In the US alone, about 5% of adults identify as transgender or non-binary. That might not sound like a lot, but it equates to roughly 3 million people. And as awareness around non-gender-conformity grows, so does the community of people who identify within it.
Designing a gender inclusive living room (and home in general) simply means designing an interior that’s not dictated by traditional gender roles and stereotypes.
Instead of reserving pink hues for women and shades of blue for men, why not push the boundaries of gender and explore a more neutral atmosphere altogether? At the end of the day, everyone deserves to come home to a living room that feels open, comfortable, and inclusive, both physically and otherwise.
Need a helping hand creating a stylish living room that everyone feels comfortable in?
Let’s explore some useful tips for designing a gender inclusive living room through the mindful selection of color, shape, texture, and form.
Embrace Open-Plan Design
An open-plan design can help create a sense of spaciousness and light in your living room. When furniture and décor are too closely stuffed together, it can feel cloying and claustrophobic—two things no one wants to feel in their designed chill area.
Instead, try to position your major furniture such as sofas, coffee tables, or bookshelves in a way that allows movement to flow freely throughout the room.
Give your walls space to breathe by keeping them relatively minimalistic and being selective about what you choose to put on them. The less clutter and noise there is, the easier it will be for you and your guests to unwind and allow the atmosphere to organically shift based on who’s in it.
Keep The Bones Of The Room Neutral
If you love ever-changing trends or don’t have a set style you follow, avoid making bold home design choices that can’t easily be changed. You can keep your living room feeling open to different gender identity expressions by using neutral bones that suit a wide variety of feelings.
In the home design industry, when people talk about “bones”, they mean the integral, structural elements of a room. This can include walls, doors, windows, and floors.
Some examples of neutral colors include white, ivory, beige, cool blues, light ochre, and sage green. These gentle colors are not specific to any gender, and they work well in just about any home. By sticking to the basics, you give yourself more freedom to experiment with personal décor.
Although neutral colors like bone or beige might seem boring to some, in the long run, they’ll allow you to be much more playful with unique décor and different color schemes. That way, you can change things up depending on how you feel, all without spending a fortune redoing the entire room.
Let Plenty Of Light In
Light plays an important role in any home environment. Not only does it allow you to see things better during the day, but it also adds an element of elevation and breathability to any room. If you’re looking for a simple, natural way to make your space feel more open, large windows and lots of light are key.
Various studies show that natural light brings many benefits to indoor spaces. It can make you feel warmer, more relaxed, more productive, and possibly even more creative.
If you don’t have big windows, that’s okay. You can still let more natural light in by using light color opaque curtains and avoiding clutter by the windowsill. If that’s still not an option for you, soft-wattage (warm) light bulbs in your lounge lights will make a big difference in the atmosphere.
Avoid Traditionally Masculine Or Feminine Décor
Society has developed some pretty strange ideas about what specific colors and items men and women should like. This can make it difficult for non-gender-conforming people to design an environment that feels truly free of those limiting ideologies.
Historically, masculine décor has often taken the form of various metals, wood, and cool or hard colors like black, brown, and blue. Feminine décor does the opposite, encouraging women to adopt soft themes of pink, purple, lace, and floral patterns.
If you feel ready to embrace a gender inclusive living room, you can throw all of these conformist ideas out the window.
If you (or people you know) are non-gender-conforming, using traditionally masculine or feminine décor might feel regressive. Instead, opt for more gender-neutral colors like green, yellow, orange, or white. This can make your home feel more playful, diverse, and comfortable for all types of people to enjoy.
You can also include décor that appeals to you and doesn’t have roots in gender conformity. A bookcase full of your favorite books, a rack filled with special bottles of wine, or a sideboard board stocked with board games all add to the aesthetic of a room and give it personality without gendering it.
Open Your Space To Different Types Of People
Gender inclusivity is about accepting different people and different bodies for what makes them feel most themselves. By opening up your living room to different types of people, it will naturally become more gender inclusive.
There are interesting people all around, and many of them (especially non-gender-conforming ones) may find it difficult to integrate into gender exclusive environments. But with the right attitude and willingness to explore, this doesn’t need to be the case.
You can change your space for the better by making it as comfortable for your friends and family as possible. The more relaxed and at home they feel, the more they’ll want to spend time with you.
The Feeling Is Neutral: Keep Your Space True To You
When it comes down to it, designing a room that is gender inclusive just means doing things your own way rather than being guided by preconceived notions about gender.
While positioning your décor and living room furniture, try to avoid thinking about whether it looks masculine or feminine. Focus instead on whether or not you think it looks good. After all, a living room is for resting and feeling comfortable. So, it should reflect the things that make you feel that way.
Society’s rules about certain colors being exclusively for men or women are fading every day. It’s time to embrace gender inclusive design for home environments that every person can enjoy.
