How to Make Your House a Bachelor Pad

Paint the walls with a neutral color, such as gray, light tan or cream. For continuity, use the same colors on the walls and the same flooring throughout the house. Give each room a sense of individuality with different colored accessories. Paint ceilings, skirting boards and woodwork white for a clean, fresh look.

Use wood flooring throughout to create a modern, urban-loft feel. Wood flooring creates a warm, stylish look, it's easy to keep clean and requires little vacuuming.

Add large, modern pieces of furniture with simple, clean lines. Dark woods such as mahogany have a sophisticated feel. Light-colored wood such as pine create a feeling of light and space. White furniture adds a clean, fresh look, while black furniture is sophisticated and dramatic. Add a large, L-shaped sofa in dark leather. Leather is very "masculine" and easy to keep clean, while the L-shaped design offers plenty of seating for guests without cluttering the room with lots of individual seating options.

Create a focal point in the living room with a home cinema system. These are compact and stylish and take up relatively little room.

Use modern, simple lighting. As well as the main lighting in the room, add standard lamps and table lamps or fit dimmer switches. This allows you to create a softer, more romantic atmosphere in the room when you have female company. Place candles of different sizes and shapes in coordinating colors around the room. This is a quick and cheap way to add visual interest without being overly "feminine." Scented candles will add to the ambiance of the room.

Keep accessories to a minimum and avoid clutter. If you have a collection of objects, such as sports memorabilia or action figures, display them in a glass cabinet or group them on shelves designed to hold them. Scattering them around the room on random surfaces will have a cluttered, untidy effect.

Avoid sticking posters to the wall. After a while, they will start to look tatty. Instead, place favorite posters in clip frames for simple but effective wall art.