All the Single Men, These Bedroom Designs Tips are for You
Hey guys, want a bedroom that's comfortable, stylish and accommodating? Read on
I’m always curious about gender differences when it comes to design. Being a man, I’m particularly on the lookout for styles that appeal to masculine tastes. But basically it’s a means with no end, because it’s impossible – and impractical – to lump all men into a category of style. Everyone is different.
But there are some similarities that tend to span the spectrum of what guys want – and that differ from women’s tastes – when it comes to design. (These similarities are easier to spot with single guys, because the style is unadulterated by another person.) One is the way we talk about and describe design.
But there are some similarities that tend to span the spectrum of what guys want – and that differ from women’s tastes – when it comes to design. (These similarities are easier to spot with single guys, because the style is unadulterated by another person.) One is the way we talk about and describe design.
Interior designer Shirley Meisels says the sleekness that guys seek should be softened just a tad, an approach she took when designing this Toronto bachelor pad. “A home has softer touches,” she says. “The bedroom should be a soft place to land at the end of a long day. Add a throw blanket and cushions, something comfortable and cosy. That’s what makes a house a home.”
Chair: Design Within Reach; bed: custom; rug: Elte
Chair: Design Within Reach; bed: custom; rug: Elte
Tips for single guys designing a bedroom
Communicate your lifestyle
An interior designer will almost always start a project with an interview to get at the root of how you live. Do you travel a lot? Work a night shift? Do you need blackout curtains? Watch TV in bed? Turn on the news in the morning? This will dictate the layout and put focus on important elements in the room, like splurging on a top-of-the-line mattress as opposed to built-in audiovisual equipment.
Communicate your lifestyle
An interior designer will almost always start a project with an interview to get at the root of how you live. Do you travel a lot? Work a night shift? Do you need blackout curtains? Watch TV in bed? Turn on the news in the morning? This will dictate the layout and put focus on important elements in the room, like splurging on a top-of-the-line mattress as opposed to built-in audiovisual equipment.
Don’t be selfish
How long do you plan to live alone? Sometimes it’s not a question of if someone else will move in but when. This goes for men and women. If you’re designing a space, you might want to think about how it will accommodate another person and his or her style. Should you include a full-length mirror? More wardrobe space? A place for a blow dryer and curling iron in the bathroom? Will the colours, textures and furnishings appeal to others or just your own tastes?
How long do you plan to live alone? Sometimes it’s not a question of if someone else will move in but when. This goes for men and women. If you’re designing a space, you might want to think about how it will accommodate another person and his or her style. Should you include a full-length mirror? More wardrobe space? A place for a blow dryer and curling iron in the bathroom? Will the colours, textures and furnishings appeal to others or just your own tastes?
Stick with neutral colours
Guys tend to feel more comfortable with a palette of white, grey and black. Think about adding colour with a piece of artwork or an accessory rather than a big, splashy red wall or bright bedding. And be sure to balance out the neutrals. “Black and grey can be really harsh for a bedroom, so I try to make it feel cosier,” Meisels says. “To soften that I introduce natural materials like linen, wool and natural stone.”
Mirrors, bedside tables, Amelia bed, lamps, rug: High Fashion Home
Guys tend to feel more comfortable with a palette of white, grey and black. Think about adding colour with a piece of artwork or an accessory rather than a big, splashy red wall or bright bedding. And be sure to balance out the neutrals. “Black and grey can be really harsh for a bedroom, so I try to make it feel cosier,” Meisels says. “To soften that I introduce natural materials like linen, wool and natural stone.”
Mirrors, bedside tables, Amelia bed, lamps, rug: High Fashion Home
Don’t skimp on the mattress
Many guys travel a lot for work and aren’t home very much. Having a calm and serene bedroom and, most important, a comfortable bed to come home to should be a top priority. OK, you might not want to drop $32,000 for a queen-size mattress, but you get the idea. Invest in your sleep, bro.
Many guys travel a lot for work and aren’t home very much. Having a calm and serene bedroom and, most important, a comfortable bed to come home to should be a top priority. OK, you might not want to drop $32,000 for a queen-size mattress, but you get the idea. Invest in your sleep, bro.
Consider your audiovisual equipment
Meisels gets a lot of requests to incorporate technology into guys’ bedroom designs. But having a TV and gaming consoles in your bedroom can disrupt sleep, so make sure these devices can easily be put away when it’s bedtime.
TV cabinets, built-in wall systems and screens that drop down from the ceiling are all worth considering.
Meisels gets a lot of requests to incorporate technology into guys’ bedroom designs. But having a TV and gaming consoles in your bedroom can disrupt sleep, so make sure these devices can easily be put away when it’s bedtime.
TV cabinets, built-in wall systems and screens that drop down from the ceiling are all worth considering.
Display your stuff
Hollis notes that in her experience, men tend to collect more things than women – surfboards, vintage guitars, stereo equipment and old cameras – and they always want to display them proudly. Think about the things you collect and how you will want to incorporate them into your design.
Hobbies on display
Hollis notes that in her experience, men tend to collect more things than women – surfboards, vintage guitars, stereo equipment and old cameras – and they always want to display them proudly. Think about the things you collect and how you will want to incorporate them into your design.
Hobbies on display
Follow function
Guys want a place for everything. We want the plugs right in the bedside table for our phones and devices. We want a spot for the remote right on the bedside table, and we want big dressers and wardrobe systems for our clothes.
Figure out where your devices will go and make sure you have a place for them. “If I tell a guy, ‘This is where you put your shoes,’ that’s where he’ll put his shoes forever,” Hollis says. “They like that programming in the house so they don’t have to think about organising.”
Hollis created this space for a young doctor. He works night shifts and needed a dark space suitable for sleeping during the day. Floor-to-ceiling drapes, a dark brown sisal carpet and warm wood do the job.
Carpet: Stark Carpet; drapes: Martin Kobus; dresser: Restoration Hardware; pendant lights: Leucos; bed: custom
Photo by Ben Mayorga
TELL US
If you are a single guy or girl, what are the must-haves in your home? Share in the Comments below.
Guys want a place for everything. We want the plugs right in the bedside table for our phones and devices. We want a spot for the remote right on the bedside table, and we want big dressers and wardrobe systems for our clothes.
Figure out where your devices will go and make sure you have a place for them. “If I tell a guy, ‘This is where you put your shoes,’ that’s where he’ll put his shoes forever,” Hollis says. “They like that programming in the house so they don’t have to think about organising.”
Hollis created this space for a young doctor. He works night shifts and needed a dark space suitable for sleeping during the day. Floor-to-ceiling drapes, a dark brown sisal carpet and warm wood do the job.
Carpet: Stark Carpet; drapes: Martin Kobus; dresser: Restoration Hardware; pendant lights: Leucos; bed: custom
Photo by Ben Mayorga
TELL US
If you are a single guy or girl, what are the must-haves in your home? Share in the Comments below.
If you’re a single guy trying to design, say, a bedroom – or if you’re designing a bedroom for a single man — there are a few things you’ll want to consider. To get your creative juices flowing, try to think of the best hotel room you’ve stayed in. “A lot of guys travel for business, and their only introduction to luxury spaces has been at hotels, so their requests tend to mimic those,” Hollis says.
It’s a good place to start. Hotel suites tend to be serene, have great beds and have minimalist design that speaks to efficiency, practicality and functionality – all hallmarks that form what many would call masculine design.
Here a bedroom designed by Hollis for a traveling bachelor in the finance industry recalls European hotel suites in which he stayed on business trips. A suede headboard, custom-made European oak bed and white cowhide rug soften the clean, minimalist design. Practical luggage racks at the end of the bed provide a place for the homeowner’s suitcases.