If Hugh Hefner, the late founder of Playboy magazine, didn’t express his love for interior design, men would probably continue to ignore home aesthetics. Indeed, for centuries, it’s only women who were expected to have an interest in interior design. Heterosexual men aren’t supposed to have opinions about interior design at all, at least not ones they voiced out loud. A lot of men didn’t even have their own spaces; they usually resided with a woman, who cleans after them and maintains the home’s beauty.
Thankfully, today’s standards have changed and men are expected to partake in home maintenance as well. But still, a typical dude’s role in the house is in repairs and installations. When it comes to design, they’re still tight-lipped and indifferent.
While there’s nothing wrong with having interests other than interior design, heterosexuals males, especially boys, shouldn’t feel ashamed to express their preferences in style. Chances are they’d love to redecorate their rooms or remodel their bathrooms, but they’re shy to say so because interior design isn’t “masculine enough”.
In the age of bachelor pads, no boy should feel stigmatized for liking the interior design. Below are the rest of the reasons males should embrace their fondness for beautiful spaces:
Good Design Allows Boys to Express Their Personalities
We usually picture a boy’s room as a messy space with no sense of design at all. The only furniture is the bed and some storage units. We don’t expect area rugs, appealing window treatments, dramatic light fixtures, and wall decor unless a female family member spruces up that space. Still, the most decorations we could expect to see in a boy’s room are video game posters or sports-related items.
But boys shouldn’t be automatically tied to untidiness. It breeds toxic or fragile masculinity, teaching boys to shame their fellow males who care for their spaces well. We should encourage boys to be involved in designing their spaces instead. Hugh Hefner, who popularized one of the first known bachelor pads, would be proud.
The Playboy feature on Hefner’s home described the place as a pad “for the urban bachelor”. Such was defined as a man who enjoys good living, a sophisticated connoisseur of the arts, food and drink, and friendly companions of all genders. Hence, if a boy has particular interests or lifestyle choices, he should start regarding his space highly as early as now. His future home is going to be the ultimate display of his personality. Urban bachelor or not, he needs a space that’s an extension of himself.
Interior Design Trends Chooses no Gender
Country, shabby chic, and coastal styles may look feminine for the most part, but they’re not the only popular interior design trends out there. In fact, the styles that are currently rising in popularity lean on the masculine and unisex sides. Trendy industrial and contemporary designs are favored by all genders.
If interior design is too complex for you, don’t worry, because you’re not required to choose a specific design style. As long as your space is cohesive, it doesn’t matter if you have a contemporary, modern, or traditional space. Interior design styles don’t measure masculinity.
Good Design Improves Quality of Life
Do you ever feel high-spirited when your room’s cluttered? If your kitchen’s a mess, does the mood to cook a nice meal come? Chances are you feel anxious and unproductive instead because your untidy space evokes such moods.
Contrary to toxic beliefs, a real man’s space isn’t dirty. You can be completely manly while making your bed and working in the kitchen, too. Good design, combined with cleanliness, improves your quality of life.
In interior design, there are terms called form and function, both of which every guy should be familiar with. Form is the shape of something; for example, the shape of a sofa. Function is, well, the purpose of something. Using the same example, the function of a sofa is to provide comfortable seating.
When designing a space, boys should consider form and function. In most cases, you should prioritize form over function, because anything can be functional, but not formed right. For instance, if your room is big, you cannot use space-saving furniture in it, because it’s completely unnecessary. Even if space-saving furniture is satisfying to look at, they’re still out of place in a big room.
In rare instances, function can be more important than form. It’s most common in living rooms. Many guys settle for marshmallow or leather couches that lack appeal. But you don’t have to do the same for the sake of function. Style those unappealing couches with some throws, and you’d let form follow function, the way it should be.
While you don’t have to be invested in interior design, you should at least gain a little knowledge about it. When you know what you’re doing in your space, your creativity shines, and your masculinity becomes healthier.
