Decorating For The Newly Divorced Dad

Being recently divorced is a time to start anew and regain some independence. It also means you can dust off that beer bottle chandelier and faux bearskin rug and display them with pride, if you want.

Whether you’re a manly man or a man with refined taste, decorating your own place is a great way to express yourself without any second-party criticism.

But before you start pulling out boxed-up items from yesteryear, do some research. Some of today’s decorating ideas may fit your character better than those beat-up posters from the 1990s.

Bring Out Your Paintbrush

Give the place a fresh coat of paint. Light colors create the illusion that your new place is bigger. If you like darker, bolder colors, be careful about the one you choose—it could effect your mood.

According to Infoplease.com, brown is one of the most popular colors men choose, but it can imply sadness, wistfulness or genuineness, depending which shade of brown you go for.

And be careful with blue in the kitchen. Researchers have found that most people relate the colour blue with toxic or unpleasant food, since there are so few foods that are blue.

Photo by MaryTClark via Flickr

Furniture Can Make the Man

Themes are a great way to express your passions and who you are. If you’re a car enthusiast, for example, how sweet would it be to have that custom-made car seat couch and engine block coffee table you’ve always wanted?

Photo by rotomind via Flickr

If you’re not a lair kind of man, go for more subtle furniture that still gives you a unique look. Wayfair sells furniture in a variety of modern and vintage styles to suit every taste.

And maybe you have a favorite chair that’s getting worn. Getting it reupholstered could add some new life to the old thrown. All Things Thrifty shows you a step-by-step process in how to reupholster an armchair.

Get Creative

Whether you’re the type of man who wants to show off your trophy hunts or one that wants his living space more mom-friendly, there’s always a place for those conversation pieces in a man’s unit.

Maybe it’s a collection of photos from your scuba trip in Florida or an antique Kelvinator refrigerator; there are always ways to spruce up these types of items. It could be the way the lighting hits the framed photos, or purchasing—or making—a display case for that baseball you caught at the ballgame with your dad once.

If you’re handy with tools, then that new, open space you call home now makes a great stage to show off your newest work. If you’re not the handy type, there are plenty of do-it-yourself and repurposing projects that are amateur-friendly.

And you might assume Pinterest is a total chick thing, but you’d be wrong. The website is a hotbed for ideas, tips and inspiration for fun projects you can use.

Got an old, boring filing cabinet? Repurpose it into a kitchen station. This just one of many ideas you can find to decorate your new unit and have fun while doing it.