People talk about batchelor pads; but what are they really?
Does a batchelor pad bristle with hifi gadgets, gaming consoles and a massive TV? Will it be strewn with beer bottles? Do batchelor pads show no sign of culture? Or can a batchelor pad be a home beautifully apportioned with great style and taste? Frankly, it could be any of these, but there is a common thread; a batchelor pad is a home primarily for men.
Homes for men
Some of our favourite renovations have been batchelor pads. Not in the “traditional” sense, but homes for men that worked for them and for their guests. It is fair to say that when you now walk into their homes, you don’t think that it’s overtly a man’s home. In that sense they have many neutral and welcoming qualities.
What made these these jobs particularly satisfying was the overwhelming joy of our clients as they watched the transformation of their homes. They all started with conservative tastes yet were open-minded enough to embrace new ideas; to create spaces of which they would be proud and that their friends would find inviting and comfortable.
Designing a man’s home
In each case, our clients had owned their properties for many years – the homes had simply remained untouched. The rooms looked tired and dreary, and our clients wanted to do something about it. Each needed some help to lift the spirit of his house. Our plan was to create a home where all-comers would feel comfortable; in modern parlance, a gender-neutral space.
Separately, you can read more about our standard interior design process. As well as taking our usual brief for each room, we wanted to inject a bit more zap into the space. Clients, particularly male clients, who have lived without home improvements for over 30 years, weren’t likely to embrace a complete transformation overnight; but over time, we showed them how different things could be.
We found allies in the form of our clients’ friends who had been trying to nudge them gently towards change for years. We were able to capitalise on this and take them even further. Even their most trusted friends were surprised by their willingness to embrace such radical change.
Male home decor
We chose extra-wide oak engineered floorboards for these renovations and a neutral paint scheme. A blank canvas allows the colourful accents to punch through for dramatic effect. As you might expect, most of the men favoured blues, but we introduced them to splashes of pinks, aquas and lime greens. Raspberry, citrus yellow and other edgy colours work also work well. You can read separately about our advice on decorating with accent colours.
Colour was certainly absent when we started, so we designed in plenty of it. Difficult for conservative clients to accept at first, we brought samples, raised confidence, and slowly warmed them to the idea of a spectacular space. Our clients also surprised themselves (I think) by purchasing their own accessories in-keeping with this colourful theme.
Art is a great way to inject colour and style and we were delighted that our clients engaged with one of our favourite artists. Here he created stylish pieces for each space, and we installed accent lighting to bring them to life.
We installed high end fixtures and fittings for the bathrooms and kitchens. We also paid great attention to the hallway; the first space to set the tone for the house. We are big fans of stylish stair runners which look fantastic in these period settings:
We were not afraid to add florals, particularly in the bedroom, together with a chandelier; just to create something a bit special. Here you can see floral roman blinds, a sumptuous carpet and black baroque style chandelier with understated, quality oak bedroom furniture.
In one of the other homes we kept the master bedroom smart and neat with a very stylish striped carpet and pleated blinds.
Home entertainment and media systems
Batchelor pads are expected to have boys’ toys, and if you want to have them on show then that’s fine; but at least present them in a stylish manner. In all these projects there were plenty of gadgets. We designed the bespoke cabinets and routed all the wires and coax cables to the TV in a pre-set wall duct so there’s nothing on show. In the photo below, we designed the gloss black cabinet with its speaker fabric panel to hide the centre speaker; all the cables are in a duct from the TV down to the unit, with rear speakers in the ceiling above the sofa.
We also incorporated subtle, top of the range hifi, surround sound and home networks. Below, for example, we colour-matched the speaker grilles to the walls, plastered in all the wiring and housed the equipment in the sideboard; all out of sight.
Batchelor pads
A batchelor pad is designed for a man, but it doesn’t have to be overly masculine. It can still have all the toys expected in such a home, but it should also impress visitors, whoever they may be.
We’ve been designing homes in Bath and Bristol for over 12 years. We design and manage everything from initial concepts through to delivering your fully furnished home. If you’d like us to create a batchelor pad for you, or any other space for that matter, please read more about our interior design services.
