[Alpharius]

The bachelor pad should be as unique as the man.

I see a lot of guys asking questions about setting up a bachelor pad, so I thought I'd throw together a quick guide to help dudes out there.

Source: I once lived unhappily with a bitter wife, used/mismatched furniture, and nothing really of my own. I now live in a sweet pad where everything is mine, it’s set up how I want, and has the things I want in it. My place of living and the items within are only there to bring me happiness.

Bedroom

• Large bed (not twin), big enough to stretch out by yourself, alternatively to have a guest (or two) join you. I recommend a Ghost Bed, very comfortable, doesn’t get hot, and absorbs impact.
• Lighting - one source of light within arms reach of the bed, another wherever there’s a need for light.
• I also recommend thermal curtains in whatever color scheme you go for (mine are black to fit my theme). Nothing drives me nuts more than blinding sunlight streaming into my face when I’m trying to take a nap or sleep off a hangover. My bedroom is dark at night. I do not want my sleep interrupted.
• A hamper. Clothes lying everywhere is pretty unattractive, and I've had a few women mention that it's a turn off. I've also noticed that my dog will destroy socks if I leave them out.
  

This is where having a uniform color scheme comes in handy. Plan ahead when buying sheets/blankets/pillowcovers - I personally only go for solid black, gray, or white. It doesn’t matter if I use one color for pillows, one color for the fitted sheet and yet a different color for the sheet on top, it all goes together and looks just fine. No random combinations of burnt orange, green, and blue. For pillows I have a couple I bought from Target that are just the usual cheap stuff, but the one my head goes on every night is a TempurPedic Dual Cooling pillow. I have four sets that I rotate through, order doesn’t matter because it all goes together. I also have two duvets that match that color scheme that I swap when I do laundry.

Kitchen
Besides the three essentials (stove, fridge, sink) I have three major pieces in my kitchen

• Keurig - Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soup, cider… Whatever the situation calls for at a moment's notice. I order the big variety packs every so often and have abig selection for myself and guests to choose from.
• Crockpot - A 6 gallon one, to be exact. I can make a weeks worth of chili, stew, pulled pork, you name it and have my lunch ready to go without much thought or effort.
• Aerogarden - Right now I have three of these in the kitchen, two 3-pods with herbs and one 7-pod with a variety of salad greens that I usually supplement with a bag of spinach from the store. Works perfect and adds a unique touch. Good talking point, too. People always ask questions about them and love the fresh touch it adds meals if you’re cooking. It’s also really nice to have fresh cut dill when I make some salmon for myself.
• Spend the money to invest in a decent set of silverware.
  Setting a theme here is important as well, no mismatched collection, I like being planned and intentional, and I want the place I live to represent me as such. To that effect I have stainless steel strainer, mixing bowls, and pots and pans.
• For knives I keep a Calphalon 15 piece self sharpening knife set.
  The plates and bowls keep with the theme, black and gray. No weird set of colors or anything like that, if a few break over time I can replace them without having weird mismatched sets because everything is following an easy basic theme.
  I keep a few bottles of wine on a simple wine rack for whenever I feel like cracking one open or having guests over.
  
  Living Room
  I work really hard to keep my living room from becoming cluttered. I have a long couch that I can layout on without being at some weird angle, and a TV big enough that I don’t have to squint to see from the couch. Again, I keep to a simple theme. Black leather couch, black coffee table, gray and black bookshelves, gray and black tv stand, (noticing a theme yet?) For the blank wall behind my couch, I hung a big gray and black throw blanket with a celtic design on it. I also keep a gray blanket on the couch (which my dog loves more than I do, to be honest).
  
  Bathroom
• Matching set of towels/washcloth (keep extra towels, those things come in handy all the damn time!)
  
  Your place should represent you, after all you live there. You spend most of your time there. Want to be the guy who lives in knee-deep beer cans and cheap liquor bottles with a laundry room full of half empty pizza boxes? No thanks (and yes, I know that guy and want to be nothing like him). Want to be the guy who has mastered his own life, has a direction planned out, and has easily identified interests, values, and hobbies? Prove it. Life starts at home. You wake up there in the morning, have dinner there at night, find solace in dark hours, and recover there when ill.
  
  Other things I keep
• A fully stocked (and I mean fully) first aid kit.
• A never ending supply of toilet paper and kleenex.
• Dry erase wall calendar.
  
  My hobbies are well demonstrated throughout the entirety of the pad, for example I have at least one bookcase in every room (one entire wall of the living room is well organized books). You can tell I like to read, and even what genres I like after walking inside.
  
  Clothes lying everywhere - remember that section about the bedroom where I said, “Get a hamper”? Clothes go in that hamper.
  
  I’m not going into the layout, the appliances, the exact furniture models, because all of that is dependent on your budget, lifestyle, location, tastes… I’d also recommend guys go check out the malelivingspace subreddit, I know reddit ain’t really the most RVF friendly place, but there’s some decent looking places guys have put together over there with a good amount of knowledge. There's also roomporn, which is pretty much the same thing.
  
  Example of a planned theme in action with prominent hobbies and interests (very hipster, but it’s just an example)
  http://imgur.com/a/PaF0E
  Simple theme, very effective
  http://i.imgur.com/vp4oQ5Yh.jpg
  Notice the theme that’s kept throughout the bachelor pad
  http://imgur.com/a/XlkvF
  Minimalist white theme
  http://imgur.com/xYSEt3U
  Guy clearly likes his plants
  http://imgur.com/a/HnLfJ
  Another example
  https://imgur.com/a/ZURJv
  

[AneroidOcean]

I know you spent some considerable time/effort on this datasheet so that's appreciated, but I was surprised to see a lack of inline image examples and links to some of the same old resources that have been provided or already covered in multiple other threads. Since I am not trying to knock you (as I really wish you'd done some prior thread research to include them) I'll post some of these below:

Bachelor Pads

Bachelor Pad Basics?

Creating the right bachelor pad

Ideal Bachelor Pad Layout

That last one has some straight gold from WIA.

[Alpharius]

(08-25-2016 02:41 AM)AneroidOcean Wrote:  

I know you spent some considerable time/effort on this datasheet so that's appreciated, but I was surprised to see a lack of inline image examples and links to some of the same old resources that have been provided or already covered in multiple other threads. Since I am not trying to knock you (as I really wish you'd done some prior thread research to include them) I'll post some of these below:

Bachelor Pads

Bachelor Pad Basics?

Creating the right bachelor pad

Ideal Bachelor Pad Layout

That last one has some straight gold from WIA.

Normally I fill my threads with pics, but I was feeling pretty lazy when I typed it up. Thanks for adding additional info!

[KsockZ]

You inspired me to change up some things in my house, first of all my bedroom. I'm going to get away from the basic earthy colors and go with a black,gray and white look. starting with paint and new bed sheets... and then a rug and a few other things.

thanks for the data sheet +1

[rottenapple]

The most important things are:

-Variety of Booze and mixers/drugs
-No couch or couch in which you can fuck
-dimmed lighting
-black sheets so the left over hairs are not too visible
-good condo guards
-these sprays that make your crib smell fresh and welcoming
-some cool items which you can link to a story

Keep it simple and effective.

[Alpharius]

(08-25-2016 11:07 PM)KsockZ Wrote:  

You inspired me to change up some things in my house, first of all my bedroom. I'm going to get away from the basic earthy colors and go with a black,gray and white look. starting with paint and new bed sheets... and then a rug and a few other things.

thanks for the data sheet +1

As long as the colors compliment each other it's usually okay.

For example


Just keep it simple all the way across.

[Irish]

Recent good post by VitaBrevis on bachelor pad upkeep

[Pollito]

Don't forget a stock of moist flushable wipes for the shitter.

[Alpharius]

(08-27-2016 11:01 PM)Pollito Wrote:  

Don't forget a stock of moist flushable wipes for the shitter.

I just stock up on quality tp. None of that cheap scratchy sandpaper on my ass.

[nomadbrah]

Nice, I like the examples, I could live in each of the pads. Dark wood theme is something I personally prefer.

I'd add if you have a large enough bathroom, to get one of those big ceiling faucets/rain shower heads common in better hotels, which give a large wide stream of water to shower with a girl and having your hands free to play.

[Repo]

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a condo, and am starting to think about furniture.

What are good places to buy quality leather furniture in the US? I'm thinking my living room will have just a sofa and a chair, and I'd like then to match. I'm reading about different grades of leatherc and it sounds like you want to avoid bonded leather, but other than that I'm lost. Italian leather seems to be the bees knees.

[Repo]

Anyway, as I'm designing my bachelor pad, I'll post here to give updates, as I don't think it merits its own thread.

To start, I have about 10k to play with, and about 1400 square feet. Granite counter and stainless steel appliances come with the placex except the refrigerator and washer and dryer.

I have decent bedroom furniture, but my living room amd dining room sets are old, worn, and dated. So the plan is to spend all of my budget on the living area, and update the bedroom later. As I see it, if we make it to the bedroom the bang is guaranteed anyway.

Concept is for a modern/abstract design, as to connect with the younger crowd and because that is what I like anyway (I'm low 30s).

The base unit will have dark brown cabinets (damn near black), faded blackish flooring, and white mixed with black granite countertop (about 50/50 mix).

Initial budget allocation us as follows:

1k for stainless steel refrigerator
1k for washer dryer combo. I may buy used to save money here.
3k for black Italian leather sofa/chair combo. Due to space limitations and to save money, no love seat.
600 for 3 bar stools, probably white and chrome
300 for centerpiece rug
1k for 5 piece dining set. Still figuring out colors here
Approx 1k for electric fireplace TV stand and sound system (already have big screen TV). If I save money elsewhere, I will put it here.
1k for artwork. I have one piece in particular I like, that would be 40x80 plus framing. The piece without framing would be about $450. Also want mirrors to open the place up a bit.
The last would be for a chandeliar and hanging bar lighting.

I think the easiest places to save money will be in the lighting and dining room set. Since the dining room will be off to the side, it won't have as high priority. The bar and living room will be key. If I have money, I want to add LED lights to the back of the painting, to give it a faint glow. I think it would be real cool to turn the lights off while having a drink with a chick, and only have the fireplace, dim bar lights, and dim lighrs from the painting on, especially if the fireplace and painting led lights are colored. Alot to think about and I have plenty of time.

[Repo]

New thing I'm considering:

Stone accent wall

How many guys have those? I'm really trying to take this unit to the next level within my budget.

[monster]

(02-13-2017 12:47 PM)Repo Wrote:  

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a condo, and am starting to think about furniture.

What are good places to buy quality leather furniture in the US? I'm thinking my living room will have just a sofa and a chair, and I'd like then to match. I'm reading about different grades of leatherc and it sounds like you want to avoid bonded leather, but other than that I'm lost. Italian leather seems to be the bees knees.

Yeah, so leather is not really in style anymore.

You'll want to check out houzz.com to see whats in style.

[monster]

(02-15-2017 06:15 PM)Repo Wrote:  

New thing I'm considering:

Stone accent wall

How many guys have those? I'm really trying to take this unit to the next level within my budget.

Im not sure you'll find a good looking wall within an economical budget.

You do better with fresh paint a few cool accent pieces on the wall.

[Repo]

(02-15-2017 09:46 PM)monster Wrote:  

(02-13-2017 12:47 PM)Repo Wrote:  

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a condo, and am starting to think about furniture.

What are good places to buy quality leather furniture in the US? I'm thinking my living room will have just a sofa and a chair, and I'd like then to match. I'm reading about different grades of leatherc and it sounds like you want to avoid bonded leather, but other than that I'm lost. Italian leather seems to be the bees knees.

Yeah, so leather is not really in style anymore.

You'll want to check out houzz.com to see whats in style.

Geez I missed that boat then. Thanks I'll check it out. That could actually be a huge help for my budget then.

[Repo]

(02-15-2017 09:48 PM)monster Wrote:  

(02-15-2017 06:15 PM)Repo Wrote:  

New thing I'm considering:

Stone accent wall

How many guys have those? I'm really trying to take this unit to the next level within my budget.

Im not sure you'll find a good looking wall within an economical budget.

You do better with fresh paint a few cool accent pieces on the wall.

Yeah, I think I will need to try out samples before I buy anything. That will probably not be a day 1 upgrade, maybe do it after the main items are in and I get a feel for the place.

[BallsDeep]

What are your thoughts on the TV?

Should it be in the living room or bedroom?

[Sourcecode]

Living room.
Bedroom is for sleep and sex.

No distractions

[PapayaTapper]

(02-15-2017 06:15 PM)Repo Wrote:  

New thing I'm considering:

Stone accent wall

How many guys have those? I'm really trying to take this unit to the next level within my budget.

Whatever you do you want it to look congruent architecturally else it will likely look forced / fake

In an urban setting an "old brick" wall is likely your best bet...gives you that "urban loft" feel





There are any number of veneers available and if you DIY it can be pretty cheap. (On a 1-10 scale level of difficulty I'd give it a 3 or 4) You could probably knock it out in a weekend (depending on the scale of the project and of course)





Here's a decent video (There's tons of them though)

[Repo]

Thanks Papaya.

This is kind of the scheme I was imagining, though I think I would pick a more prominent wall:

[PapayaTapper]

(02-16-2017 12:35 PM)Repo Wrote:  

Thanks Papaya.

This is kind of the scheme I was imagining, though I think I would pick a more prominent wall:

This is called "soft contemporary" style and likely a faux stone veneer...it's a good look too and the installation is practically identical so it should be cost effective.

Notice lighting (either down or up across the stone) is always an important element in maximizing the effect. (In this case the lighting is downward concealed in the soffit above) If you aren't doing any wiring (and electrical is one area I don't recommend the average DIY er take on....unless you really really know your shit) and dont have an electrician buddy then you can use a couple of low voltage landscape lights strategically placed in a potted plant or concealed behind an end table for an "indirect" look. Super cheap

[monster]

(02-15-2017 10:04 PM)Repo Wrote:  

Geez I missed that boat then. Thanks I'll check it out. That could actually be a huge help for my budget then.

So the two arguably most popular styles are mid-century modern and contemporary. It's easy to find midcentury modern pieces because their branded as such. Contemporary pieces aren't as clearly branded, and a lot of retailers will pass off modern and traditional pieces as contemporary (partly because the term isn't so clearly defined) so unless you know what you'll looking for you can get stuck with something not-so-chic.

Joybird and Thrive are good places to see what midcentury furniture and style looks like too.

Otherwise, if you want contemporary on a budget Ikea is your source but you still need to have an observant eye to know what's good and what's bad.

[Repo]

Interesting. I'm not an electician, and the place dosn't have a soffit, so I will use the hidden light technique you described.

You seem to have experience with this type of stuff. How do you think it would look if I had the stone wall stop at about an inch from the ceiling, and then put an LED strip on top of the rocks close to the wall? Would be a dim light, but I could also use color if I did that. Thoughts?

[monster]

(02-16-2017 01:17 PM)Repo Wrote:  

Interesting. I'm not an electician, and the place dosn't have a soffit, so I will use the hidden light technique you described.

You seem to have experience with this type of stuff. How do you think it would look if I had the stone wall stop at about an inch from the ceiling, and then put an LED strip on top of the rocks close to the wall? Would be a dim light, but I could also use color if I did that. Thoughts?

You would see the bulbs.