decorating with a man in mind, part two

welcome back to the adventures of decorating with a man in mind! part one covered the living area, but this time we are moving to the bedroom.

bedrooms, in my opinion, should be safe havens from the hustle and bustle of everyday life where you can fully retreat for much-needed r&r. i would love to do an airy white bedroom with subtle pops of color and metallic accents, perhaps something like this:

sigh. doesn't it look cozy? 

since i share my bedroom with the boyfriend, there were two opinions to account for and we had to compromise (no fluffy bedding; i even showed it to him, on the off-chance that he might go for it. he did not.) 

behold our actual bedroom:

titus photo-bombing

we built those shelves!

paisley pillows add a gender-neutral pattern

my little corner

i think we achieved the cozy retreat feeling here, although you can see it is a bit of a departure from what i might do if left to my own devices! 

there are some keys to decorating a bedroom with a man in mind:


1. bedding: this can be especially challenging; practically everything is flowered, or only comes in girly colors, so striking a gender-neutral balance involves some legwork. the boyfriend really wanted blue sheets, but i prefer the white ones because i can bleach them - it makes them look fresh, even after a year or two! to compromise, we chose this blue duvet cover and i added paisley pillows for a dash of pattern. 

2. furniture style: we chose pieces with modern silhouettes, since the vintagey traditional angle can trend towards too romantic for gentlemen. the dark wood theme is carried over from the living room for some visual continuity, and the dressers fit both our budget and the dimensions of our smaller-sized bedroom.

3. adding flair: we ladies have no trouble finding tzotchkes to enhance our personal spaces, but men tend to lean towards simple, or even bare, decor. if you are sharing a bedroom, i would recommend discussing any large decorative accents, like mirrors or artwork, to make sure the room is a comfortable retreat for both parties. for example, the boyfriend used to have a poster from the movie the boondock saints hanging above his bed. that really didn't work for me, but we both loved the idea of framing some postcards that i had sent him from venice.

resources

marshalls, tj maxx, and homegoods are wonderful for buying bedding on a budget- they stock sheet sets with high thread counts that won't break the bank, including some designer labels like ralph lauren, donna karan, and calvin klein. west elm and the company store also have great options that are affordable and aren't overtly feminine.

ikea furniture is good for small budgets, and they even have some nice wood pieces that hold up over time better than their particleboard counterparts. i love their picture frames: they're inexpensive and come in sizes that fit most pictures and prints, with a few different frame colors to choose from.

lastly, never underestimate the power of a good sale. i have found treasures from some of my favorite stores (ahem, west elm) at incredible discounts, so it never hurts to check back periodically!

decorating with a man in mind, part one

moving into a new apartment is always exciting: you have a great blank canvas that will serve as a backdrop to your life. paint colors, rugs, bedding, a statement sofa... the possibilities are endless.

my dream living room (this week) might look something like this:

<via my pinterest/apartment therapy>

love the accent wall, the pop of yellow, the mixture of classic and modern. the thing is, i don't live by myself. i live with a boy who tolerates my quirky, artsy aesthetic but decidedly does not want to live in an apartment that screams, "A GIRL LIVES HERE!" upon walking through the door. a number of my friends are facing the same challenge, and i thought i would include a series of posts about the conundrum of decorating with a man in mind. 

now that you've seen my dream living room, let's take a glance at my real living room:

apologies for the awkward tight angle! brownstones = long narrow spaces!

my favorite things: the gallery wall, the classic/modern blend of new pieces with antiques passed down from parents and grandparents, and the overall cozy feel of the room. it definitely does not feel girly, but at the same time it doesn't come across as a bachelor pad.

we used these three guidelines when we were making decisions to stay focused:

1. practicality for your lifestyle. we went with all dark woods, since we already owned a few pieces with that aesthetic. i gravitate toward white, but it is VERY hard to keep clean (boys make messes. period.)

2. budget. we both work for non-profits, so we got creative with sourcing. we are huge fans of craigslist, and IKEA has some great pieces that don't look cheap. 

3. space limitations. our apartment is small, so we have limited storage and needed to capitalize on the vertical wall space. we also couldn't have any oversized furniture.

our first major choice was seating. i absolutely fell in love with this sofa from west elm: great neutral color, amazing tufting, perfect size, reasonable price.

west elm elton settee

unfortunately, my selection was vetoed (apparently boys find tufting to be old-ladyish.) after scouring other sources, we came upon another west elm sofa that was on sale! i didn't love it as much, but the boyfriend liked it and it did have a classic modern silhouette, was the right size for the space, and the gray-blue color tied into some of the artwork we had in the room. 

west elm sutton sofette (old color)

we later found this amazing leather slipper chair (also west elm; yes, i am addicted to their stuff.) on craigslist! i love the way the sofa and chair have similar lines, but provide different textures so the room looks more curated and less matchy.

titus on "his" chair

you can also see our dining table in the background: we opted for something high to play on the room's long and narrow dimensions, and i loved the idea of mixing brushed aluminum chairs with the wood table (you get a clearer view of it in this post.)

finishing touches: our bar area. the boyfriend found this marble-topped rolling bar cart on craigslist, as well as the mini-fridge, which we use for mixers, juices and beer. i love having people over, and it's helpful to have all the fixings for a nice cocktail at the ready!

that's our kitchen in the background - one of the huge selling points of our place! we love the open plan, so if you're cooking you are still part of the party! we added counter space with the rolling butcher block cart, also found on craigslist.

so, there you have it: decorating with a man in mind. we created a living space that reflects both of us by balancing one part masculine with one part quirky artistic flourish, and the outcome is a living room that we both love to come home to!