The Guy's Home Guide for Your 40s

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Leveling up doesn’t begin and end with the clothes you wear. Live stylishly every day, and at every age, with Style Girlfriend’s home guide for your 50s (and every age!). Find the basics you need upgrade your digs in your twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties…

40s home guide, home decor, home decor for men, men's home

What mid-life crisis?

By your forties, you’ve hit your stride.

Sure, life still gets messy (especially if there are a few kiddos in the picture), but what you lack in free time, you make up for with the fact that you finally know exactly what works and what’s just not worth it.

That confidence feels pretty good, right? So what about your home?

You’ve stocked up on most of your home basics by now, but have you thought about these essentials? Some are practical, some are just good for your mental health.

All are necessary.

Below, check out the men’s home guide for your 40s:

1. Carve out a solo space

Between office hours and family time, a man needs a space of his own to catch a breath and decompress. If you can find yourself an entire room to spare, that’s great.

Furnish it with all your favorite things and enjoy

Hint: don’t call it your “man cave.” You’ll get more respect from the fam if you just call it an office.

If you can only carve out a smaller space in part of another room, do what you can to make it great – get a comfy chair, some art you love up on the wall and make yourself a relaxing nook.

Having a little space that’s just for you means that when you do have the time to relax, this space will get you feeling good even faster.

We’re all creatures of habit. Pretty soon, just sitting down, getting a drink or zoning out in your spot will tell your brain and body that it’s time to chill, and everyone needs to feel that way at least once a day.

2. Skip the gym without skipping your workout

All right, all right. You can put off certain things for a while while youth’s on your side, but it’s time to face the music: your body is going to need some upkeep moving forward.

Not only to keep those love handles at bay, but more importantly, to keep your heart and muscles in tip top shape.

To ensure you can get in some movement each day, set aside a space at home for some equipment so it’s simpler to squeeze into your busy schedule.

Either way, the routine part is key here. Moving your body needs to become a habit. That’s what will keep you at it (and enjoying it) longterm. Your health is important not only for you, but for your family too. Keep everyone happier by staying healthier.

3. Always be ready to entertain

bar cart: Ballard Designs, $749 (sale)

Grown-ups plan ahead, and that includes being ready for company on short notice.

On an early hang with some friends and my now-husband, we left a bar and decided to go to his apartment nearby to keep the evening going. I was floored — and a little turned on, to be honest — when we walked in and he was able to quickly pull together snacks and drinks for the group, including a chilled bottle of champagne just sitting in the fridge.

A well-stocked kitchen and bar cart means easy-to-eat snacks as well as some tasty surprises.

Have this stuff on hand. You won’t be sorry.

Truly, a snack is the first line of defense against many, many of life’s problems.

4. Have emergency supplies on hand

LED flashlight: Barebones, $52

It’s important to be prepared for anything. At the very least that means first aid supplies like bandages and ice packs, a flashlight, and fire extinguisher.

No need to prep for the apocalypse (we’re not trying to get all doomsday here), but do consider the kinds of situations that could potentially happen around your home and city, then get some basics to cover you just in case.

Best case scenario? You never need it at all!

5. Splurge on yourself

Eames lounge chair: Herman Miller, $7,495

No home guide for your 40s would be complete without a nudge to splurge on yourself. At least a little.

Is there something that you’ve always wanted to buy for your home? Now is the time to do it.

You can finally afford a splurge, you probably have the space to store it and you still have lots of time to enjoy it for years to come.

Remember, a splurge is meant to be something that makes you really, really happy. It’s not necessarily super expensive, but this is also not the time to cheap out.

Everyone knows that getting almost the thing you want is actually worse than nothing because all it does is remind you of the one thing you’re really coveting.

Have you always wanted a pendant light?

Don’t buy a knock-off. Shell out the cash and splurge if that’s the thing that will make you over-the-top giddy happy when you see it in your home.

Then divide every time you see it and smile by the cost and it’ll seem affordable eventually!