The Crib

  With Graduation season upon us, lots of guys are moving into places of their own.  Out of the parents’ house, out of the dorms, out from under the roommates, and into a place of your own.  It’s exciting, it’s an adventure, and usually a recipe for disaster.

  Every guy wants to have a nice crib, a nice pad.  It’s the first step in getting a girl.  But most of us wouldn’t know how to begin to decorate a place if our life depended on it.  So I called up Laura Day, a decorator on your would-be girlfriend’s favorite TV show, “Trading Spaces,” and we talked interior decorating.  For guys.

  First Things First:  When you move into a new place, Laura recommends a few small beginning steps that will make a big difference.  If it’s an apartment, switch out the stock “chandelier” that comes in every apartment.  Put up a nice light fixture or a little track lighting.  It’s cheap, easy, and a trip to Home Depot or Target will get you started on the right foot.  While you’re there, pick up as many dimmer switches as you have light switches.  Putting dimmers on all of your light switches immediately lets you control the ambiance of your new pad.  Also cheap and simple to install. 

  Also, before you get started, look through magazines and books to find the look you want.  You can usually do it for cheaper than you think, and this gives you a place to start.  Remember, you don’t want your new apartment to feel like a JC Penny display room.  You want to make it comfortable, classy, and uniquely you.  Before you get started, put some thought into customizing it and making it original.  “The way to appeal to a lady,” says Laura, “is to just do it nicely—whatever you do, in your own style.  They’re going to appreciate that you put some thought into it and made it come together nicely, whether it’s masculine, or fun, or retro, or bright and cheery.”

  Room By Room:  Here are some little tips from Laura that make a big difference.

  In the living room, don’t aim all of the furniture at the television.  Make it more inviting to conversation.  Get a couple of chairs that face the couch.  “That’s a basic that guys don’t usually get.”

  Look intelligent.  “So you can have some FHM’s and Stuff Magazines, but stack them neatly and put an art book on top.”  This is also a great way to draw the attention away from a plain coffee table.

  Organization is key.  “Be organized.  Organization is the one thing that men can do to make their space look good, no matter what.  You’ve got to have your stuff put away and organized.  Even if all of your electronics are out in the open, they need to be organized and contained.”  Use some zip-ties to organize the extra wiring, and keep it hidden. 

  You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a nice place.  Next week, we’ll talk kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms.

 -From Pulse
   May 19, 2005