We love that we often get requests from men to help design their living rooms and bedrooms. It’s kind of cliche to think that all men want that typical bachelor pad look that includes all black, modern furniture, a leather couch and a huge TV. Not anymore! Thankfully, a lot of our male clients are asking for rooms that look more refined, well-designed and luxurious.
Funnily enough (or maybe not that funny at all), many couples also ask us to create bedrooms that are more gender neutral. There’s really not much of a difference between masculine bedrooms and gender neutral ones.
I remember that my own bedroom from my first condo was quite gender neutral as well. In fact, the walls were painted in a sumptuous blue suede colour that went perfectly with some blue bedding that had a tone-on-tone plaid pattern on it. I didn’t have much in the way of wall space as it was a corner unit condo with ceiling to floor windows. I used my own black and white photography, framed in black, over the headboard.
Fast forward to the two properties I lived in after. Both of which had a ton of feminine accents and I’m back in the gender neutral territory for my current space. Even though the title of this post says these design tips are for a manly bedroom, I think these work well when you’re looking to create a gender neutral bedroom as well.
Here are some of our best tips to keep in mind if you are a guy looking to furnish and decorate your bedroom or if you know one, please share this post with them. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it very much.
1. Choose a colour palette
Just as we suggest for any space, your starting point should be with a colour palette. Choose a neutral colour palette. Ideally your colour palette should consist of 3-5 colours. Pull from this colour palette for your walls, bedding, curtains, etc.
2. Start with the basics
Make a list of furniture you need for your home. A bed or a headboard. One or two nightstands. A rug, A dresser. Some lighting. Consider if you have room for all of these items.
Maybe you have a big enough room to have a chair or a little desk area. Think about how you want your room to function. Then make a list of furniture you need for it to function the way you’d like it to.
3. Keep it modern
For a masculine room or gender neutral space, consider choosing furniture that have clean lines and neutral colours. Modern, contemporary furniture will work well for a masculine bedroom design.
4. Decide what to feature
Every room needs a feature or somewhere to draw attention to when you walk in. If you have an amazing view out of your bedroom window, highlight this view with drapes that frame the window.
Creating interest on the wall where the bed is a natural fit in any bedroom not just in muscular bedrooms. Use paint or wallpaper to create interest on the wall.
Typically, I would suggest a headboard that creates some interest on its own for a bedroom. However, I feel that for a masculine bedroom, a minimalistic headboard works best.
5. Light for function and mood
At Daakor, we believe that your space should reflect you. A bedroom is no different and it should feel like it’s your room. Lighting can be a great way to add personality to the room. Especially when we try to keep accessories to a minimum.
Many of our clients like the idea of hanging a light fixture over the nightstand, instead of the more traditional table lamps. We love using architectural or sculptural looking floor lamps in bedrooms too.
Wall sconces are often overlooked but could be a nice way to add interest to a room.
These are our go-to tips for when designing a masculine bedroom. Your room doesn’t have to be dark or heavy to feel masculine. Instead choose a neutral colour palette, modern furniture and minimal accessories to create a look you’ll love.
Psst…you can find our best practices for designing a bedroom here. And we also shared this post on the bedroom design trends you need to know for 2022.
