In a Manly Mood

Masculine ModernRoom by Candice Olsen of Divine Design
This room has a really strong presence. It is filled with gender neutral items, but has a distinctly masculine appeal. The dark woods, the large scale furniture, the tough, yet sophisticated leather and velvet seating, the non-matching, yet cohesive design items. This is masculine style at its best...not plaids and moose heads, but definitely strong, sturdy, and manly!

The key elements of a masculine room include:
1. Rich textures
2. Deep color palette
3. Personal items
4. Layering of different styles and items
5. Use of Iconic male design elements

Now, using this list, let's see how well the room above scores in its masculine design!

1. Looking at the room there are a wide variety of textures: leather, velvet, marble, dark wood, silk window panels, glass tile, mirrors. This is definitely very rich in texture!
2. The color palette of this room is mellow. The browns, oranges, black, grays, and the dim light keep the room darkened, but not dark. It is definitely full of deep vivid colors.
3. Most men's room have a bit of personality intertwined with the design that doesn't quite go with the room in theory, but in actuality keep the room from being Sherlock Holmes Stuffy or James Bond Slick. The paintings, the floating flowers in the bowl, the figurines on the mantel...are examples of these types of pieces.
4. In its bare form, the room is a dark wood room with black marble...very masculine base. When you think of what the next layer was, it was the contemporary furniture, yet everything else is a nod to other styles. The very mod pillows, low table, lighting and lines were the next layer. Then just a slight bit of shine with the glass, mirrors, and metallics. Lastly, the small touches like the floating flowers, and paintings were added for that quirky detail.
5. The dark wood, the tortoise shell floor, the marble, the leather, the nature inspired art...these are items that are iconicly masculine.
So this room is most definitely masculine in design and in practice. I am sure any man or woman would love it...don't you!