Interior Designs for a Classy Bachelor’s Pad

You may be living the ultimate bachelor life, but your pad reflects more of the single party guy than that of a classy adult male. Living as a bachelor does not have to revolve around a big brown couch facing a giant flat screen TV for watching sports and an open bar in the corner of your living room. It is possible to upgrade your home to reflect success and style. This will impress your guests. 

Here are some positive things you can do.

1. Update your Color Palette

Brown is out, unless it is really nice leather accents, such as leather floor tiles or sinking into a leather arm chair. It is time to add a little more color. This does not mean going wild or adding pink. The current trend in high-end interiors is whites and grays with splashes of colorful accent, such as artwork, decorative bowls, accent pillows, bed linens, and patterned area rugs. Small areas of deep reds, dark blues, and blacks can be very stylish.

2. Hide the Bar

A fully stocked bar can be an asset for entertaining. However, no one really wants to see a tabletop or counter filled with bottles of booze. Invest in a tall cabinet with doors, possibly a nice antique that will spark conversation and admiration. Reconfigure the interior of the cabinet with shelves for displaying fine glassware, premium liquor bottles, and a wine rack. And while on this topic, toss your plastic Solo cups and purchase some nice pint glassware.

3. Dress the Windows

Window dressings, such as shades, curtains, blinds, and shutters are not just for your privacy. These can say a lot about your attention to detail. Fabric Roman shades are very popular and come in a variety of materials and colors. Plantation shutters for windows and doors can add ambiance by allowing you to control the amount of sunlight that streams into your home. These are great in the living room and bedroom and also come in a variety of colors. Both options are upscale and show that you care about your interior environment.

4. Create a Dining Area

When you are alone you are likely to eat in front of the TV or even standing over your kitchen counter. That won’t work for guests and family. If you have the space, create an area with a nice dining table and seating. This can even be an open kitchen counter or island with classy bar stools. If space is limited, install a hinged tabletop that can fold down against the wall when not in use. Also, there are some very cool, contemporary stacking chairs that can be tucked into a corner. Tables and counters are ideal for gatherings to break bread.

5. Choose Sleek and Easy to Clean Surfaces

If you don’t have time to spend cleaning your living space often, choose surfaces that are easy to care for and look great, especially when you have an impromptu visitor. Go for smooth quartz countertops and wood or lacquered cabinet exteriors that are flat panels that can be quickly wiped down. Engineered hardwood or sealed concrete floors can be swept and mopped easily and in a hurry.

6. Mix Old and New

Many modern bachelor pads can be fairly stark and almost sterile in look and feel. It is really okay to jazz up your clinical quarters with a few pieces that are vintage or antique. These can be fun and creative items. For lighting, try classic pool table or bar pendants that are suspended from the ceiling. Dining chairs can be mismatched antique wood pieces. Even your dinner plates and bowls can be eclectic items you have collected from yard sales and markets.

7. Edit and Update your Artwork

Gone are the days when framed photographs of you and your drinking buddies from university donned your side tables. And, don’t have pictures of your exes lying around! Take down the posters of your favorite football teams. You don’t have to spend a fortune at a gallery on expensive works of art. Take a stroll down the street at an art festival and pick up some pieces from up and coming artists for your living room and bedroom. Framed black and white photographs are very nice in hallways. If you are handy with a camera, take your own pics and send them to one of the most popular online framing shops that will blow up the photos, frame them, and send them back via post rather quickly. Get pieces you really like because you will be looking at them every day.

8. Accentuate Architectural Features

Does your home have good bones and interesting moldings? Expose a hidden brick wall if possible. Strip the paint from classic paneled wood doors. If you have timber elements, say in the ceiling, consider removing the finished ceiling to expose the timber beams, assuming this will not compromise energy efficiency. Have old porcelain or cast iron bath fixtures with cracked glaze or rust? You can restore these with a new glazed finish. Polish up those lovely brass door knobs.

9. Clean and Refinish

This may sound like an obvious step to classing up your bachelor pad. Beyond just surface cleaning, you need to go deep and refresh. Have your windows washed so that sunlight streams in. Refinish your wood floors and have your carpets professionally cleaned. Re-grout the ceramic tile in your bathroom. A new coat of paint is an immediate pick-me-up for any room.

10. Redesign your Lighting with Options

When your pals are over to watch a match, the recessed lighting in your ceiling might be perfect. Yet, these should be placed on dimmers so you can control the level of lighting. For a romantic or cozy evening, table lamps with fabric shades are the perfect choice. Floor lamps near comfy armchairs are so inviting for settling in with a good book. Ambiance in the kitchen can be achieved with hidden, LED under cabinet lighting. Pendant lights over the kitchen island are so in. Oh, and get rid of any unflattering fluorescent lighting fixtures, especially in the bathroom.

You don’t have to break the bank to make your bachelor pad classier. If you have the means, go all out and implement the suggestions here. In fact, hire an interior designer and leave the guesswork to the professionals. Otherwise, tackle each suggestion one at a time and try to enjoy the process of making your pad a real home and a show stopper that will bring you compliments and make your guests feel cared about and comfortable.