Interior Design for Single Guys Looking to Bring Home a Date

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Let’s face it, most guys don’t have a clue of what girls like and while many books have been written on this subject, today’s post will only tackle how to impress a date once you’ve brought her home.  The most important thing to remember is that women want to see you’ve tried.  If a guy’s place is clean and has a few decorative and well placed accessories, then he’s off to a wonderful start. 

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The first place your date’s eyes will land will more than likely be the living room, dining room and/or kitchen area.  You want these areas to be relatively clean, and that means devoid of weeks of unfolded laundry, pizza boxes, days old food, and any unpleasant smells.   If you live in an apartment, you may not be able to paint but you should be able to hang art.  Wall decals can also be a very cool idea but opt for something simple; a larger than life decal of a pick-up truck might cause your date to raise an eyebrow.  Also, dust.  I know dusting is something men don’t like to do but seeing an inch-thick pile of dust on your entertainment console is likely to give anyone the heebie geebies, male or female.

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If you really want to impress her, here are a few ideas that will surely have her complimenting your place and you for your great style. 

Invest in a couple throw pillows; they should match the overall mood of your apartment and the furniture in it.  I usually suggest pillows that have some contrasting color to that of your main furniture items.  Pillows should also be soft and nice to the touch.  Using accessories that invite her to touch will make her want to touch you.

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Interesting lighting is also recommended.  Layered lighting will allow you to create a mood, keep lights bright to suggest alertness and dim to relax and soothe.  Lighting is a great place to showcase your style.  While the $5 table lamp you bought at the neighborhood thrift store certainly does its job, style-wise it may leave a little to be desired.   If it has a great shape, then wonderful, you found a diamond in the rough.  Invest in a more up-to-date lamp shade and soon your $5 score will score you points for having a great eye.

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Again, don’t shy away from art.  Art makes bland walls interesting.  Choose pieces that demonstrate your personal interests.  She wants to get to know you.  If she can look at your walls and see your hobbies, she will feel that she’s gained some personal insight about you which will make her feel all the more comfortable (and closer) to you.

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A woman wants to feel she’s made the right decision in going home with you.  She wants to know that you’re a good person, intelligent and kind.  A few well-placed magazines or books, i.e. not in the bathroom, allow your date to see that your dinner conversation about the environmental and economic benefits of eating local was not the result of something you heard on the radio while driving in to work.

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So you’ve gotten her to your place, she’s checked out your art, complimented your furniture tastes and now she has that look in her eye like she wants…a glass of wine.  It serves your purpose to own a nice set of glassware (wine glasses, juice glasses, and coffee mugs).  And fellas, a set can be 2; one for you and one for her that’s not cracked or chipped and that you don’t have to apologize for.  She wants to know that you have it all in hand and while a nice set of stemware doesn’t mean that the world is in your palm, a chipped and cracked set or no set at all certainly doesn’t assure her that you do.  And the last thing you want her to have while she’s in your home is doubt.

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If you’ve reached the point where the night is winding down and she feels comfortable and at ease and has pretty much made up her mind that she’s going to stay over, few things will assure her she’s made the right decision like a clean bathroom and clean bed linens.  Don’t ruin your efforts by being careless, so here are a few last touches.  Do a once over of your bathroom.  Make sure there are no huge gobs of toothpaste in the sink, no leftover shaving clippings from the morning.  Unfortunately for you the shower curtain is not an immovable iron-clad door that only opens using a retinal scan, thus the shower should be clean.  Same goes for the toilet, it should be clean.  Invest in decent quality, mature people sheets.  Your flat sheet and top sheet should match.  A nice big soft comforter doesn’t hurt either.  The bed should be inviting.  She should want to lie in it.  In fact if you’ve followed all the above tips, she’ll dream about lying in your bed when she’s not there.

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The Powder Room: A Diamond In The Rough

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I love powder rooms.  I won’t deny that my enthusiasm for powder rooms seems to take my clients by surprise but I see these tiny little spaces as wonderful opportunities to make a powerful impact.  Usually located near the heart or center of the home, I view powder rooms as an unassuming door just waiting to take the homeowner and his/her guests to a different dimension. 

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Powder rooms provide boundless opportunities for creativity while allowing the most bang for the buck.  In a powder room, you can take risks that you may not be inclined to take in a more open space within your home.  The powder room can provide a personal and intimate experience for all who venture in, an experience that the homeowner can craft from the moment the door closes.  

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Powder rooms are the ultimate fantasy space, they provide the opportunity to sample or create your ultimate dream home without spending all the dream home money.  An average DC powder room is anywhere from 15 to 25 sq. ft.  With such a small footprint, a homeowner can use custom finishes and treatments without spending a ton of money.  Custom finishes can include painted murals, bead board, handcrafted tiles, or any assortment of wallpapers or natural fiber papers.  A tile that retails for $30/sq. ft. becomes an affordable luxury in 15 square feet of space, as opposed to, in 80 square feet.

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Powder rooms also allow the use of fixtures and treatments that may not be practical in bathrooms or kitchens that get a lot of everyday use.  A high vessel bowl in a child’s bath or master bath might take up needed counter space but in a powder room, you can enjoy the novelty without sacrificing function.  Displaying rare art or artifacts in a bathroom with a bath or shower isn’t a good idea considering the long-term exposure to moisture but in a powder room where such exposure is not a problem, it becomes a great place to display these works of art. 

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Powder rooms are a great place to allow your inner creative spirit to shine.  The powder room is one of the best places to attempt interesting and unique design feats without taking on the toll and costs that could come with attempting such projects in a more sizeable room.  Powder rooms are also great places to experiment with color.  If there is a color that you gravitate toward but are afraid to use in the more prominent areas of your home, the powder room is great candidate for that color. 

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Powder rooms can be wonderful, little jewels for your creative inspirations.  Be bold.  Go out on a limb.  You just might find that the powder room becomes your favorite room in the house.