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The Dappered Space: 5 Easy Bachelor Pad Upgrades

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The Dappered Space is a series designed to help guys apply the sense of personal style they’ve developed to the space they inhabit. Watch for articles on furniture and decor sales & picks, advice on how to style a room or work space, and tackling creating a space that reflects your own (and perhaps a significant other’s) personal tastes. We’ll suggest items that can be sourced online, but always keep in mind that deals can be found at consignment and thrift stores, local stores with floor models, discount stores, and even yard sales. 

Ah, the bachelor pad. From time immortal, many a guy has collected (or inherited) really random stuff, and thrown it all together into a cacophony of mis-matched living space. Hey, when you don’t have the money to purchase your own dishes, couch, towels… you take what you can get where you can get it. But perhaps you’ve reached a point that the chipped mugs and plywood media stand just aren’t living up to your style standards any longer. Time to upgrade. (photo credit)

 

The Futon

Better Homes and Gardens Futon

Futons are the quintessential college dorm/bachelor pad seating choice. Part of the reason for this? They’re functional. A futon can double as a bed. Futons have come a long way. As seen above, there are many options nowadays that look great, and that a guest coming into your home likely wouldn’t even think was a futon. There is one drawback that seems typical of most futons, they’re really firm. If you’re looking for seating you can sink into, it’s not going to happen with a futon (one workaround for sleeping is to purchase a memory foam mattress topper). But if you want the option of having an additional sleeping area for friends or guests to crash on, and you don’t have the space for a guest room, a good looking futon can fill that need. And yes, there is a link to Wal-Mart on Dappered. 2017 is going to be an interesting year.

 

The Media Cabinet

Millsboro TV Stand

This is another item that typically is hand-me-down, or very little money was spent on, for a first dorm room or apartment. I mean, it is just a cabinet to set and house electronics in. But it’s a large piece of furniture, and thus becomes one of the focal points in a room. For a more “mature” look in your home, you can opt for a console that has doors that close, thus concealing your X-Box game collection and all those wires.

 

The Dishes

Dappered Space Dishes

Let the days of disposable and mom’s old-school corningware plates be gone. Get rid of the mis-matched mugs, bowls, and pint glasses stolen from your favorite college bars. Step up your game by purchasing a set of nicer dishes and glasses. This doesn’t have to be complicated, or that expensive, and it’s an easy way to make your next dinner party look like you graduated from the days of subsisting off Cup-O-Noodles. Plain white dishes are the most versatile, and easily replaced.

 

The Linens

Dappered Space Linens

Cheap sheets and towels feel exactly like that next to your skin. But if you’ve not often slept on nicer sheets, or dried yourself off with a high quality towel, how would you know the difference? There is a difference though, and making these upgrades can be thoroughly enjoyable. You don’t have to go crazy and spend twenty bucks on a bath towel, but investing a little in a better set than you’re currently using will not only likely be agreeable to you, but it will also convey a sense of sophistication to your guests when they use a quality hand towel. Same goes for sheets, and guests in your bed. Giggity.

 

The Art

Dappered Space Lighthouse

Art and decor in the typical dorm room or bachelor pad can sometimes be… lacking. But that’s totally OK! When you’re in school there are much more important things to think about. And just out of school, hopefully a career is starting, and decorating your space might not be high on the priority list. But that time does come, and tacked up posters and/or bad thrift store finds might not quite reflect the man you’ve become. The thing is though, if a tacked up poster is actually artistic (like a retro movie poster), it can look pretty great matted and framed. Just… make sure you avoid some of the more collegey/cliche movie posters out there. Having that professionally done can get expensive, but frames can be found for cheap on Amazon. Not sure how your art tastes lean? Do some exploring on AllPosters.com, Art.com, or even Etsy for original and limited edition pieces. Also, if you have some digital photos you’ve taken that you’d use as art, blow them up on canvas. the canvas in the photo above is a picture taken by Dappered contributor Ben Madeska, who also creates his own original art.

Sarah W. is a long time member of the Dappered team, typically working behind the scenes editing posts, taking some photos, and keeping the books in good standing. Occasionally she’ll come out from behind the curtain to offer her two cents.