Bachelor pads are stereotypically known for having old tattered furniture, large electronic equipment, overuse of the color black, lots of clutter, and tasteless artwork.
Here are some ways to decorate your bachelor pad in a classy way that shows off your personality without being boring or looking cheap.
photo couresy of bccnyc flickr.com/photos/briancarlock/2661143942/Clutter
Make sure there is lots of storage for everything in your bachelor pad to avoid clutter.
Clutter can make the best designed homes look bad.
Minimal
Decorate with minimal accessories to minimize the risk of your bachelor pad looking cluttered and reduce the amount of time required to clean.
Instead of several small accessories, select one large piece.
Wow Factor
Add at least one thing to each room that has wow factor.
The wow object will be the focal point of your room. Maybe it is a great light fixture or large piece of art.
Leather
Brown leather looks great in a bachelor pad, especially if it looks a bit worn.
In most cases, opt for dark brown leather over black leather. Black leather can look overly modern, cheap, and cold.
Furniture
When in doubt, go with vintage furniture (or vintage inspired furniture) with clean lines.
Consider purchasing mid century modern pieces instead of anything fussy or ornate.
Fabric
Don't be afraid of fabric. Select solid or geometrically patterned fabric pillows, rugs, bedding, and drapes.
If selecting a solid fabric, choose one with lots of texture, such as velvet, chenille, or faux fur.
Stick with solid white towels in the bathroom.
Architectural Texture
Don't ignore the architecture of your home.
Bring in architectural texture by using brick, stone, and salvaged wood.
Natural Elements
Add natural elements to your bachelor pad in the floors, countertops, furniture, and accessories.
You can decorate with stone, wood, rocks, water, and plants (live, not plastic).
Photo by Zulufish - More living room photos
Artwork
Avoid decorating with art celebrating your favorite sports team, university, alcoholic beverage, or pretty girls.
Instead, use vintage artwork, old signage, or found objects.
Objects brought back from your travels are great conversation starters.
Metal
Bring in a few metallic elements to add a bit of sparkle.
You can have a metallic lamp, vintage metallic items, or a metallic wall.
Light Fixtures
Light fixtures are both functional and decorative.
Select artistic light fixtures or clean lined light fixtures for your home's ceiling lights and table lamps.
Avoid plain, cheap, builder grade lighting.
Electronics
You need the latest electronics, however try to control their visibility.
Hide as many electronics as you can and avoid having visible cords and cables.
Color
Don't overuse the color black. Little bits of black here and there are great, but don't use too much.
When in doubt, stick with earth tones.
A little pop of white or a bright color doesn't hurt.
