“Expect to see men taking a bigger role in the design and details of furnishings of the home”.

Niki Schäfer, Director Niki Schäfer Interior Design

Whilst an increase of women being the main breadwinner of the household has led to a rise in the number of stay at home dads, men are also increasingly working from home and more time spent at home is stimulating growing interest in what the finer details of the home looks like.

The Male Interior Trend

“Interior design like any art form goes through trends and I predict that the biggest one to come is the rise of the relationship between men and interior design.”

Niki Schäfer, Director Niki Schäfer Interior Design

Long gone is the traditional view that it is up to the female in the house to spend her day deciding what shade of blue the curtains should be, and we are moving into a time where men feel more comfortable with not just DIY but in putting together the design and details of furnishings.

But why is this? When it comes to DIY, men are still taking the lead but Schäfer believes the estimate of over 227,000 men staying at home to look after the children, a figure that is higher than it has ever been, has some bearing, as does more time spent by men working from home.   In Schafer’s view men generally want to put more of their stamp on their home, and she believes it is long overdue.

The Masculine Interior

A home is about all the people living under the roof.  What we are seeing on the ground level is whilst men previously were probably involved in choosing large pieces of furniture and perhaps things like the lighting, these days they are taking more of an interest in the finer details like tables, cushions, curtains and their children’s rooms.  It’s no longer seen as overly feminine, and with DIY projects always on the rise, men are these days enjoying seeing their projects all the way through including the finer detail.

So what can we expect to see from a male influence?  Schäfer says think functionality and possibly higher ticket items such as TV and AV systems as well as some specific style influences, such as a more masculine linearity, sleek shapes and fuss-free finishes. Colour choices might also be influenced with greys and noticeably darker shades already becoming evident in today’s interiors.

For an interior design consultation and discuss ways we can incorporate your masculine touches on the home, give Niki a call, or for more design inspiration please take a look through our projects and case studies.