You've got male!

I’ve recently realized we’ve been a little sexist here at Material Girls and often tend to write about the more feminine design finds and trends that are out there. But what about all those males who need decorating advice? (and believe me, I’ve come across MANY!) I’ve heard it before… “I really don’t have a preference on how my house is designed”. Oh but just wait- a few weeks into the project and they have all sorts of opinions! Which I think is absolutely great- most men have a certain style that they lean towards but they just can’t find a way to pull everything together. Well, we are finally here to help inspire you!

So us at Material Girls, mind you, decided to forgo the cutesy floral, Valentine, celebrity, nursery, Audrey Hepburn, Hollywood Glam posts that we’ve been writing about for the past few months and get down to business to satisfy some of our male readers out there (trust me it was very hard to let go of our inclination to talk about mirrored furniture and pink décor!) But whoever you are, I apologize and feel your pain. I know it has probably been difficult to read about what we think is “so cute”, “so fabulous” and “so chic”!

Hence the idea of this post was born and is dedicated to all you males out there who are having a hard time finding your “look”. We know you’ve been yearning for more masculine ideas for your home. Enjoy!

I loved this room the first time I saw it in Elle Decor- rustic elements mixed in with a few sleek metallic pieces really makes this room interesting! I love how they mounted the flat screen tv on a single pole and am also drawn to the few added pops of color throughout the otherwise neutral setting.

Now this is one of my absolute favorites- a room designed by David Oldroyd featured in Met Home. This room to me looks incredibly cozy and VERY rich looking. The deep chocolate hues paired with bold blues, greens, and gold accents is so striking!

Another gorgeous room in Met Home designed by Vincente Wolf. This home in Long Island was created for a "finance man in search of serenity" as described by the magazine. The Arne Jacobsen Swan chairs really do give this room its wow factor! This relaxing retreat of a study sticks to subdued neutrals making this room more of a getaway as opposed to a distraction. All men need one of these!

One word- fabulous. This apartment belongs to the architect Carlos Aparicio and was featured in Elle Decor. Do you remember this one? Pretty hard to forget! Never feel like you have to give in to the "rules"- why not put a daybed in your Living Room? No one is stopping you! What an inventive seating arrangement! A palette like this is good if you would rather have your home feeling light and airy as opposed to dark and intimate.

I just can't help myself from tearing out photos of every room I see with Panton chairs. It is one of my favorite chairs of all time- a design classic that never goes out of style. This kitchen could satisfy both a male and female- it's a good compromise for a young couple who want a fresh, non gender look. Did you notice all of those great wooden "cubby holes" in the built in? Imagine how much wine you could store in there!

This calming Living Room from Met Home is very of the moment! All of those silver and gray tones mixed in with icy blue pillows looks like pure serenity. I especially love the sketchy look of the artwork (a Kirill Chelushkin drawing). This room is very understated- nothing too flashy but the velvet and silk fabric throughout gives this room appeal and a feeling of luxury.

This room to me is a little bit more fun and amusing than the others. A great decorating idea I got from this room is to put billiard balls in a small decorative bowl on your coffee table and voila- instant color! Owner of this home is Jeffrey Povero. He also designed this sofa you see here and the rug (inspired by David Hicks). Remember: never shy away from creativity- Jeffrey even used drapes made from gray flannel suit fabric! You can't get more masculine and original than that! Also adding antiques to your room will really give it character and a bit of history (his coffee table was given to him by his grandmother)...so sweet!

If you haven't seen the new Domino yet, you need to pick it up! It features Drew Barrymore's company, Flower Films and their new office! Here is her manager/publicist Chris Miller in his private office. I adore the chrome accented rosewood desk he has! Chris defines his room as "warm, cozy, sleek and understated." That's always a good start when designing a room- first pick a few words that describe how you want your new space to feel and then your ideas will start flowing!

A very minimal look, this kitchen exudes simplicity and modernism to the core! You don't need much in a room like this- black, white, and some bursts of color will do the trick!

Ohhh Nate...Nate Berkus has been my male designer icon for as long as I can remember. I first laid eyes on Nate when he autographed a turquoise vase for me at Linens and Things when he first spawned his collection there. A couple years later, the vase broke and I managed to piece it back together. A few years after that, the famous vase fell in my bathroom again for the last time and is now sadly laid to rest- I was devastated! I of course still try to keep up with Nate's latest projects and manage to watch every Oprah episode he is on. His designs are really genius and if you males out there are looking for design inspiration, Nate is your guy! The interior in his own home tends to be more masculine, stylish, and cozy! Here is an image below from a recent episode of Oprah where he showed off his own home: