subject: Decorating The Perfect Bachelor Pad [print this page] If you are thinking about redecorating your home or apartment, consider the effects that your sense of style can have upon the first impression that you make to visitors. This is often the first thing they see of you, and can have a dramatic effect on their personal opinions.
If you are a bachelor, this is particularly true. When you are a single guy, there are certain things you want to evoke in the various aspects of your life.
You want to appear successful, confident, mature, sophisticated, and even a little sexy. Your home can help you do this, but you have to have a plan.
Guys are known for loving gadgets and electronics. From the newest game console to big screen plasma TV's, if it has buttons and flashing lights men seem inexplicably drawn to it.
Unfortunately, it is easy to get carried away and fill your house with a lot of useless, gaudy garbage. However, if you use a little taste when making high tech purchases, you can actually end up making your home look more sophisticated.
The key here, as it so often is in life, is balance. You cannot overload your living room with video games, stereos, computers, and TV's, and expect anyone except a techno nerd to be impressed.
Instead, choose one or two attractive pieces per room, and try to integrate them into the purpose of the space. A nice stereo adds to the ambience of a living room, and a properly displayed computer can make a library seem more stylish and modern.
You are also going to have to use some basic decorating knowledge to pull off your gadget decor. For instance, if you have a room with a nice black steel stereo, and you are shopping for a television to accompany it, make sure that you pick a model which is also in a black steal finish.
Even if it costs you a few more dollars, the way it pulls your room together and makes it look 'finished' will be worth the added expense. If you plan ahead, you can make the most of that home court advantage and ensure that their reaction to your living conditions will be exactly the one you want.
You probably don't want to live in a romantically decorated home. However, it is important to keep the components of a romantic setting on hand.
Have a box at the ready, full of candles (with candelabras), incense sticks, romantic dishware, relaxing music CD's, intimate ambient mood lights, and any other accessory which might make your home feel a little cozier to that special someone. A dining table allows you to have quiet dinners, where you stare longingly across the table at one another.
Even if you don't have a dining room, a bistro or bar table is an intimate setting for a romantic meal, that won't take up much space. If you usually have several chairs grouped around your table, store away all but two, to create the impression that you are the only two people in the world.
You can't sit at the dinner table forever, so you should have a couch, loveseat, or at least a futon where you can get more comfortable. A big fuzzy rug can also be a playful location for this.
If you couple either of these with a fireplace, electric, gas, or natural and you have the makings for a truly special evening. If you are a diehard sports fan, you need to be careful to balance exactly how you display your loyalty to the team.
Remember, not everyone shares your passions, and even if they do, they may not share them to the same extent. Extreme elements tend to alienate, so instead, try to integrate your interests in a balanced and subdued manner.
Sports posters are for little boys, and you are an adult now. Instead of plastering cheap prints all over your walls, show your sophistication by displaying a few prized pieces of memorabilia.
A signed photograph from a famous athlete, tastefully displayed in a desk frame, says more about your passion for the game than a bunch of cheap junk anyways. Think about the impression you will make on your dates, as well as the guys coming over to hang out-remember balance.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you can have a classy, comfortable place to hang out, which reflects the best sides of you. Talk to a professional decorator for help today!
