This being my inaugural blog for DailyXY, I wanted to delve into the concept of dudes as designers and what defines a man’s touch where home design is concerned.
When I thought about what defines male-influenced design, I remembered a scene in the movie When Harry Met Sally, where a couple move in together and the guy (played by Bruno Kirby) insists on integrating his beloved wagon-wheel coffee table into their blissful home, but ultimately it is relegated to the curb where it really did belong. Hey, that was the ’80s and I like to think that us guys have progressed far beyond the stigma of bad recliners and neon beer signs.
In my mind, a masculine space marries a clean, functional approach with texture and often-quirky found objects such as African masks or vintage signs can add interest to a space. Men tend to favour rugged materials, lending an ease to living in a space: the coffee table in our living room is made of B.C. Douglas Fir with a simple oiled finish, great for eating sushi on while watching a flick without the fear of spilled soya sauce ruining the table. When it comes to living with women, differences will always be present, but it really is all about a little give and take. Women today are more open to a man’s ideas and are happy to see a man take more of a valid interest in the way a home looks.
One final note; stick to your guns when it comes to the location of the male technology essential, the TV. That groovy piano-finish flat screen from Bang & Olufsen is a work of art and our hockey game viewing should no longer be confined to that ‘man cave” known as the den or rec room.
