Take it From a Woman: Your Apartment Is Scaring Us

From Williamsburg to Philadelphia, comedian Rachel Coster goes where no one would dare: the bedrooms of men in their twenties and thirties. With nearly 175,000 TikTok followers, the account Boy Room (@boyroomshow) investigates the horrors of young, male interior design sensibilities.

I’m not even being facetious. A 31-year-old man named Danny from Philadelphia has adorned his home with dead animals. 32-year-old Jerome from New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood doesn’t own a duvet cover. Henry, a 27-year-old from South Philadelphia, has a cardboard wall that separates his bedroom from the bathroom. Other common traits: Navy blue bed sheets, unmade beds and floors covered in clothes.

Even without the shocking video evidence documented by the TikTok show, many women have already been exposed to the mess, grime and questionable design choices of men’s living spaces via hookups in flex-walled Murray Hill apartments, parties at their male friends’ homes or as soon as they move in with their boyfriends.

For Kenzie Elizabeth, the terror that boys’ rooms wrought on her began at an early age with her siblings. “I grew up with a lot of brothers, so I have unfortunately seen it all. You hope it gets better, but it rarely does. I could actually tell you the few times I’ve walked into a man’s home with it being clean. It was so shocking that it’s truly ingrained in my memory,” Elizabeth tells me.

Here’s What You Should Wear This Fall, According to Cool Women

Six very knowledgeable women on what they want to see men wear this fall

Since starting an online presence with a YouTube channel 10 years ago, Elizabeth has launched a podcast with Dear Media — the largest female marketplace in audio — called House Guest and is the founder of home lifestyle brand Friend of Mine.

To be fair, Boy Room offers some pretty obscene and exaggerated examples of male bedrooms. (I, for one, have never come across taxidermy, defrosted bagged meatballs or framed rat tails in any man’s bedroom)

However, there are still interior design faux pas plenty of men fall prey to. For example, did you know that the color of your sheets can tell a lot about your behavior? Or that your girlfriend absolutely loathes your gaming setup? Whether you’re a single guy bringing women back to your apartment or courting someone who frequents your place, you should ensure your space is one women feel comfortable in (one that doesn’t involve her having to dodge the minefield of dirty socks on your floor), without completely sacrificing your taste in design. In order to hopefully help you strike this tasteful, harmonious balance in your living space, I sought the interior design advice of Elizabeth, along with some new home decor product recommendations you might want to consider outfitting your space with.

InsideHook: What do you think men get wrong when it comes to decorating their space?

Kenzie Elizabeth: I think men get it wrong when it comes to decorating their space by not actually having any sort of vision for their space. They typically just go grab some stuff at Target and call it a day. They stick with what they know (navy sheets, cold greys, etc) instead of ever trying to make their space more of a home. Men tend to be less intentional with their space. Most of what they have on the walls are things they just threw up there.

IH: Particularly for men who are dating/in relationships/bring women back to their homes, what are the design elements, products, etc, that men should have in their space to ensure that women can feel comfortable in there without completely sacrificing masculine taste?

KE: Interior design tips that appeal to both genders would be a good signature home scent. I’d recommend a big candle on the coffee table. Wicker is a good in between and very gender neutral. A solid thick blanket is also great for comfort and very versatile.

IH: In a similar vein,it can be difficult for couples living together to compromise on interior design. Do you have any tips for men who might be struggling with compromise?

KE: I think you have to pick your battles. If it’s something that really really matters to you, maybe find a cute basket to hide the ugly gaming system. If it’s not that important to you, let it go.

IH: Do you have any home brands you would recommend men to shop from?

KE: I personally love home brands like CB2, West Elm, Container Store, Lulu and Georgia and Six Penny. Both H&M Home and Zara Home are extremely underrated and very well priced — perfect for home decor for both genders!

IH: Anything you think men should explicitly stay away from when outfitting their homes?

KE: Stay away from millennial gray, navy sheets and cheap old furniture you’ve kept since college! Invest what you’re able to in your space.