How to Decorate a Kitchen for a Man?

With the age of TV cooking shows growing in leaps and bounds, it is no surprise to learn more and more males are expressing an interest in cooking. Suddenly, for a man to cook at home for the family doesn't have to simply mean grilling hamburgers and steaks. We have the likes of many TV personalities such as Emeril Lagasse, Alton Brown, and Anthony Bourdain, who have become major household names, to thank for that.

However, if a kitchen has predominantly been the territory of the woman, he may not feel comfortable jumping in and taking over. To help rectify this situation, it might be a good idea to find ways to create aesthetic balance when it comes to feminine and masculine decor and design.

Here are three ways to create a man friendly kitchen.

1. Consider the decor.

Many men like to have what they called their "man cave" which is a room which the man can decorate without the influence of his spouse. Of course, the kitchen cannot become his man cave, but if the kitchen currently has a very feminine touch regarding colors in fabrics and curtains, these are areas which can be toned down and made more gender neutral. This isn't as hard as it may seem.

 Here are few tips:

a. Get rid of any pastels and replace with neutrals. Tan and beige can be easily offset with other vibrant colors used in accessories, cookware, appliances, or other decor.

Changing a room from bright yellow or pale blue to a more subdued tan or beige can reset the tone of the entire kitchen and make it more inviting.

b. Take down anything that ruffles. This includes any curtains or tie backs or even shades. The ideal decor for window coverings would be blinds. This will not only allow the room to become more neutral but will help create a modern appearance.

Another example are potholders and hand towels. Take inventory of these items and if they are looking a bit too feminine, choose other pattern options such as checkered, striped, or even solid.

2. Consider the current artwork.

Replace any cutesy images with more generic artwork. You can still add nice feminine touches by choosing floral images which are modern in design, such as black and white photographs.

A good style which is conducive for men and women to agree on is the Art Deco style. Images like the Italian Chef cartoon, or wine bottles lend themselves to safer choices.

3. Men like sharp knives.

Purchase a new set of knives if your old ones are no longer good. Men love sharp knives which make cutting meat much easier and safer. Have you ever seen a woman volunteer to cut the roast at a holiday dinner in front of a huge family gathering? Odds are you haven't, as it is generally assumed such knife handling skills are for the man. Therefore, if you do not already have a nice knife set with a butcher block, it would be a good idea to include that as part of your kitchen renovation.

4. Pull out the big appliances.

Just as men enjoy showing off their big power tools, lawn mowers, and trucks, it might be good to pull out the big appliances as well. This does not mean to pull out large cupcake trays, but rather manly powerful kitchen equipment. These are the appliances he will enjoy operating.

Two examples are electric meat grinders and food slicers. Both of these items deal with what most men love - meat.

Standalone stainless steel meat grinders (mincers) are fairly inexpensive rarely going over $200, however food slicers can get rather pricey. Ironically both of these appliances alike can actually help save money in the long run, as these are appliances meant to last for years. Buying in bulk can save quite a considerable amount of money, which is what most people do who own these appliances. Rather than buying smaller amounts of ground beef at a store, you can buy large chunks of meat at lower prices, and then grind the meat yourself as needed.

The same holds true with food slicers. If you have the space, consider leaving one or both on the counter. Since a meat or food slicer is rather heavy - that might be a good choice.

Although not all of these tips may apply to every situation, choose what works best and with a little creativity you may just find your man helping in the kitchen more frequently.