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Much like the gift selection for Father’s Day, masculine decorating options can seem a bit limited.
Let’s be real, not every man wants jerseys hanging on the wall and a football field rug. Unfortunately, so much of that stuff is marketed towards men as interior design options that it’s hard to piece together alternative looks.
Luckily, a sleek, sophisticated, masculine aesthetic is attainable.
Here’s a look at modern masculine decor.
Masculine Interior Design Styles
Styling a room with masculinity in mind doesn’t have to be limiting, nor does it have to starkly contrast with the rest of your home the way a designated “man cave” tends to. There’s enough diversity in what reads as “masculine” that you can apply masculine motifs to whatever fits with the rest of your home if you want to.
Industrial
This is probably the first style you think of when you think of masculine decor, and with good reason. With its emphasis on exposed wood grain, angular forms, and machinery-inspired metals, most industrial decor already gives strong masculine vibes. That lets you play with shapes and warmth a little bit more.
York Industrial Tree 72 in. Black Floor Lamp with Shade
Contemporary
Look for modern, no-frills objects and simple shapes. Grays and wood tones go well with this style. This simple shag rug isn’t frilly or particularly ornamental (which is perfect for what we’re going for), but it will add warmth to your space and pull multiple elements together.
Rustic
Masculine rustic decor fits in perfectly with homes that lean into lived-in charm. If you’re into the Modern Farmhouse aesthetic or any brand of shabby chic, this is probably the way to go. Look for natural and nature-inspired tones or antique pieces with strong lines, like this trunk-style coffee table.
Mojica Coffee Table with Storage
Mid-Century
If the rest of your home is Mid-Century Modern, you won’t have to look too far to transition into Mid-Century masculine territory. The style’s spare silhouettes and sleek lines already lend themselves perfectly to a masculine tone. Here, the biggest adjustment you’ll want to make is probably in the color palette. Lean toward grays, reserved greens, deep, inky blues, and moody neutrals.
Modern Masculine Decor Guide
1. Color Palette
Start with deep earth tones and or a monochrome neutral look. Black, brown, and cream are great neutral colors that will work well for a masculine room design.
2. Furniture Selection
When it comes to furniture selection, break away from the norm by finding unique pieces.
Large trunks and chests used as coffee tables are very trendy right now.
Another creative idea is to use antique luggage for nightstands.
If you don’t want to go antique shopping for these items, consider a modern industrial decor vibe.
Many of the furniture pieces use exposed piping or metals with a raw look. These are great options for decorating a masculine space.
3. Material Selection
As I mentioned above metal is a material option that is very masculine. Wood and concrete complement metal very well.
Consider working these three materials into your room design. And, of course, I would be remiss not to mention leather as well.
4. Strong Shapes
Masculine home decor tends to be light on curves and heavy on sharp angular corners. Go for rectangular or square furniture as your base and work in more organic shapes with small tabletop decor accents.
5. Wall Art
Finding masculine wall decor sounds a lot harder than it is. Go for gallery-style paintings. Either a collection of smaller, artfully arranged pieces or a large oversized installation is the way to go.
Macrame has a reputation for being very feminine, but I love the way this wall hanging sticks to a masculine, simplistic color scheme and motif while bringing a touch of warmth into your space.
Grey and Bronze Canvas Hanging
Bold abstract art pieces with pops of warm neutrals (like gold) make a big visual statement but won’t rock the boat stylistically.
Bold, angular shapes push this even further. You’re sticking to a neutral color palette and geometric artistry, but gold warms up the vibe and adds dimension to the whole space. Masculinity is synonymous with simplicity, but don’t confuse emptiness with simplicity. Masculine spaces can (and should) be beautiful, too.
Of course, men like color, too. Combining a quintessentially masculine color like navy with a contrasting color in this wallpaper lifts the color palette of the whole room without veering too hard into the colorful territory.
6. Decorations
While masculine decor tends to be light on decorative objects, that doesn’t mean you should avoid them entirely. Rather, find pieces with a big visual payoff. Keep masculine rooms light on knick-knacks and tchotchkes, but foregoing decorations entirely can leave a room looking incomplete and give off an “unfinished bachelor pad” vibe.
The earthiness of a matte ceramic screams “masculine” in a way that’s still very modern. It’s a bit like the updated version of decorative hunting-inspired paraphernalia. And these colors are airy and light, so they’ll breathe life into your space.
Climbing Stairs Bronze Sculpture
Bronze art has been read as masculine for years, which is fortunate because it also packs a punch.
Multifunctional pieces, like this lamp that’s stylish enough to stand on its own as a decor piece, are ideal for masculine spaces.
When you’re limiting extraneous decorative items, you want every piece in a room, even ones as simple as a practical lamp, to evoke some kind of visual tone.
There’s no need to be afraid of color in masculine spaces. I love the way this agate piece breathes life into a room.
The minimalist gold stand and the fact that the color is coming from something rugged and natural still reads as very masculine, even though the piece itself is brightly colored.
Masculine Bedroom Decor
All these traits coalesce at their peak in a masculine bedroom.
The bedroom is generally associated with being warm, cozy, and often frilly, but with a few judicious design choices, you can absolutely create a masculine vibe without leaning into “frat house” territory.
Shift your perspective from masculine decor being drab and stagnant. Think of how the best men in your life make you feel – safe, steady, secure. That’s what you want a masculine bedroom to feel like.
Aim for sleek, minimalist styles. Layer darker tones to add dimension.
An intense monochromatic color palette of masculine colors can be flat and even cloistering, but if you use a handful of them or incorporate texture, it creates a vibrant space that still feels very grounded and steady.
And that’s exactly what we’re aiming for. This woven-style wallpaper perfectly illustrates how intense colors can still feel cozy.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty, there’s a lot of flexibility in what that can mean. Experiment with dark wall colors like black, deep gray, brown, and blue – again, layered, so you’re adding dimension without overwhelming the eye.
Look for pieces made of leather, flannel, wool, or even concrete. Embrace straight lines and hard edges, like this nightstand.
One of the virtues of masculine decor is the lack of unnecessary ornamentation and objects. When you do use decorative objects, choose ones that stand out on their own, like this sculptural table vase.
Facet Black Ceramic Table Vase
Seeing masculine design in action can show you that it’s not just for men – it’s more about the vibes than about gender.
Conclusion
Do you have any ideas for creating a masculine room design? Please comment below.
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