Are you trying to find a style for your bedroom that will mesh your feminine flair with your spouse's...well...not so feminine style? This can be a difficult task for any couple to achieve. Trying to find that perfect blend of masculine mixed with feminine, while still remaining gender neutral can be a daunting task. Not to worry however, the best way to find some neutral ground is through compromise!! Ladies say goodbye to your over the top floral and lace items, and gentlemen put your sports memorabilia else where. Neither of these items will find a home in a gender neutral space. Save the lace for your personal office ladies, and guys save the sports items for your man cave. The bedroom is a place where two become one and must equally feel at home. Some easy ways to do this are:
1. Pick a color you can both agree on. Pink and bright blue probably aren't going to cut it. Some great neutral colors are: beige, grey, light blues, greens, and yellows. My personal favorite color when combining styles is to choose beige or grey. They are timeless and will transition flawlessly as your design aesthetic evolves. They both can have a masculine or feminine quality depending upon the furnishings you place in the room. If you or your husband are dead set on have a particular color the other can't imagine, try putting it in small areas as an accent rather than on the walls. After all, pillows, curtains, and lamps are a quick, easy, and cheap fix for a new look! If you get tired of that bright red or duke blue accent lamp a quick coat of spray paint can do wonders!
This floral curtains and tea set add a feminine touch, but when set against a masculine bed, comforter, neutral pillows, and sleek hardwood furniture the space becomes neutral. Both genders are equally represented without overpowering the other one.
If you take the bed skirt, sofa, and side table out, this room would scream masculinity. However there are equal touches of both sexes here making the space appropriate for anyone!
2. Make sure you balance the masculine and feminine touches in the room. If you choose a very straight lined, masculine, wood bed, then soften it with a more feminine duvet. This also goes the other way. If you purchase a hand carved, ornate, and luxurious bed frame, then tone it down with a masculine comforter. This works the same for every other piece in the room as well. Maybe all of the furniture and bedding has a distinct masculine flair. You can easily add a soft touch through a crystal chandelier or lace throw pillow on the bed. Making sure that you and your husband both feel represented throughout the space is key! If every piece only represents one person, you will never create a cohesive design. Some other great ways to balance the two: Add a rustic bedside table with a feminine lamp on top. Also try a sleek leather chair he loves with a soft pillow on it. There are many easy ways to mix the various styles into every area of a bedroom. Remember that you must compromise! For every feminine accent you add, he gets to add his own masculine touch somewhere in the space and vice versa. You'll be happily surprised how well everything will blend when you make decisions together with the other person in mind!
This is a great example of how to balance the two perfectly. The masculine leather tufted headboard propped against a soft and luxurious mound of pillows positioned beside a feminine antique chair is a combination to die for. Both genders are equally represented through color, texture, furniture, and accessories.
This bedroom hands down wins my favorite gender neutral space of the night. The architecture of the exposed wood beam ceilings above the dark gorgeous hardwood floors makes this a space any man would feel comfortable in. Then you add a beautiful chandelier, a sofa, and side chair and it's a room fit for a queen as well. The best part is that not only is each gender represented uniquely in some pieces, there are also key pieces that flawlessly represent them both. Take the side table for example. Its rustic exposed wood screams masculinity, but the curvilinear shape adds a feminine touch. Then you have the bed; clean sleek lines both genders can enjoy topped with a neutral bedding and pillows. Simply breathtaking!
3. Choose neutral patterns. That Duke comforter he had in college, and your Hawaiian bedding are simply not going to cut it in this space. Go for patterns such as stripes, plaid, houndstooth, or chevrons. While plaid may sound very masculine and chevrons may scream feminine to you, both can be a very beautiful neutral choice if done in the right scale and colors. Stripes are a pretty safe choice, but search around for other options you can both fall in love with. Patterns are a great way to add interest to a bedroom without going over the top.
A beautiful example of a neutral chevron. This feminine pattern when paired down to masculine colors becomes a neutral palette both can enjoy!
Great example of how to make plaid gender neutral. Add a rustic vibe to your bedroom with this bedding but soften the look with a one-of-a-kind headboard and monogrammed throw pillow.
4. Add personal touches to your bedroom. My favorite tip for when designing a couple's bedroom is to include personal items you both made, bought, or found together. Things like pictures of the two of you, souvenirs from recent trips, furniture you bought together, or decorative pieces you found scouring the flea market. Whatever it is that you and your husband enjoy the most together, add something from it to your space. Maybe you both love collecting old records; then create artwork out of some of your recent finds. Maybe you're both photographers; frame a few of the pictures you took together. Or perhaps you both love antiques; add your favorite find to the bedroom whether that be a side chair, table, or even the bed itself. Adding reminders of all the things you love to do together in such an intimate space will bring you closer together and create a cohesive feel you can both fall in love with!
Creating a gender neutral space is not difficult, it just takes some patience. Remember to keep each other's wants and needs in mind when designing your bedroom and it will turn out perfectly!
Do you have a favorite tip when it comes to decorating for both sexes?
*Disclaimer: All pictures found through Google images. I do not claim these as my personal work, simply my inspiration!*
