Gentlemen. We need to talk.
I have a significant number of bachelor clients, and lately I feel like I’m having the same conversation over and over. Single men call me up mostly because they don’t know what to put in their homes, so I decided to help by creating a list of must-haves for every bachelor pad. You’ll have suitors lined up at the door, I promise. (If that’s not your jam, then you can add “heartbreaker” to your business cards instead.)
1. Bedding
Guys. Really. This is so easy and makes SUCH a difference. Each and every one of your beds needs the following:
- White sheet set
- Quality blanket
- Two sleeping pillows
- Two Euro pillows (those are the giant square ones) or two more standard pillows
BONUS POINTS if you have the following:
- Down comforter
- Duvet set for the down comforter
- A throw pillow
- A spare set of sheets and duvet
See? So simple. So inviting.
2. Bedroom Furniture
While we’re talking about bedding, let’s talk about furniture. Here’s what every bedroom should have:
- A bed. Not a mattress on the floor, nor a metal frame, but a proper bed. BONUS POINTS if it has a headboard.
- A dresser. You shouldn’t have all your clothes folded up (or thrown) on the floor, or even on the closet shelves. Put your socks and underwear in the dresser, boys. It’s civilized.
- Two nightstands. These can even be two small dressers or chests, which would eliminate the need for the aforementioned dresser. These can also be as simple as a wall shelf if you don’t have the space or interest in more furniture. You could use two cool chairs or stools — be creative! You and your partner need a place to put your phone while you’re sleeping, and since you no longer have your mattress on the floor, the floor is too far away.
- Two lamps. Overhead lighting isn’t exactly the best at night, and the switch is often far away from the bed. Having a personal light (wall, table, or pendant) on both sides of the bed makes life better.
3. A Thoughtful Entry
When you walk into a space, you need a place to put your jacket, keys, mail, and anything else you bring in. This area sets the tone for your entire space because it’s the first thing you see when you enter a home. Nothing says “I’m a grownup” like having a put-together entry, and grown men are hot. Here’s what you should aim to have:
- A coat rack. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the wall or a standalone piece on the floor, but you need a good place for your guest’s coat if you don’t have a coat closet (or if it’s full already).
- A tabletop of sorts. This can be a table, a dresser, a credenza, or even a shelf.
- A catchall for keys and/or mail, like a bowl or tray.
BONUS POINTS:
- A place to sit and put on shoes, like a bench or sturdy chair.
- A rug
- A mirror
4. Framed Art
Putting things on your walls says you have put some thought into your space, and what you choose to frame says a lot about you and your personal style. People like to see it, and it makes a space feel more like a home. Do it. No excuses!
5. Sets of Dinnerware and Glassware
Having 3 mugs your mom gave you, 5 glasses you stole from your roommate a decade ago, and 1 plastic cup you brought home from Disneyland in 1998 doesn’t really say “I put thought into my home.” Your dishes, glasses, and utensils don’t have to be expensive — I’m a huge fan of IKEA, West Elm, and CB2 offerings — but they should be purposeful choices. When in doubt, buy white dishes, plain clear glasses, and simple silverware. Even if you live alone, you should aim for 8 of everything.
6. A Well-Appointed Bathroom
A bathroom should be an oasis that has you leaving feeling refreshed. A sexy WC would have the following:
- A shower curtain (if you don’t have a glass door already) — and no, a clear liner doesn’t count. Stop grumbling.
- Matching towels (you can’t go wrong with white) — 4 each of bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths.
- Spare toilet paper neatly displayed or conveniently located — because you’re not an animal.
BONUS POINTS if you have the following:
- An attractive tray or dish to keep your products tidy.
- Hand soap, especially in a handsome package.
- Art on the walls, because a bathroom is still a room.
7. Plants
Having living things in your house is important. No one wants to live in a place that feels like a hotel room or borrowed space, and having fresh flowers or potted plants scattered about adds color and interest without adding meaningless “stuff” everywhere. Also, plants are beautiful, and succulents are a great option if you want something low maintenance.
8. Window Treatments
Don’t roll your eyes at me. No one wants to see the cheap blinds that come standard in every apartment in America. NO ONE. So take them down! Some simple curtains will do — nothing fancy required. And if it’s a room that doesn’t require privacy, why not expose the windows altogether?
9. A TV at Eye Level
That’s right. EYE LEVEL. I have literally never been in a man’s house that had the TV at viewing height. It’s crazytown. Like, doesn’t your neck hurt to stare up at a TV for hours??
BONUS POINTS if you mount it on the wall. It looks better. Trust me.
10. Throw Pillows and Accessories
These are the things that make a house a home, boys. Throw pillows make your space more comfortable, accessories tell a story about who you are and where you’ve been, and all these things together add interest and depth to your interior.
There you have it, guys! An easy checklist for making people who aren’t also bachelors want to spend more than 5 minutes at your house. Did I forget anything? Leave a message in the comments and let everyone know I’m a failure.
And as always, thank you so very much for sharing me with all your friends!
xoxo
K.
Apartment Envy 
K, love these interiors!!!!!
Hooray! :D
This was realistic, informative and well written. Thanks!
You’re so very welcome! Thank you for reading! :)
On Thursday, January 7, 2016, Apartment Envy wrote:
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Rarely do I find myself envious of other bachelor’s pads but you’ve shown some well thought out spaces. I’m assuming the images are of your designs. Well done.
Happy to provide cause for envy any time! ;)
Love the pics and advice - except for the WHITE SHEETS. Most rarely wash them as often as they should ( some NEVER- true story)…black sheets to the rescue!
I have to respectfully disagree — I’m anti black sheets lol ;) They get faded and look dingy quickly. If these gentlemen don’t know they need to wash their sheets, then they have bigger problems than the color of their sheets!
I totally enjoyed reading your post, smiled several times and must say, you are right. And the pictures are just awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! :D
All the pictures are awesome. I completely appreciated perusing your post, grinned a few times.
Lovely pictures! Loved this post.
All the designs are awesome. Wish you could come to my house and design the rooms for me! Thanks for sharing they are really great tips.
Who wants to live in the bachelor pad designs posted. Yeah, they look nice and fancy, but they’re not homes. In fact, they’re so boring and predictable. Zero personality. Like a bunch of old, passed over Crate and Barrel advertisements. And really, do we need an article to tell us we need white sheets, a duvet, a bed frame, dresser, coat rack, sufficient lighting, spare toilet paper, shower curtain, and a plant or two to appear “grown up.” I found the article and tone to be condescending, like the author believes having a vagina is qualification enough to “teach” guys how to live. The whole thing was pretty lame, like the other 5000 “what every man needs”/”bachelor 101” article. Just another bad copy:paste job.
Hey, Pete! So sorry you didn’t find my post useful. Not everyone prioritizes having their home looking magazine-worthy, so no worries if this kind of thing isn’t for you. And if it isn’t? You totally don’t have to read it!
For the record, I don’t plagiarize or copy/paste anything. Everything in my blog came straight from my little ol’ lady brain — useless as it may be.
On Monday, February 29, 2016, Apartment Envy wrote:
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Hey just wanted to pop in and say that I liked the article, ignore that ass!! I’m 25 and live in a 450 sqft beach side house, that I’m finally putting the final touches on and some of these are obvious but others aren’t so. The visible toilet paper, the coat rack, and the throw pillows on the couch.
Shoot me an email if you’re interested seeing my place too!!
This post was helpful to me as a woman. I did not learn early on how to make a house a home, and this was really insightful. I will pass this onto my children-who are all young men so they will appreciate the pictures because they appeal to the masculine side. God bless.
I’m so happy it was helpful! :)
On Wed, Apr 6, 2016 at 10:09 AM, Apartment Envy wrote:
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Nice article. I’ve designed by place with most of these elements included (only 4 of each plate…but 4 diff sizes/shapes of the plates/bowls). Anyway, my question: I live in an apt next to a very busy street. I hear what you’re saying about window treatments, but I will not put up curtains. Do you think monochromatic (gray) blinds are a good alternative or have any suggestions?
I think Roman shades offer a nice, clean alternative to curtains, and still block out a lot of sound!
On Tue, Feb 28, 2017 at 4:09 PM, Apartment Envy wrote:
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I loved your article! It made me laugh out loud a few times. I have a son graduating from college this year and possibly moving out of state on his own soon after. I found the information very helpful…and for the record…”Stinky Pete” needs to get an attitude adjustment!!!
Very nicely done
Great and very thoughtful article about Bachelor. Because most of them don’t know what do they need in their homes. This will be a great help for them. By the way love the interiors. Cheers.
I had followed all this steps since I read your article the first time and achieve this goals on not a crazy budget and some time looking around. Everyone loves my apartment and complements me every time how well though it’s lay out. .
I’m so happy to hear it! Glad the article could help :)
Loved the article! I think it’s very helpful to have a list to work from especially if you are starting out. I am writing a blog about setting up your first apartment and thought it would be relevant since it’s about setting up your space. Would love to get your feedback or thoughts: https://apartmentessential.com/first-apartment-checklist/
Thank you. This is very useful
My older son set his place up on his own, for the most part, and did a pretty good job. He’s not with us on earth anymore, but now his younger brother is about to set up his own place. I want to help him out, but was not sure what things I could start to collect for him that would help get him set up, without buying items that would require his personal taste and opinion. That is what lead me to this article. I found several ideas I could start with, like white sheets. One suggestion, that actually did come from my older son: Pay attention to thread count of sheets, and know that the higher the number, the better the sheets. To this I would add: Spend more time, energy, and money on making your bed comfortable than on any other furniture, because one needs good rest to make all of the rest of life work right.
I love this article! I am implementing many of your ideas. I need to know where that natural wood coffee table came from in the last picture. That is really nice…
This is garbage I have been on my own for 6 years now and I have a bed on the floor no pillows and 1 blanket
I think if you’ve been on your own for 6 years, maybe it’s because you’re sleeping on the floor with no pillows? Step it up a smidge and maybe someone might be interested in staying over.
For what it’s worth, if you disagree with my opinions on my blog, you could simply ignore them and not read it.