Dude. Duuuuuuude. Seriously.
Your bachelor pad doesn’t have to be bachelor-sad. Trust me, I'm a single lady. And I've seen my share of the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Here's why you should listen to me.
The story goes something like this: the guy has invested in some sweet digs in a happening part of town. The address is eminently braggable — and the fella's not afraid to do the bragging.
But… somehow the guy has stopped short of setting up the space he can be proud of.
If this rings a bell, luckily, you can turn your single efforts into a home run. (Note the sports metaphor.)
Here’s what you need to know to make your bachelor apartment the swinging-est spot on the block. This is what I would look for in an appealing bachelor pad.
Age up your furniture
The #1 bachelor pad botch is keeping furniture from college.
Milk crates for bookshelves? No. Puffy black pleather sofa? No. Cinderblock bed frame. No, no and absolutely not.
You can class up your apartment design affordably if you shop smart. The easiest way to transform your look to a more adult, sophisticated style is to go for sleek modern furniture. Take a look at the IKEA catalog. Now get that stuff.
Prep a party-ready pantry
An accomplished bachelor is ready to host a bash for 2 or 20 at a moment’s notice. You never know when your latest love interest will decide to pop by — or an impromptu poker night will break out. Bachelor apartment essentials might include pantry items like these:
12 beers (microbrews)
2 bottles of wine (red & white)
2 bottles of decent booze (Vodka, bourbon, rum… your preferences are important.)
2-liter of club soda
The Cadillacs of snacks: peanuts, M&Ms, potato chips, all your faves
Assorted frozen pizzas (California Pizza Kitchen is an excellent choice.)
French Onion Dip
An assortment of take-out menus
Just make sure you are comfortable serving what you can source from your bachelor kitchen.
Do what comes naturally
Your initial apartment design urges might make you feel like you must create a man cave. Resist those feelings and one-up your friends by making your space special AND more universally-appealing.
Sure, “themes” sound like something only interior decorators care about, but creating a theme for your apartment makes decking it out easier. Pick a topic you totally dig, like baseball, comic books, classic cars, vintage vinyl, folk art or whatever you might while away a weekend obsessing over.
Next, find decor that relates to that theme. Don’t go overboard, but, let’s say, a bowl full of brand-new baseballs could be an attractive attention-getter that supports a gaming theme. Framing your favorite comic book shows off your creative side. A wall collage made of old computer gear will make people wonder. You get the idea.
Add an element of surprise
Any savvy bachelor keeps people guessing. One of the easiest ways to add the unexpected to your bachelor pad is to use color. Most guys resort to basic black when they are picking a palette — but you can design a bit more advanced than that.
Try shades of gray (the ladies love it!) and a grown-up red accent color. Dark purple, royal blue, and deep orange are other manly shades that look great on pillows, rugs, chairs, artwork — they’ll give your home a high-end feel.
If all else fails, ask a chick
Not sure your bachelor pad is ready for public viewing? Why not test it with an apartment design expert: a girl, or a girl and her friends. Of course, pick ladies who have cool apartments and invite them over to give you a room-by-room review.
Bachelors, bravo for being interested in upgrading your apartment space. Remember one last thing that is critical to creating the pad where you and your friends will want to hang out. It’s your new mantra in three words: Clean it! Often.
Photo credits: Shutterstock / Pavel L Photo and Video, Wallenrock; AG.com