Filed under: Bedroom, Your Home, Living Room, Projects, House Tours
A studio apartment is transformed into a man cave that even a woman could love.The phrase Sexy Bachelor Pad surely conjures up some pretty stereotypical images -- consummate playboy, Rico Suave good looks and (don't forget!) zebra rugs and black leather sofas. But it's also the name of an interior design firm in New York -- and its team is working to erase that stereotype. Sexy Bachelor Pad designer Kimberlee Paige Hanson caters to young men fresh out of college with a closet full of business suits and an apartment furnished with, well, college futons, beer signs and cardboard box coffee tables.
"Men want to have a comfortable and stylish home as much as women," says Hanson. "They just have no interest in traipsing through furniture stores comparing prices for four months nor do they care about choosing between deep blue or military gray." But they understand that a well-decorated home with seating and grown up tabletop is essential if family or friends come over, or if they ever want to bring home the softer of the two sexes.
BEFORE
Designer Kimberlee Paige Hanson's immediate reaction of her bachelor client's apartment was that it was sparsely decorated, and that his possessions were tasteful but needed cohesion. Photo: Sexy Bachelor Pad
Left: Custom-designed industrial lighting, a charcoal suede sofa and a storage partition pairs function with an approachable yet masculine design sense. Right: This studio apartment has a special corner carved out for artistic pursuits. Photo: Glenn Race
Hanson started the design process by asking her client the same questions she asks all of her clients: What makes you tick? What are you passionate about? "We spend a lot of time and energy getting to know our client," she says. "We take his character, values and hobbies into account, and create an environment around them." This particular client loved to cook, he was interested in martial arts and he was teaching himself how to play guitar. He also wanted his apartment to feel spacious and warm and he wanted to feel proud of the decor when guests visited.
BEFORE
The first step for the team was to create separate spaces or areas in the studio apartment making it feel like you were moving around in different "rooms." Photo: Sexy Bachelor Pad
Emphasizing the natural light from the windows, a simple headboard, clamp-on lighting and crisp white linens are all the decorating a man needs. Photo: Glenn Race
AFTER
Hanson brought in a bar-height table and stools to create a more social dining experience, while the custom-made wine rack and splash of bordeaux red paint ups the personality factor of a plain white wall. Photo: Glenn Race.