Sparse furniture and empty walls may describe the typical man’s home, but after a certain age, dorm room style just doesn’t cut it anymore. So, how can a man decorate without becoming a metrosexual? After all, his living space must be something he can actually live with.
And since interior design is often thought of as a feminine realm, where does that leave a man who wants to add his personality to his home without having to resort to posters of Shaquille O’Neal or Heidi Klum?
The truth is that art in your home is a great conversation starter. If you have nothing on your walls or, worse yet, dorm room posters, you don’t have anything to turn to during an uncomfortable silence.
Never fear there ARE options. You don’t have to resort to floral paintings or prints of the Mona Lisa to create a masculine atmosphere that is also classy. Nor do you have to create a bachelor pad complete with a bed that shows up out of nowhere at the touch of a button. A man can easily let everyone know that he appreciates fine art without having to alter who he is or how he is perceived.
Western art themes are very popular today and are a perfect way to decorate a man’s place without compromise. Paintings and photographs in this style can easily add flair to a den, home office, workshop, or living room. These works are high art no frat boy style here but will allow a man’s space to look like a man’s space.
The cowboy paintings of Frank Tenney Johnson are so stunning that even women like them. The action-packed cowboys and Indians scenes depicted in Charles Marion Russell’s paintings can add color to a neutral toned room.
If Indians are your thing, Alfred Jacob Miller, George Catlin, and Karl Bodmer all paint exquisite portraits. The paintings of Henry Farny are so realistic that they almost look like photographs.
Western landscapes are a great way to merge styles when you move in with someone of the opposite sex because they’ll go with most anything and are not too masculine for a woman’s taste or too feminine for a man’s taste. These are available as both paintings and photographs.
The landscape paintings of Albert Bierstadt, for example, are softer than the cowboy paintings but still rugged. The sprawling canyon landscape paintings of Thomas Moran many of Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks almost look three-dimensional.
Of course, you can never go wrong with the black and white landscape photographs of the legendary Ansel Adams. They are majestic and sophisticated and will work with any color scheme.
Bear in mind that you don’t have to resort to log cabin design in order to grace your home with western art. Simply stick with dark colors like brown, blue, green, burgundy, maroon, and black. (The colors you wear most often will give you a hint what colors you’ll be able to live with in your home long-term.)
Leather furniture especially compliments western art, as does rugged wood tables. But don’t be afraid of velvet distressed velvet has an especially masculine look. It feels good to the touch and works well in most any decor.
If you want to add a pattern, choose stripes, houndstooth, paisley, or Indian prints. You can even put a pair of vintage cowboy boots in a corner and throw an Indian blanket on a neutral colored couch to create a cohesive look.
One thing is for sure, design doesn’t have to be feminine to be stylish. Now you can be an art-loving man’s man and impress your colleagues and friends not to mention the women in your life.
