Bachelor Pad Furniture Guide

If you are currently sitting in an empty apartment and are in need bachelor pad furniture ideas, let us be your personal yoda. From scouring the web and furniture stores, we have gained a lot of decorating knowledge for men. In this blog we intend to share this with you and help you find cool bachelor pad furniture and ideas when decorating on a budget.

For specific examples and images, check out the rest of our website for bachelor pad furniture for sale and more. We have a wide variety of inexpensive traditional, contemporary and modern solutions suited for men's bachelor pads.

Couch and Sofa

Plan ahead. This is common sense, but make sure to measure your area before going and purchasing the sofa or couch for your bachelor pad. In your living room you can even mock up the area with tape to see how much space it would take up. Not only should they be a good fit for your living room, you want to ensure that the couch will be able to fit through the door in your entrance.

I know that it can be tempting to try to re-upholster your old couch from college, but it isn’t as easy as it looks. Even the more professional DIY’ers will have a hard time navigating the curves, tufts and springs of a couch to make it look like new.

The number of cushions typically indicates the number of people that should be sitting on the couch. If you have a smaller room, consider a couch with lower arms since it will make the rest of the room appear larger.

The back of your couch will likely either be ‘tight back’ or ‘pillow back’. Tight back sofas require less maintenance and will look more natural in your bachelor pad. A pillow back sofa is something you might see at your Grandma’s house, and requires you to fluff the pillows periodically.

If you settle on a neutral colored couch (which we would recommend), you can always spice it up with some patterned pillows. This is an inexpensive way to make your place look fresh. If you don’t want to buy new pillows you can even buy pillow covers in different colors.

In terms of fabrics, synthetic couches are more durable and hold their color longer than other materials such as satins. Leather is known to be tough and will resist wear and tears from dogs, other pets or just wild nights. Microfiber may not be considered as comfortable but it is easier to clean than most materials.

If your bachelor pad apartment has 1 bedroom, a futon can be a good idea to provide more sleeping options for guests. A futon doesn’t have to look ugly or cheap either. There are some comfortable and classy options available these days which also provide the convenience of turning into a sleeper.

Chairs and Stools

When it comes to chairs, the sky is the limit. There are many varieties with different looks and purposes.

If you need a portable solution, an occasional chair would be a good choice. These are lightweight and easier to move around. A folding chair would be a good option for those who want even more portability.

Consider whether you prefer arms on the chair. While sometimes it can be nice to sit down and rest your arms after a long day, a chair without them can be more versatile for tasks such as tying your shoes or working on a laptop. Those who prefer support should choose a chair with arms.

An accent chair can also mix up the color scheme of your room. As opposed to your couch, a chair is less of a financial investment so you don’t have to settle for conservative colors.

Once you figure out how much floor space you have, you can decide how many chairs will fit in the room. Don’t be afraid to mix the style of chairs since this will give the room a unique look. If buying more than one chair, consider different sizes to cater to the different people that might be sitting in them (e.g. short, tall, narrow, wide).

In terms of maintenance, materials such as cotton, silk and velvet stain easier and will require more maintenance. Wool, taffeta and leather (or faux leather) are durable and won’t require as much care over time.

Coffee Table

For most bachelors, a coffee table is a whole lot more than a place to put a hot beverage. For some men it doubles as an ottoman to kick your feet up, for others it may be a place to show off personal possessions, and most commonly for bachelors it is often used as a table for dining at. These uses can influence the type of coffee table that you should buy.

If you are planning on using it for dining and storage, you will want a big table to accommodate this. In terms of scale, the table should be about ¾ of the length of the couch that it is sitting in front of (likely a maximum of 50 inches). Guys with a smaller bachelor pad apartment can aim for a coffee table that is ½ the length of the couch. It should almost always be at the same height as your couch (usually 20 inches maximum height). Some styles are lower to the floor, but a coffee table that sits higher will look quite awkward.

The style of your coffee table is also quite important. The main things you will need to decide upon is the shape, materials and finish. All of these design decisions should correspond with the rest of your living room – or else you will end up with the mish-mash dorm room look. If you have a modern style couch, consider a modern coffee table constructed with brushed metals or a glass top. If you have a futon or couch with exposed wood, look for a coffee table with a similar finish or wood grain.

If you are feeling extra ambitious consider making your own custom coffee table for your bachelor pad. I saved about $700 building my own version of an industrial style coffee table that I had my eye on at a high-end store. Antique trunks or other storage containers can also be re-purposed to be used as a coffee table.

There is a large range in the cost of coffee tables as well. Like most furniture, you will be paying for the materials and durability that comes with your investment. If you will be keeping the table for a while it will take a lot of wear and tear, so make sure that it is built to last (and use coasters).

Bed Frames

We recommend that bachelors choose a queen size bed at a minimum. If you think this might be too big for your room, put newspaper on your empty floor to map out the area that the bed frame mattress will cover (e.g. 60” x 80” for a queen bed). If you can walk around it easily then the size is appropriate.

If you aren’t sure about which size you should buy, consider an inexpensive adjustable steel frame. A more permanent solution would be a bed with a wood frame. Other options to look for include drawers for storage and a headboard for comfort and aesthetics.

You’ll notice that we don’t have a selection of mattresses to choose from. Since you will be spending approximately 1/3 of your life on your mattress, we recommend trying them out in retail stores before making your purchase. You can also research them online to be as informed as possible when making your mattress purchase.

Dressers

Dressers are primarily a functional piece of furniture – they need to hold all of your cool threads and keep your bachelor pad tidy. However there are many different styles to choose from – so you don’t need to settle on a boring piece to fulfill this purpose.

The type of dresser that you should buy is primarily determined by the type of clothing that you wear and how much space you need. If you are a blue collar worker, you can probably get away with a traditional chest with the necessary number of drawers to hold all of your folded up gear. If you are in the business world and have a variety of suits or dress clothes then an armoire would be a better choice to keep your clothes hanging up and looking fresh. If space permits, consider using both types of dressers in your bachelor pad bedroom.

There are two main dresser styles – traditional or modern. A traditional armoire or dresser will likely be made of solid wood, with carvings to make it look like more of a decorative piece. Modern or contemporary styles on the other hand are usually made of more lightweight wood – and may incorporate plastics or frosted glass. The style that you choose should fit with the rest of your bachelor pad bedroom.

We hope that by now you can make a more informed purchase when decorating your bachelor pad with furniture. Remember to consider how much space you have, whether the furniture will be in your apartment temporarily or permanently, and how the materials, finishes and styles will look with each other. Browse our site for more bachelor pad furniture ideas and cool mens furniture for sale.