The Crib, Pt. II

  Okay, guys.  So Memorial Day weekend is here, and you’re spending it alone.  It might be because your new apartment is a wreck.  Instead of drinking away this three-day weekend like you do every summer, put a little time into making your apartment a little more inviting to the ladies.

  Last week I talked to Laura Day, an interior designer on TLC’s “Trading Spaces,” for some pointers that guys can use to get their house in order.  We talked about the living room last week.  Now we move on to the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

  We asked Laura about the impression the kitchen should make.  “Most important: clean.  A lot of times people rent, and you can’t do much.  Clean is so important.  And your refrigerator needs to be cleaned out.  Your guests will open the refrigerator.”

  As far as decorating the kitchen:  “It’s easy.  Put some candles on the countertops and light them.  Put some flowers on the bar.  Not a big deal.  Put a big poster on the wall to give it some color.  Do one big, dramatic thing in there to draw attention away from your otherwise ordinary kitchen.  If it’s clean, and you’ve got a nice light fixture, and a big poster on the wall, it’s done.”

  The bedroom is even simpler.  All you really have to work with is the bed.  When you’re getting bedding, Laura says to hit up Bed Bath & Beyond or Linens ’N Things.  “They both have a pretty good choice of bedding that you can do a lot with.  Remember, you don’t want it to look like a store.  If you get a set, get an extra pair of shams that are a different color.  Something to give it some depth; you want some layers of color.  If you go with dark bedding, throw some cream pillows on there to give it depth.”

  The bathroom is like the kitchen.  Keeping it clean is most of the work.  “A man should always have a clean bathroom and a clean kitchen.  And put the seat down,” she laughs.

  “Get a shower curtain you can’t see through.  The shower tends to be the one place that’s harder to keep clean.”  But don’t think that this gets you out of cleaning the shower.  If a girl’s interested in you, she’ll look behind the curtain to see how clean you keep your shower.  “It doesn’t have to be spotless; it just needs to be not nasty.  That’s a turnoff.

  “A nice little thing to do in the bathroom is to burn a candle that smells good.  You can get more masculine smelling candles.  They don’t have to smell like perfume.”

  Throughout your apartment, you don’t want oversized, puffy furniture.  “That’s a big don’t,” Laura says.  Get furniture that fits the space you have to work with, and leave some room for other things.  Also, no futons.  Hit up a thrift store for an old sofa, and get a nice slipcover, or have someone make one for you.

  Again, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a nice place.  Be original, get creative, and make it your own.  And when you run out ideas, you can always watch “Trading Spaces.”

 -From Pulse
   May 26, 2005

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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

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