The best way to make sure your place looks thoughtfully “put together” is to choose one interior design style and stick with it.

Yes, you can mix and match for an eclectic look, but that’s not a great method for beginners (or guys who just don’t know/care too much about interior design).

There are many “styles” or themes to choose from, but these four are safe bets:

Contemporary (current, up to date, of the times) Rustic (old, lived in, aged, natural) Mid-Century (modern, clean, minimal) Industrial (utilitarian, unpolished, durable)

Each of these styles can be very masculine if done correctly, and none of them have to be expensive.

Of course, sometimes the style of your place depends on the space itself. For example, if you’re in a loft with exposed brick walls and an unfinished ceiling, your place is already pretty industrial.

But interior design style is largely determined by the stuff you put in your place. Here’s a list of links to each item in the above graphic, along with some examples places in each style:

Contemporary: sofa // rug // coffee table // lamp // plant // chair

Example – Basic Male Living Space

Rustic: sofa // rug // coffee table // lamp // plant // chair

Example – Natural Paris Apartment

Mid-Century: sofa // rug // coffee table // lamp // plant // chair

Industrial: sofa // rug // coffee table // lamp // plant // chair

Example – Minimal Grad Student Rental