Do you decorate girly?

Could you imagine...

this guy...

... having a bedroom like this?!?

No. Me neither. :)

When I decorated my bedroom, I did it girly to the hilt with the full knowledge that this room was for just my cats and I this round, so why not?  :)

my stairs

 

my work office 

my blog office

However, I wouldn't consider the rest of my home girly. Loads of rustic, wood and metal influences are scattered all over the homestead, offering both a masculine/feminine quality. And actually, my attempt is intentional. Whenever I set up a room, I think of that, even though I don't really 'have to' in my case.

So, how does one gauge how far to go either way?

Here are a few of the tips I consider when I create a space.

FJI tips on achieving a feminine/masculine balance:

Permanent things in neutral territory

I think there are feminine touches to my fireplace mantel decor, however the rock and wood features of the fireplace itself tip the level back into the neutral category.

Now visualize this mantel without the plant. That further hardens up the look. Plants soften the edges of rustic trinkets, which is why I love to use them. Otherwise, many areas in my home would look stark.

 

Now, strip away all the trinkets and you have decor that could sway either way.

So rather than choose, for example,  tile with lacy patterns all over it, consider something a little more neutral so accessories easily changed out can do all the talking. You get the idea.

Finishes used

 Finishes play a big part too. The gate is pretty rustic. Compare if you will, the gate with a crisp white clean finish. The appeal would be very different.

I personally tend to sway towards all thing rough and rustic, but not everyone does. And that's ok! I have a solution.

Painting / glazing offers a softer touch than hardcore beat up pieces that still rough the look up a level.

 Accessories

Let's use my living room as an example. While there are feminine pieces in the mix, the core would land in neutral territory if the pretty was stripped away.

Feminine - white coffee table with carved details, pillows

Masculine/neutral - beefy neutral sofa, rustic table centerpiece, glazed treatment on table, plain hardwood floors, crates under table for storage

feminine - crisp white gates

masculine/neutral - pretty much everything else. :)

 

 Colour

 Kinda goes without saying, doesn't it? While it's fun to go crazy and do it up to the hilt how we desire things to be, I personally like to consider what works with the others living there as well.

But who knows... maybe this home was large enough to incorporate a he and she bathroom or maybe she lived on her own like me. Or maybe her man was cool enough to dig this, lucky gal. :) It's beautiful either way, but definitely makes a strong feminine statement!

 above two photos are from Pinterest: click on photos for their source

I personally LOVE the look of a balance of both masculine and feminine qualities. I gauge it by imagining a guy walking into the room. Would he fit in? Would I fit in? How about kids and pets and all kinds of everyday action? I always want my home lived in to the hilt. Put your feet up don't worry about a scratch here and there. I grew up that way so I guess that upbringing provided a natural extention.

I hope my 'blog' boyfriend above isn't too fussy... ;)

Since I don't have a 'man' in the house, I'm curious on how girlie decorating works in your own homes. 

Do you tend to decorate feminine in every room? 

How do you strike a balance? 

What do the men in your life say about this? Does it even matter? 

What's your take?