men

stria nightstand | lund nightstand | alexa reclaimed wood | mid-century



i researched some budget-friendlier options, as well, sourced from ikea and target.

malm | malm gray | mid-century | dark gray oak



i know he doesn’t want to spend $400 on the favorite pick so we’ll see… might have to dig out my dusty headlamp and delve deep into the digital caverns of craigslist for a suitable option.



then there’s bedding.

while i toyed with the idea of plaid or hunter green, it looked a bit too collegiate when i put together my photoshop mock-up. i love the look but this guy’s 28 and looking for something a bit more grown-up. the two styles above from crane and canopy are great – charcoal and black and white.

also like these urban outfitters options – gray arrow motif and double stripe. but maybe too young.



i’m a little worried the gray options will be too much gray with the light gray walls.

and this crane and canopy style is also available in a steel blue. so we’ll add it to the list.



so here’s what we’re working with in terms of the room layout.

gray gray gray

as you can see from the before photos, the carpet has seen better days, so i think we’ll cover it up. love this triangle patterned rug from my go-to resource, rugsusa.



in summation…

cubby | bedding | rug | nightstand | light | clock | pennant | floating shelves | hanging bar



but we shall see! all in good time. this will be fun watching it come along… i’ll be updating on instagram also so follow there @alainakaz. and stay tuned for updates!

1. a day at the beach with him.

2. the perfect pair of shades that are neither black nor tortoise.

3. a sexy strappy sandal for summer date nights.

4. wall jewelry.

5. reminds me of the sex and the city when carrie quotes the way we were: “your girl is lovely, hubbel.”

6. my insta feed was spewing peony pics all week. i liked it.

7. lady inspiration for my new digs. haven’t you heard? i’m moving again.

8. sex appeal disguised as a bag.



ladyporn fridays: a lil somethin somethin from me to you to get your weekend started off on the right foot.

There are few things I appreciate more in life more than a well-dressed man (my family’s well-being, Nora Ephron movies, and puppies being a few others of notable mention). I’ve said it before, but it doesn’t take much for a man to look polished, sharp, and sexy. And sometimes it comes down to one thing in particular: a great fitting pair of jeans. Combine them with a manly pair of boots or loafers, and it’s amazing what these two things can accomplish.



More recently, however, I’ve become an avid fan of one look in particular: the cuffed jean. This takes a man’s look to a whole new level, whether he realizes it or not. The genius of it is that it’s extremely fashionable but still rugged and manly-defying the stereotype that a fashionable man automatically looks “metro.” He could be wearing a broken-in tee or hoodie and a worn pair of boots, and this simple styling trick ups the sex appeal like whoa. Shows he knows a thing or two. Or maybe he doesn’t but at least he’s willing to listen and take advice from someone who does know.



If any men are reading this, I highly recommend giving it a go.

if you’ve been following along the past year, you’ll know i took full advantage of having a lady roommate and decorated accordingly. i added pink wherever i could (notably a graphic rug – which i am aware still has not been properly revealed, a new bar tray c/o mattie luxe, and i got a few pink throws from the joss and main sale i hosted). but the time has come to hang up my pink fairy wand, and view decorating through a new perspective.



the male perspective.



i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again, i do not understand why boys spend their entire lives not caring about decorating – they’ll tape a jim belushi poster to their wall, use the musty couch from their parents’ basement, and sleep on a mattress on the floor. but when they move in with a lady, they all of a sudden have a very strong opinion about how things look. i don’t get it. but whether it makes sense to me or not, this is what happens. c’est la vie.



so in an effort to make this new place our home and not my home (aka sprinkled with photos of paris (i recently counted – i have eight pieces of parisian-themed art hanging around my apartment), white lacquered furniture, and pink accessories), i’ve done a bit of recon and came up with some inspiration that i think would make the two of us very happy.



notes and inspiration below:

white walls, wooden furniture, and cool leather furniture. sure… i can do this.

wood layered on wood layered on wood. black and white photography. and oh, what i’d do for wishbone chairs.

navy wall. would love to try this somewhere.

neutral base, natural woods with splashes of colors that aren’t overly feminine.

more leather and wood. grey walls. grey will be our safety color. we both love it.

neutral art. cool, industrial lighting. again – more wood.

wooden table, black chairs. alaina like.

black bedding. intruiging… not sure i can do this.



you can view ALL of my inspiration in my new appropriately named pinterest board: living with a boy.



i am also very excited to start working with farrow and ball with paint colors! have you heard of farrow and ball? i learned about them ages ago because my mom’s favorite hgtv designer sarah richardson exclusively used their line of paint. and if you’ve ever seen sarah’s work, you know that all of her rooms have this perfect calming serenity about them. calm, muted colors. have any of you used their paint and can recommend colors? here are a few swatches that caught our eyes:

you can view all their colors here. any others you think we should consider?



happy weekend!

Behold, a man’s apartment. Where so little can say so much. I don’t think I’ve ever walked into a straight guy’s place and thought, “Wow! He knows what he’s doing.” My rating of his home is normally based on cleanliness and whether he took to the time to hang something – anything at all – on the walls. If both of those check out, I’d say he’s doing ok.



But what baffles me about a guy’s place – much like men’s fashion – is that you can accomplish so much with so little. Colors don’t have to be outrageous. Textiles and furniture – like a classic button-down shirt – can be simple and unfussy. It’s amazing what a mix of whites, greys, and black can do, sprinkled with navy, green, perhaps a punch of red or orange. Yet somehow, in my experience, men have a tendency to find the most awful, oversized, overstuffed, gaudy furniture there is. And furniture sets. What is it with men and furniture sets? Dressers that match nightstands that match headboards. Coffee tables that match end tables that match TV stands. My hope for men everywhere: stop buying furniture in sets! I don’t care if it’s easier. Unless you want your wife or girlfriend to sell it sooner rather than later, take the extra time to mix and match. It’ll do wonders and save you money in the long-run.



But enough of my complaining, let’s take a look at one guy who seems to have it all figured out (probably because he’s Seattle-based interior designer, Brian Paquette). He managed to pack so much cool into 200 square feet of space, as seen in the latest issue of Rue.

Tips we can all learn from Brian:

Sports memorabilia: Unless you have some super sweet autographed jersey (which on occasion is acceptable so long as it’s properly framed), just go vintage. It’s easy to find, affordable, and looks oh-so much better than Jordan’s Wings poster. In fact, let me just state for the record, nothing should be Scotch-taped or pinned to a wall. Anywhere. Ever.



Bed: White sheets and a grey, brown, or navy duvet. Avoid pattern. Stripes are the exception. Easy. Done. And if you can afford it, maybe invest in a headboard. Even if it’s kind of ugly, it shows effort, and women like effort.



Bathroom: Go to West Elm and buy a nice looking bathmat and a coordinating hand towel. I’d recommend Target, but there are too many scary options available there that could trick you into messing this one up. Maybe hang something on the wall for bonus points. Oh, and do everyone a favor, and stick a nice scented candle in there while you’re at it.



Kitchen: I actually have very low standards when it comes to a man and what his kitchen looks like, so long as it’s clean. But I do advise having a set of 4-8 plain white plates and bowls, and glassware (including wine glasses). Throw out the plastic mugs complete with team logo that you got for free at a football game. Sadly, college has come and gone.



And one last tip from me to men everywhere:

The Couch: Please, please find the will to avoid living room furniture that reclines. Pretend we live in a world where La-Z-Boy doesn’t exist. Please.

Considering 97% of my readers are female, I was floored by the positive response to the post on men’s fashion I wrote a couple weeks ago. Maybe it was the title, “Always dress like you’re going to run into your ex” that people liked. Maybe it was the abundance of eye candy. Maybe it was the glimmer of hope that your husbands, boyfriends, and brothers could and would one day buy a cowl-neck sweater or a cardigan instead of the navy crewneck from Costco. Either way, I’m taking another stab at it! You only have yourselves to thank (or blame).



Have any of you seen Friends with Benefits? My roommate and I watched it a few days ago, and despite the plethora of scenes with a shirtless and toned Timberlake, I was more drawn to the scenes when he was fully clothed running around Manhattan with his obnoxiously cool co-star. And it all comes down to one little accessory. The tie clip. The man wears one in almost every scene, and I looooove a good tie clip.

It really wasn’t much of a surprise since his character was the new art director of GQ, and you can’t open an issue of that magazine without seeing at least one male celeb sporting the tiny accessory.

You can literally put a guy in a white shirt and any color tie, add a tie clip and bam. He is automatically a fashionable dude. It’s like Hogwarts magic that something so small can make such a big impact.

Or you can take an already stylish gent who knows to pair his plaid shirt with a herringbone sportcoat, adds a textured tie and a sterling silver clip, and then we’re reeeeally talking. But that takes time. Baby steps. For now, let’s just start by getting the men in your life a clip. After all, Valentine’s Day is coming up! On second thought, you might want to throw something lacy into that gift box, as well…