin Stripes: Representing either baseball players or businessmen, pin stripes symbolize men professionally and at leisure. Mix with feminine dots, damask, florals,
Plaid: The straight lines of this pattern are a classic, outdoorsy, and modest. spanning from arcadian to cosmopolitan. This pattern plays well with certain feminine and masculine designs. Plaid can be mixed with “toile, ikat, florals, and other plaids of varying sizes and colors,” according to The Spruce.
Herringbone and Chevron: This bricklike pattern appeals to men for it’s geometry of equal size rectangles. This pattern can often be seen in road patterns and outside of the home, and in various places inside the home such as upholstery, flooring, backsplashes, and tiling. Herringbone and chevron patterns play well with any other pattern that it coordinates in color, especially paisley. Use in large scale for flooring, and in a small scale for accents. Larger scale is peppy, while a smaller scale is formal.
Ikat: Ikat, a designer favorite, is a “resist-dyeing technique: Yarns are bundled and bound with string then dyed to create patterns,” explains Stephanie Waldek for House Beautiful. Rugs, pillows, curtains, and accent chairs. This pattern plays well with chevrons, plaids, stripes, dots, and florals.
Animal Print: This adventurous and all-embracing pattern can be stunning if done discriminatingly. Look for rugs, ottomans, pillows, and statement pieces such as wallpaper in animal print. Cheetah and leopard have been all the rage recently, and tiger print is said to be the next big thing as of this writing. Snake and zebra patterns are also design trends. Mix with two other animal prints, as long as each print is a different scale in size. If mixing animal prints, it’s important to keep the animal print’s backdrop colors (which would be brown for a leopard pattern while the spots are black) in the same family, and at the same intensity, whether soft or vibrant. Mix tiger print with plaid, dots, florals and other stripes. Pair cheetah/leopard with plaid, paisley or ikat. If the animal print is tone on tone, consider it a solid color, and mix with floral, plaid, stripes, as well as any other graphic pattern you prefer.
TEXTURES
Creating a masculine interior design look is achieved by mixing smooth and rough surfaces.
Natural materials such as stone or wood can be combined with metallic or glass accents such as a polished light fixture or accent table.
Leather is one of the most defining elements of masculine décor. It can bring warmth, texture, and richness to any room. Try adding a chair or sofa for impact or simple leather pulls or a pouf for a lighter touch.
Contrast light colors with dark, soft edges with hard lines, and elegant accessories with rough textures.
What To Buy When Mixing Neutral Masculine Colors & Feminine Shapes:
Beauvier French Cane Bed in gray
Purple Mattress (this is what I sleep on!)
Buffalo Check Drapery Panel in black and ivory
Handmade White Shag Area (low traffic areas such as bedrooms)
Black Tufted Armchair (Bergere style)
“Stripes are your secret weapon if you want to mix patterns together in your home because they go with almost any other pattern! Florals, ikats, geometrics, solids, or even other stripes, they’re very versatile!”
4. Embrace Earth Colors Plus a Pop of Color to Add Masculinity to a Feminine Room
Image Info: Shabby-chic Style Living Room, New York. Designer: The Silver Peacock.Example of a large cottage chic formal and enclosed medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in New York with white walls, no fireplace and no tv.
KidSpaces by TBL
Eclectic Kids, Los Angeles
Designer: Tim Barber Architects
Kids are often our most difficult clients to please! Why, you ask? Because we are up against unbridled creativity. So, we are forced to regress. Think like a child - like anything is possible if you can dream it. Dressers that open to reveal secret passage ways, hidden play-lofts in ceilings, beds tucked into alcoves, chalkboard hallways and headboards that double as toy chests. These are a few of our favorite things.
Mill Valley Cottage to Home Transformation by Jetton Construction
Shabby-chic Style Living Room, San Francisco
A summer camp built by the YMCA in the 1870s was converted into a family home built to last generations. Raising the ceilings above and excavating the slope beneath made space for a growing family. New details were created to look vintage, preserving the essence of the site, while the house will function in the 21st century, thanks to state-of-the-art systems.
Tahoe Retreat
Rustic Kitchen, San Francisco
Designer: Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs
Photographer: phillip harris
Inspiration for a rustic u-shaped open concept kitchen remodel in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, blue cabinets and paneled appliances
Modern Farmhouse in La Canada Flintridge
Farmhouse Basement, Los Angeles
Designer: JAMES V. COANE & ASSOCIATES, ARCHITECTS
Basement - cottage basement idea in Los Angeles
Livingston, NJ
Traditional Bedroom, New York
Deisgner: Lindsay MacRae Interiors, LLC
A full renovation for this boy's bedroom included custom built-ins on both ends of the room as well as new furniture, lighting, rug, accessories, and a Roman shade. The built-ins provide storage space and elegantly display an extensive collection of sports memorabilia. The built-in desk is a perfect place for studying and homework. A new recliner adds the right amount of sophistication
My Favorite Masculine Interior Design Finds
Click the image for more information.
Sources
20 Sophisticated All-Black Kitchen Ideas| My Domaine
Pros and Cons of Black Kitchen Cabinets - Designing Idea, DI Editorial Team & Writers
Is Mid-Century Modern Style On Its Way out in 2020 | Apartment Therapy
What is Mid Century Boho? – Design Dude's Life
Mixing Mid-Century and Bohemian Furniture | Memoky Blog
Dream Home Ideas: Mid-Century Boho Perfection | Modsy Blog
WhatIs Mid-Century Modern? the Popular Design Style, Explained | Insider.com
Why the world is obsessed with midcentury modern design – Curbed
13 Reasons Why Everyone Loves Mid-Century Modern Design | Unique Blog
How To Design a Masculine Room that You'll Love, Too | The Kuotes Blog
Battle of the sexes: Neutral décor may give common ground- The Morning Call, By Eloise DeHaan
Gender Neutral Decor: How to Mix Masculine & Feminine Style - MHM Professional Staging
Masculine Interiors | the composed interior
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