Interior design for men

Men are notoriously oblivious when it comes to interior design. Take a look into a bachelor's pad or a married guy's man cave and you'll likely see a motley assortment of decorations, or none at all. In the Wall Street Journal, contributor Dale Hrabi said, "It's assumed that they're either indifferent . . . or energetically tasteless." Case in point: the 2012 Man Cave of the Year, declared by ManCaveSite.org, showcased such mismatched accessories as a suit of armor, a fire hydrant, and plastic toy cars.

Tariq Dixon, co-founder of Trnk of New York City, hopes to create a new style that a man's man can get behind with interesting themes and masculine patterns. His company "explores broader notions of what the male living space can be," which is another way of saying, guys who care even a little bit can get their space to "match" in a cool way.

Co-founders Tariq and Nick Nemecheck, both 27, started their business as an answer for men who are discouraged from exploring interior design by the feminine nature of design magazines. Men can be bewildered by the feminine look of bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms, and the truth is, women are
the targets of these magazines. Design writers don't expect men to care about such topics. Dixon aims  to change that assumption with his company's designs, in which, he said, "you won't see toile, tuffets, canopy beds, flora and fauna wallpaper, and other cliches of ladylike design."

Instead of flowers and ruffles, expect to see a preponderance of distressed leather, midcentury modern furniture, geometric rugs, and one or two dead animals. To prove to guys that these styles are "cool" or "manly," Trnk has created a "Stories" page which points to celebrities and other role models who incorporate similar color palettes and designs into their interior design. A major portion of the men featured are single, but a third are married, indicating that men can still make design decisions once they share their homes with a female companion.

A few trends users can expect to see include heritage design (with patriotic colors and American flags), cowhide rugs, vintage products, and globes. Dixon said, "We've visited about 30 homes already and half of them had globes" which he said is because "men often gravitate to decorative objects they can rationalize as functional."

Interior Decorating and Remodeling News Brought to You by
BaseBoardRadiatorCover.com (http://baseboardradiatorcover.com/)

Source:  stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-455895/