The words “Bachelor Pad” may put a bad taste in your mouth. Especially after seeing Austin Powers  ’60s inspired love nest, Joey Tribbiani’s doomed attempt to move out on his own, or your best pal’s sorry excuse of an apartment. However, this sleek NYC loft designed by Fearon Hay gives new meaning to the concept of bachelor pad–and provides you with great ideas that can be incorporated into any modern man’s digs.

The use of color, focus on textures, and selection of furnishings and fixtures are the hallmarks of modern, masculine design. Here are three quick ways to bring some of this swagger into your own place.

Color

This loft looks like a giant field of neutral colors dominated by black, white, and grey, but bringing in a bit more color via rugs, furnishings and art is what keeps it from being a bore. A deep and vibrant red throughout the floor coverings provides sweet harmony to all those neutrals.

Texture

What makes all the neutrals work so well is that there’s lots of texture–from the linen panels found hanging throughout the space (which are not only good for defining rooms within this large loft, but also act as a sound break), to the wood grain in furniture and flooring, to those giant rugs. Introducing a variety of textures can amp up the visual interest in any room so that you don’t always have to add even more color.

Signature Furnishings and Fixtures

Let’s face it: it’s the architecture and the loft itself that are the stars here, so you need to lean toward understatement and clean lines with furnishings and fixtures or else you’ll end up with too much visual clutter.

Start by choosing one style of decorative lighting fixture that repeats throughout and does not compete with the main attraction. Hang some fabric panels and put down rugs for that all-important texture and for defining space, then furnish the loft with dark wood and upholstered pieces and you’ve got modern elegance for today’s man.

What are some of your own ideas for modernizing a bachelor pad?

Sources: Photos courtesy of Yatzer.com