by Phoenix, HSM team writer

Home has a number of spaces that lend themselves to masculine interior design.

Lockwood has several of these, three created recently: Serenity Lake, the VIP space, and the Polar Rush Tundra Space. While these spaces have male in their title, they have the same appearance as the female offerings of the same series. The difference in these is really all about the clothing included in the purchase. Most things in Home have a definite female side to it, so it may be hard to find the male aesthetic; from fashion to interior design, females have the spotlight here.

So, to that end, let’s look at the elements of masculine design and give a little attention to the guys in Home.

Home, like everywhere else in the world, speaks to the sexes in different languages. Furniture content here is usually designed for everyone, allowing use in ways that are non-gender-specific when taken at face value. But when you know what to look for, you can design a space that is decidedly male in appeal, without all the obvious sports paraphernalia, or sexy female wall hangings as cues.

Straight lines make a room feel more masculine. A male-designed room is determined by shape, in many respects. Shape and weight are key to keeping the feel masculine in a space. Heavy, sturdy objects with square corners and straight lines are perfect for this. I’m not saying you can’t use a well designed rococo-influenced piece or a Georgian desk; of course you can. These are generalities to be mindful of.

A male-designed room can be masculine without being overpowering. Geometric shapes are another way to bring male elements of design into a space. Upholstery in patterns, such as plaids, and objects with straight lines, along with alternating hard and soft items, large box shaped pieces of furniture: say, an overstuffed sofa juxtaposed with a wooden coffee table.

Culturally, colors are assigned masculine and feminine characteristics. Male colors are colors that are usually deep and dark. Dark greens, along the hunter shade, dark blues, such as navy, grays, steel, gunmetal, and of course black. Feminine colors are pearls and pinks, soft pastel yellows. The same goes for items in the natural world: gold is assigned to the male embodiment in design. It is best not to use objects that have a high shine to them too often, however, unless it’s metals and accents. Dark neutral colors give a male-centered feel. Shades of white can be used with beiges and off-whites; adding these colors can keep the design from becoming too dark and overpoweringly oppressive.

Leather is naturally thought of when you think of a masculine design, and yes, it is a great look in a male-centric room. But, again, using upholstery to offset the leather will keep a good balance and keep the room from becoming too hard. Using throw pillows in the real world can be a good way to take the edge off a room full of leather furniture; use pillows done in a male-centric fabric — corduroy, or even tweed. But here in Home you will need to find alternatives.

Some content has these accents built right in.  A shag area rug is a plus under a heavy wooden coffee table or glass accent table, or just on top of a wood floor. In a male design the use of accessories should be kept to a minimum. The focus here is to be masculine, so keep the attention on the furniture and a few well-chosen wall colors and pieces or works of art. In a bedroom, you might place a small table on each side of the bed and put matching lamps on them. In a kitchen, you might frame the door with narrow, vertical wine racks or stand a rectangular wine rack in a corner. Keep the details simple and the focus on the whole.

Most importantly, though: be bold. This is a virtual world, where furniture and real estate are microtransactions, and there’s no real physical labor involved in completely reinventing a space as often as you wish.

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2 Responses to “Home’s Masculine Designs”

1. Jin Lovelace says:

   May 19, 2014 at 3:27 pm

   Gawd you create some of the best decor pieces in this publication.

   I was so inspired recently to go nuts and grab a few interior items (three ups on remembering to FINALLY purchase the Weather Cubes by nDreams). So now I’m just going ballistic with my empty spaces, and came out with some very interesting results.

   Thanks for this article, Phoenix. I greatly appreciate your contribution to this medium that I don’t see many do often.

   Reply
   • Phoenix says:

     May 20, 2014 at 11:49 pm

     Thank You Jin! I love this medium and the hours of down time I get doing this. (truly am in awe that it gets noticed.) ty

     Reply