creating a "man mountain": abode love

Laurel-Dawn is the sassy Southern gal behind Abode Love. She decorated  a room for her husband to do his thing and have his space, which she calls the "Man Mountain." But the room is also stylish and flows really well with the rest of their home--she did a great job using the colors of their alma mater in subtle ways with great patterns. No crusty old Cheetos between the cushions here!

---

Hello Roosters! My name is Laurel-Dawn and I am the blogger behind Abode Love. Thanks to sweet Marissa, I am here to talk about how to make a Man Mountain (my super-awesome word for a man cave that happens to be UPstairs instead of DOWNstairs) in any abode that will please both your hubbs and yourself.

Mister Hubbs and I love Auburn Football-- we are both proud Auburn University Alum, and I promised Mr. Hubbs that he could have a little shrine in our abode... but I still got to design the room... for the most part. Here is a photo of Mister Hubbs and I in our prime, we were students in college, and when Britney Spears was on top of the world (which is why my tummy is out for the world to see...) aaaah, the glory days... this is the first football game we attended together.

Since Auburn's colors are orange and blue- there were a lot of different ways that I thought that we could pull the colors into the space without looking tacky. Mister Husband really wanted to paint a huge "AU" on the wall...ugh.... and that was the last time I asked him what he wanted.

I knew what style my hubbs was after, a space that would say "I am in love with Auburn Football, and I am a MAN. " So- I kept this thought in my mind while making every decision in the space.

Here is how the space started: dark and skank.

And here it is now!

 

I painted the ceiling a pale blue to really lighten up the space and offset all of the orange I added to the room. I painted the walls in large, horizontal cream and white stripes to again, lighten the space- the stripes make the room feel so much larger and much more open. The rug is from Pottery Barn- the pattern is fun, graphic and vibrant-- I love this! I knew that orange and blue would need to be used- but by using a creamy backdrop of paint and pattern, the "guy stuff" is softened.

This trunk from Restoration Hardware is the newest edition to the Man Mountain.... we're loving it. One reason I chose THIS particular trunk, was the fact that it mixes a silver and brassy/gold finish... very glam. Another reason that I love this piece... hello storage! There are two super-deep drawers on either side of the trunk that are perfect for stashing extra blankets, magazines, or junk... for the trunk.

I created a wall to display all of Hubbs' artwork that he has collected over the years, thanks to his wife being an artist... as well as some of our favorite "game day" photos at Auburn. (check out tips for hanging gallery walls here!) I painted an enormous canvas with one of Mr.Hubbs' favorite photos of Ronnie Brown in action. It's amazing what art can do for a space! I also love bringing in the M wherever I can- I think Mr. Hubbs is getting sick of it- but I love the personal touch that letters and monograms can bring into a space.

This is a vintage trunk that I found at an antique store here in Birmingham, and the circle canvas with the vintage Aubie mascot was something that we bid on at a local VSA benefit- check out the link!

The golden drapes are from World Market- they sell 96" drapes now, and they're cheap! I liked the idea of bringing in another warm color to the space to balance out the orange rug- so these golden, velvet curtains were perfect! I then went to Calico Corners and purchased a few yards of an orange, green, pink and gold paisley that I could use to give the drapes a more custom look. (yes... that's right, pink paisley in the Man Mountain...) They also add more color options to the palette of the room. I love the way the drapes tie into the horizontal stripes.  The brassy-gold fabric acts as a bridge between the bright Auburn orange rug and the cream and white stripes. I also went with a brass finished drapery rod and finials from Pottery Barn.

Mister Husband got this old wooden crate from his mom- she is great at finding fun things for us! The small gold table is something that I got from Pier 1 about a year ago. The Restoration Hardware Aviator chair... and Vintage Air Force pillow via Wisteria make for a lovely combination. The lamp shades are from Anthropologie- and I love that they are colorful, graphic, and contain Auburn's colors.

The hardware on the desk is also brass... I like these pulls because they give this sweet, white desk a little punch of masculinity.

And to finish up the tour... 

THIS is what Mister Husband picked out for the room... (it can be hidden in the oversized closets with double doors... thank goodness) This is for playing his x-box, seriously. I mean, you should have seen his face when it arrived in the mail... it was like Christmas. I wonder what this room would have looked like had it been up to him? Who knows!? 

---

I LOVE the school pride and all the color. Thanks, Laurel-Dawn!

For more, check out Abode Love.