I don’t think I’m alone in being annoyed with the latest IKEA commercial in which a guitar-strumming Edie Brickell-type croons: “C’mon, girls, be brave not beige!”
My problem is not that the closest IKEA to Colorado is in Draper, Utah, or even that the slogan is an affront to lovers of beige everywhere. It’s the premise that “girls” are the only people interested in updating their homes.
I realize some guys deem decorating about as urgent as getting a manicure or watching “Sex and the City” reruns, but the same can be said of some women. And plenty of men do recognize the importance of having sanctuary at home; many are more involved in household maintenance and repair than the women in those homes. Conversely, home improvement industry research indicates that more women than ever are picking up power tools and tackling their own renovation projects. The trend has spawned sexy female fix-it personalities like “Chix Can Fix” author and “Toolbelt Diva” TV host Norma Vally, pictured below.
The first time I rearranged the living room furniture of my husband (then boyfriend’s) apartment, he walked around dazed and irritated, bumping into end tables for days. Clearly, this man cared about decorating. And while he might admit that especially since marriage, my domestic skills have come to dwarf his, I’m still not ready to concede that only “girls” are interested in the home or a place like IKEA.
Am I wrong? Should I more fully embrace and even exploit the woman’s role as domestic queen, or should I hold on to the dream that even at home, labor (and decorating) should be divided fairly and equally?