If you’re a fella who’s in the process of setting up his home office, you shouldn’t settle for a plastic chair and a laptop. You’ll need a work environment that makes you feel like the go-getter you really are!
In that spirit, here are a few home office decor suggestions for the male of the species:
- Capture the masculine spirit with nature-inspired colors
- Embrace the Mad Men within all of us
- Work in an upscale man cave
- Make your desk your domain
- Adorn the office with the things you love
- Take advantage of a view
Tired of a boring, neutral workspace? Read on to learn how to put your own masculine spin on it!
Decorate in Nature-Themed Hues
What do you picture when you imagine the offices of Theodore Roosevelt & Winston Churchill? If you imagine a world of soft leather, dark brown desks, and green wallpaper, then you’re in the right frame of mind for your new home office.
Neutral browns and grays are more than typically masculine colors. They’re helpful in getting the mind to relax, easing concentration. Roosevelt and Churchill had enough to worry about without getting distracted by bright pink wall sconces, so take a tip from the gentlemen of yore, and lean your design choices towards darker, softer tones.
Dominate the Corporate World from a Mid-Century Office
The TV show Mad Men brought back the style and elegance of mid-century design. The popularity of smooth lines and clean angles means the Mad Men aesthetic is more available and affordable than ever.
To pull off the Don Draper look, Real Homes recommends a “statement chair”, and what could make a better statement than the iconic Eames lounge chair? While you’re at it, top off your desk with a Newtons Cradle and really show them who’s boss!
Man Caves Aren’t Just for Video Games
People generally associate a “man-cave” with a room where bros can get together to watch football or play pool (both noble endeavors). These same characteristics, coincidentally, make rooms like these ideally suited as workspaces as well.
You can combine recreation and work by putting a desk and office chair opposite the traditional couch and flat-screen setup. Also, since you’re the one doing the decorating, you can put up all the prints and art objects you want that provide inspiration for both work and play. Just don’t keep the beer fridge too close to the work desk. This is a home office, after all.
Don’t Skimp on The Desk
With so many different stains, colors, and styles available, there’s no reason to settle on the first desk you encounter. This is your chance to have an office all to yourself, so you’ll want your desk to be up to the task.
Hunker.com, for example, proposes a natural wood desk cut right out of the tree! If that’s not your style, keep looking. You can go spare and modern, or heavy and oak. This is one desk you don’t have to share with anyone, so you make the call.
Decorate Without Compromise
Embrace the fact that you’re the designer of your work environment. No longer are you slaving away at a regular office, where you’re forced to stare at the same motivational posters someone put up in 2005. You can hang your own nature, sports, or entertainment photos and prints, or whatever else that moves you.
Fill the shelves with your hobby equipment. If you like to fish, this is where you’ll keep your rods. Are you a photographer? Storing lenses and cameras on the shelves will make your office look sharp, and they’ll be easy to get to should you feel inspired to snap a couple photos.
If Your Office Has a View, Use It
Man-caves don’t have to be real caves, and offices at home can have great views just as they would in the business world. If you’re fortunate enough to have a commanding view of nature, the neighborhood, or just the backyard, decorate your home office with the scenery in mind.
When choosing decor, manofmany.com recommends minimalist styles if you have city views, and warmer rustic colors and hues if your windows open to a natural setting.
Conclusion
Once you start the process of designing your home office, let your imagination take you wherever it wants to go. There are dozens of different types of office cabinets, organizers, and accessories that will help you be more efficient and productive, so take your time. Whether you settle on a bold office or one that’s more minimal, it’s your environment to do with as you please, so it’s worth investing the time and money necessary for the ideal home office for “him.”