Androgynous Interiors

Openness, adaptability and responsibility are reflected in the things we have grown accustomed to, from the mobile phone in one’s pocket to the organically grown lettuce in one’s salad to the sleek sofa in one’s den. Design has gone beyond what is purely aesthetic. Today, spaces are being forged for functionality, beauty and sensitivity, and inevitably creating androgynous interiors.

The word "androgynous" stirs hermaphroditic or genderless images, like self-reproducing blooms or the immaculate vision of angels. Androgynous interiors might leave one the impression of bland or non-political designs. But they actually have the power to make a fearless statement, bringing one’s focus to the works, talents, emotions and pleasures of those who live in the place.

Power Of Color

One of the primary techniques of making one’s living spaces androgynous is to harness the power of color.

The task is to make the main colors of a room or space appealing to both male and female. The assignment and effect of colors are cultural – as seen when we swathe our baby boys in blue or doll up our infant girls in pink.

But during the Renaissance, surprisingly, it was the men who donned pink while wooing their sweethearts. White walls are pristine and versatile, the obvious choice for keeping things non-partisan. Beige, off-white and light gray can have a similar effect.

Walls rendered in blue can also be very feminine, depending on the tone and supporting colors – like white, silver and gold which can make the scheme opulent, soothing and impressive.

Browns, from mocha to deep chocolate, are warm and inviting and appealing to both sexes. Red is bursting with energy, and men can appreciate its revitalizing and forward-moving qualities, just as long as it is accented with blacks or deep browns and grays so as not to injure their machismo. Women can be comfortable with red, especially if it is accented with creamy whites.

Masculine Or Feminine?

Shapes and textures are powerful tools in bringing an androgynous quality to a room. The streamlined look of the contemporary style, with its hard, bold edges and geometric shapes, can be appealing to both men and women, as long as it softened with curves and soothing textures.

A boxy, male-looking sofa with dark wooden legs and metal armrests can win the favor of any gender if it is upholstered in a luxurious and pliant fabric like shantung silk or velvet.

Chairs of the Rococo Period, with their characteristic delicate curves, are deemed feminine, but can achieve a more masculine look if upholstered in bold vertical stripes in more masculine colors.

Canvas is versatile and will have a naturally refined effect when used as drapes, upholstery or pillowcases.

Wallpaper with bold stripes can be softened using round-backed chairs, curved tables and sinuous accessories, while wall fabric with small floral prints can be given a dash of masculinity with accessories made of granite or stone, or using furniture that are sleek, bold and oversized.

Instead of employing overly-used wallpaper, use sawali panels to give your walls a tropical look – this trick is appealing to both sexes for it evokes images of the countryside or a balmy beach resort.

Animal prints like zebra, leopard and snake bring raw energy into one’s space and can be enticing to both sexes – men can feel like they’re sitting on a "prize" from a safari trip, while women can be aroused by its animalistic quality!

Window treatments can make a room appear masculine or feminine. The now popular roman shades have a calming horizontal streamlined appearance, suitable for both males and females. But if one is to insist on having drapes and swags, make them simple and non-fussy – one may use fabric in stunning stripes or elegant black velvet.

Minimize the use of fringes and employ non-frilly headings such as cartridge, box or loop. If one wishes to use fabric with floral prints, keep the images small and not too busy. Or for a natural look, use roller blinds made of talahib sticks.

Does one know if the cool river stones beneath one’s feet are male or female? Perhaps not. Nature is filled with elements that are androgynous in themselves.

Stone, metal and wood are utilized as building materials and accessories that welcome folk of whatever gender to sit on them, run on them and caress them. Zen interiors have a distinct androgynous character to them with the use of natural materials – a marriage of straight, clean lines with the sinuous element of water, flowers and soft weaves.

Flowers and plants are refreshing and uplifting. Quite a number of males are uncomfortable with flowers, but this does not mean that one must evade the use of them in one’s interiors.

Curiously, in Bali, flowers are attributed to males, especially when they make offerings to their gods. To appease the male ego, choose flowers that have a vertical or sentry-like quality to them like tall stems of torch ginger, haliconias (i.e. bird of paradise) and slender white orchids. Twigs are asexual accents, and can be used to add a seaside or fareastern touch. Bamboo, horsetail grass and even artificial grass in pots or trays can lend a space with a contemporary feel, and does not challenge one’s sexual orientation. Cut leaves of palm, fern and the long wavy Renaissance leaves in simple, modern containers can be used to bring the greens into one’s interiors.

Accessories

Carefully chosen accessories can lend an androgynous air to one’s space.

Instead of hanging paintings and pictures of flowers, display art that exhibits people in everyday situations, like men and women tilling the fields or an urbanite couple drinking cups of hot java.

Sculptures of nude male torsos can make some men queasy, so use sculptures that have an androgynous quality to them, such as a standing Buddha, an earthy bulol (Ifugao rice god) or geometric pieces.

Candles are welcome in androgynous interiors for they provide warmth and a bit of playfulness, depending on their design.

Combine bulb-like vases with a columnar or hard-edged ones, or break the monotony of boxy wall panels with ornate Thai carvings.

Rooms designed in an androgynous manner may not make a statement in terms of sex or gender, but can do so culturally or historically. For androgynous cultural styles, one can look into the Scandinavian style which is sleek yet rustic, the Mediterranean style which is cool yet invitingly vibrant, Zen interiors which are bold yet soothing, and even our home-grown Filipino style, which is lush and robust.

Some historical styles can be sexually non-partisan, such as Art Deco with its geometric and stylized botanical features; Arts & Crafts with its traditional use of metal, wood and prints; Fifties and Sixties styles with their sleek furniture, vibrant colors and odd-shaped accessories; and the contemporary style with its use of contrasting textures, colors and elements.

Guestrooms can make good use of androgynous design, for one does not know when Uncle Esteban or Mrs. Calachuchi would be bunking in for the night.

The androgynous style is a boon, too, when used in bathrooms shared by male and female occupants. Kitchens can be designed in an androgynous manner so as to enhance Dad’s enjoyment of whipping up a sumptuous concoction or make Mom feel like the empress of her kitchen while she bakes her secret recipe.

The lanai, living area and dining rooms can be made appealing to both sexes, while revealing the character of its occupants.

The workplace, too, can appear more gender-sensitive, by espousing an androgynous arrangement, thus, helping tear down sexual prejudice of such male-dominated environment.

Interiors executed in an androgynous manner reveal the sensitivity and openness of their occupants. Not inherently male or female, androgynous interiors inevitably bare the character of their occupants, and present them as people with an open and evolved frame of mind.

Though adaptable, androgynous interiors are not for fence-sitters, for those interiors actively make a stand in promoting quality and ease among the sexes, while indulging their occupants in the comforts and luxuries of a self-actualized lifestyle.

Going beyond yin and yang, androgynous design empowers people by helping them focus more on output than on gender, and overlook prejudice and center on trust – a bold statement in itself!

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The author, a member of the board of officers of PSID, is one of the participants of "Tribute: An Affair in Black & White," an exhibit by the Advanced Class 2002 of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) which will likewise be a tribute to 35 personalities who have made a significant contribution to the interior design industry and academe in PSID’s 35 years. The exhibit is slated on Oct. 4 to 27 at the LKG Tower on Ayala Ave., Makati City.