Home with Lisa Quinn Episodes
Seriously Cool Bachelor Pad
Lisa Quinn and the team transform the dull room into a modern space where the guys can chill and entertain.
By Fabian Scrivani
This week on HWLQ, we took on a hum drum bachelor pad and infused some seriously needed style for a great group of guys. Kyle is a busy twenty-something filmmaker sharing a home with two of his best friends from school. The guys attended UC Berkeley together and are now busy starting their careers. The most used room in the home, the living/dinning area, needed to be a spot where friends could gather to watch movies, listen to music, play video games, and share a meal. The guys had a good idea of what they liked, so our job was to help pull it all together.
Developing a Design Concept/Theme:
Design style wise, it's always good to start with a theme or specific component that you are drawn too. For example, one might have an old-fashioned wooden dining table with tons of character, but not know what to do with it. Pair it with golden yellow dining room walls and blue and white china and you have a French country look in a snap. In the case of this makeover, we needed to work with an existing green leather sofa and two chairs. Granted the sofa and chairs were a little dated, they were still in good shape and SUPER comfortable, so we ran with it. We came up with a "Ralph Lauren circa 1975 meets cowboy" look. As usual, paint is always crucial in setting the tone for a space. Kyle's roommate Andy mentioned he liked blue, specifically CAL Bear's Blue (go bears!) We thought a strong royal blue would be a little much for the space, so we compromised with a more neutral slate blue that worked well with the existing green leather seating the guys already had. As is typical of bachelor pads, a stellar sound/entertainment/digital/T.V./media stash is never far off. To house the guys' electronic components with style, Lisa found a great entertainment wall unit from IKEA that had tons of storage. The weathered gray wood finish lends a masculine feel, while glass-front cabinets and numerous shelves provide a home for dvds and books. We positioned the sofa and chairs in an "L" shape to mimic the look of a sectional. Two floating shelves above the sofa hold new and existing artwork the guys already have, and the best part is that as the guys' tastes change, so can the art since nothing is fixed to the wall. A slim chrome lamp takes its place next to the chairs and casts a moody, lounge-like glow. We added fun touches like shaggy wool pillows and a brown fur throw for texture. A low-maintenance cactus terrarium adds a hint of green.
A favorite of Lisa and mine this season is the great industrial looking table collection at Cost Plus World Market. The tables have weathered wood tops and metal frames with great detailing. The coolest feature is that the tables are on casters and are super easy to move around should your needs change. We used a coffee and accent table in the living room and a sofa table as a bar in the dining room. Speaking of the dining room, we found the guys an awesome new round table that can seat up to six and gave them new, more comfortable upholstered chairs. A new chandelier has the option to burn candles and provide electric light, a great feature when they guys entertain. A sleek étagère Kyle already had now houses bar ware and decorative objects. The show stopper in the dining room is the cardboard steer head above the bar... how utterly eco-friendly and super stylish cowboy is that?!
