Interior Decorating for the Single Man
The way your home looks reflects on who you are as a person, and influences how other people judge you. When you are a single guy, there are certain things you want to evoke in the various aspects of your life. You want to appear successful, confident, mature, sophisticated, and even a little sexy. Your home can help you do this, but you have to have a plan.
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Boy & Their Toys
Guys are known for loving gadgets and electronics. From the newest game console to big screen plasma TV's, if it has buttons and flashing lights men seem inexplicably drawn to it. Unfortunately it is easy to get carried away and fill your house with a lot of useless, gaudy garbage.
However, if you use a little taste when making high tech purchases, you can actually end up making your home look more sophisticated. The key here, as it so often is in life, is balance. You can't overload your living room with video games, stereos, computers, and TV's, and expect anyone except a techno nerd to be impressed. Instead choose one or two attractive pieces per room, and try to integrate them into the purpose of the space. A nice stereo adds to the ambience of a living room, and a properly displayed computer can make a library seem more stylish and modern.
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You are also going to have to use some basic decorating knowledge to pull off your gadget dйcor. For instance, if you have a room with a nice black steel stereo, and you are shopping for a television to accompany it, make sure that you pick a model which is also in a black steal finish. Even if it costs you a few more dollars, the way it pulls your room together and makes it look 'finished' will be worth the added expense.
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Decorate For The Date
You aren't planning on being single forever right? Well then at some point, you are going to want to bring that special someone back to your home. If you plan ahead, you can make the most of that home court advantage and ensure that their reaction to your living conditions will be exactly the one you want.
You probably don't want to live in a romantically decorated home. But it is important to keep the components of a romantic setting on hand. Have a box at the ready, full of candles (with candelabras), incense sticks, romantic dishware, relaxing music CD's, intimate ambient mood lights, and any other accessory which might make your home feel a little cozier to that special someone.
A dining table allows you to have quiet dinners, where you stare longingly across the table at one another. Even if you don't have a dining room, a bistro or bar table is an intimate setting for a romantic meal, that won't take up much space. If you usually have several chairs grouped around your table, store away all but two, to create the impression that you are the only two people in the world.
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Interior Design: Jennifer Parker, Patera Home, LLC, Reston, Virginia; Photography: Angie SeckingerImage 1 of 5
You can't sit at the dinner table forever, so you should have a couch, loveseat, or at least a futon where you can get more comfortable. A big fuzzy rug can also be a playful location for this. If you couple either of these with a fireplace, electric, gas, or natural and you have the makings for a truly special evening.Interior Design: Jennifer Parker, Patera Home, LLC, Reston, Virginia; Photography: Angie SeckingerImage 1 of 5
Sports, Hobbies, and Obsessions
We know you love your local football team, and you can't get enough pinball either, but you have to be tasteful about how you choose to display this. Remember, not everyone shares your passions, and even if they do, they may not share them to the same extent. Extreme elements tend to alienate, so instead, try to integrate your interests in a balanced and subdued manner.
Sports posters are for little boys, and you're an adult now. Instead of plastering cheap prints all over your walls, show your sophistication by displaying a few prized pieces of memorabilia. A signed photograph from a famous athlete, tastefully displayed in a desk frame, says more about your passion for the game than a bunch of cheap junk anyways.
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There are other subtle ways you can show your zeal. Try decorating your home in your team's colors? I am not talking about suddenly purchasing a bunch of logo imprinted pillows and other functional garbage. Instead choose normal furnishings, couches, rugs, and curtains, which mimic the colors in the team's jerseys. However you have to be careful to convert the bright colors used to market a team, into more relaxed, subdued tones that are appropriate for a home. For instance, if your favorite team dresses in bright green and red, try restraining these colors using a forest green background with maroon accents, and possibly black or tan contrasting pieces.
Keep It Clean!
This is the single biggest complaint women have about a single man's home. They just don't keep it clean. For many women this is a huge turn off, and has been known to ruin relationships.
Cleanliness really is the simplest and most important factor in creating an impressive home. There is absolutely no reason you should not keep things tidy, especially if you have forewarning that an important guest is coming over.
If you are having trouble with clutter, try reducing the number of items you keep out. Storage boxes which can be shoved under a bed or behind a couch, can keep all of your functional possessions out of sight, but easily in reach.
You can also try picking one day a week where you do a spot cleaning. Regular upkeep means that when it is time to do a major cleaning, like just before a date, you won't have to clear your whole weekend.
If all else fails you can always get a maid. Or, of course, try to end up back at her place.
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Interior Design: Jennifer Parker, Patera Home, LLC, Reston, Virginia; Photography: A
Conclusion
If you are a single guy you want to create an image or power, success, and sophistication. Your home can help you make this impression, but you have to have a strategy. Stepping outside of your own desires, you can take a critical look at your surroundings, and form a plan that will create a space that helps you attain your goals.