Admit it, ladies. The real reason why you want to spruce up his pad is because you want to put your mark on his place. It tells any other woman who might happen to stop by that, hey, this guy is taken and his space is your space.
It is not a bad thing to want to leave your mark on your guy’s place, but you have to be delicate about it. Too much change, and he will stop feeling comfortable in his own pad and you might wind up scaring him off if he thinks you are laying out the marriage trap. Instead of going all out, make small, subtle changes to his place over time. Call the changes birthday presents or I love you presents. Keep them simple and, above all, make the changes with no strings attached.
Also, you will want to keep to his style. It is his place, after all. Keep the floral prints to yourself (unless he is manly enough to like strong floral patterns) and keep any feminine colors for your own place. Instead, pay attention to what he likes when you watching television together or what he gravitates to when the two of you are strolling through the department stores or the malls. Make mental notes and, when the time is right, spring into action.
15 Throw Pillows
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Guys love pillows, but they never seem to buy any for themselves. A great gift idea for his place would be some large comfortable pillows to throw around. Stay away from anything too formal. His pad is for relaxing, not for having the Queen over for tea. Aim for pillows that can be thrown around, used on the floor, and scattered about for some late night play between the two of you. Check to make sure the slip covers can be easily removed and washed in case of any spills.
14 Give Each Room a Focal Point
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The focal point of a room is the spot where your eyes are naturally drawn towards. At your man’s place, the main focal point in his living room might be the coffee table. If that’s the case, work on that one area to make it look its best. Clean the table and give it an extra shine. You can organize a few books on the table or any ornament he might already have. In other rooms, you can use a bookcase, a windowsill, or some other spot to create a nice focal point in the room. It takes little effort to do this, but you will need a touch of creativity, especially if you are working with limited decorations and a limited budget.
13 Hang Up a Mirror
Mirrors are a quick way to brighten up an otherwise dark and boring room. Consider getting him a mirror as a gift and hang it up in a place where it can catch the natural sunlight from a window. This will not only brighten up a room, but a mirror in the right place will get a lot of day to day use. It will be a constant reminder to him of how much you care about him.
12 Candles
Candles are guy friendly and they are an inexpensive way to bring a touch of class and comfort into any room. Avoid anything “cute” and get him those awesome candles in a jar. That way, he doesn’t need to clean candle holders after the candles are burned down. Also, you can fill a room up with any delicious fragrance you choose. Stick with nature scents or spice scents when choosing candles for him. Vanilla scent is an all-time favorite for most people. Avoid flower scents and sweet, candy scents, unless he specifically says he likes those fragrances.
11 Laundry Basket
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What is it with guys and them piling their dieting clothes on the floor? If you have landed yourself one of these precious gems, buy him a laundry basket for his clothes. There are many stylish hampers on the market. Aim for one that looks good and is also utilitarian. It has to be large enough to hold one or two loads of laundry and it should have a laundry bag liner in it so all he has to do is lift out the bag and haul it off to the laundromat or, heaven forbid, his mother’s house.
10 Get the Bed Off the Floor
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Here’s the deal. A mattress and box spring on the floor might feel comfortable, but it looks like heck. You can spruce up his bedroom fast and easy just by getting that bed up off of the floor. You can buy a simple bed frame and most of the new ones are very easy for one person to assemble. You can also check out some of the great DIY bed frame projects online. One of my favorites is reusing wood pallets that you can often get for free. Give the pallets a light sanding and paint them before resting the bed on top. It’s a modern look that quickly dresses up a bedroom.
9 Throw Rugs
Sometimes all a room needs is a bit of pizazz. A simple throw rug can do that for you. When choosing a throw rug, consider what it will be covering and how it will be used. If you plan on rolling around on the floor with him, get what is commonly called a shag rug. They are softer, touch friendly rugs that are great for stretching out and watching television. If the floor is strictly for your feet, you could branch out and get him a rug with an interesting design. Oriental rugs give a place a touch of class while rugs with sharp, modern designs make a room seem exciting.
8 Toothbrush Holder
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The plastic cup has to go. It is gross, scuzzy, and just eww. A chrome utilitarian toothbrush holder can really jazz up his bathroom and it only costs a few bucks. Get one for him and set it up with a new toothbrush. See how long it takes until he notices. If he doesn’t say anything in the first 24 hours, add your own toothbrush to the holder. That should get him talking.
7 Frame His Posters
Guys like to collect posters of their favorite games, movies, and sports teams, but the posters look like crap just taped to his walls. Make his posters look classy by getting him some poster frames. The frames don’t need to be expensive to look good. In fact, you can stick with simple plastic black frames, and the posters will look a thousand times better hanging up on his wall. This tells him you appreciate or respect his interests and that you are willing to support the things he likes.
6 Organize
The cheapest way to spruce up your man’s pad is to organize it. Life gets hectic and there is often little time for him to organize his stuff. He might want to do it, but he would rather spend his free time with you. Why not order for Chinese food one evening and spend time with him helping him organize his dvd collection, cds, books, and his other odds and ends. It will be quality time spent together and an excellent chance to learn more about each other, as well.
5 Shower Curtain
The plain white, flimsy shower curtain needs to go. It is gross and dirt has collected along the bottom of it. The best alternative? A heavy duty plastic shower curtain with an interesting design. These types of shower curtains stay nice for a longer period of time and they are easy to clean. You could also opt for a liner with a manly patterned fabric curtain, but you have to consider whether or not he will take the time to wash it every few months. If not, stick with the heavy plastic curtains. There are some fabulous designs and solid colors available.
4 Floor Lamps
Do you feel like you are entering a dark and dingy cave every time you spend the day at his place? Are the only lights overhead lights that put out a harsh blue light? You change change the whole look and feel of his place with just a few well placed floor lamps. Choose soft lightbulbs to give his area a warmer feel to it. You can turn any dark room into a comfy zone with just the right lamp.
3 New Towels
Hand me down towels? Yeah, he’s probably got a few of those as well as a threadbare towel or two from his childhood. The last thing you want to do when you are staying over is touch any other those old rags. Instead of grumbling to yourself about it, surprise him with a new towel set. Depending on the brand and thread count, towels aren’t that expensive, but they do make wonderful gifts. Get a set for him and a set for yourself for those nights you spend at his place.
2 Bath and Bodyworks Soaps
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Soap sets are freaking awesome and they aren;t just for us girls. The guys love them, too, even if they won’t admit it in front of their friends. Bath and Bodyworks has many manly scents to choose from, so take him out one day and have him sniff around. There has got to be a fragrance there that he absolutely loves. Either buy it for him on the spot or go back later to buy a set and surprise him with it. I guarantee he will think of you every time she showers.
1 Coat Rack
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Enough with the throwing of coats on the furniture or the floor. If your man doesn’t have a coat rack, it is time to get him one. The thing with coat racks and that they are almost all man decor friendly. You can find good wooden coatracks at a good price that look like they cost a fortune to buy. There are also chrome coat racks for a more modern look. Get him one, set it up, and see how long it takes until he notices it. You might have to hang a jacket or two on it to get him used to the idea, but he’ll get there. Hopefully.
Sources: allwomenstalk.com, hgtv.com
