Men only: home decor goes macho

Forget smooth lines and feminine frills: design has gone blokey, and it has also gone bad. According to two trendy magazines out within a month, gruesome furnishings and high-powered homes are the way of the future.

Icon magazine has spotted a ghoulish trend. Its editor, Marcus Fairs, says: "Now designers are saying, 'Life is a mess', and breaking the taboos that were the preserve of artists."

The lead feature in the November issue includes the Roadkill Rug, by Karin van Lieshout, inspired by a squashed fox, and a cuckoo clock by Michael Sans that involves a real (dead) cuckoo, nailed to a board.

Mr Fairs blames Philippe Starck, who last year produced a range of lamps made from guns.The men's magazine T3, famed for its devotion to macho gadgets, says men are "are always looking for new ideas to improve their homes", so on Thursday it launches a new title, called T3 Home.

"Men are increasingly interested in designer equipment for the home," says its publisher, Chris Kerwin. The first edition features a steam-poweredwashing-machine, a Porsche kettle and an iron specially designed "for blokes".