It’s the end of the bachelor pad as men embrace ‘status-driven’ trend that shows huge generational shift

A single man’s apartment typically evokes a certain picture – maybe sleek, dark furniture or minimalism to an extreme – but it seems gone are the days of stereotypical bachelor pads as men embrace a new trend. ‘Boy apartments’. 

The trend has seen men take to TikTok and other social media to show off their new level of interior design skills but still incorporating beloved features such as gaming tables or LEGO models. 

Mood lighting, mid-century furniture and houseplants galore has gripped them and there seems to be no turning back to the good old-fashioned ‘bachelor pad’. 

The shift has been noticed by New York based interior designer Kati Curtis who told DailyMail.com that men are the ones taking the reins and making bold decisions in interior decor. 

‘We’re finding that men are coming to us, and they’re the ones who want to take risks with brightly colored florals, and lots of patterns, and great artwork, jewel tones, war metals, rich woods, wallpaper,’ Curtis said. 

She noticed over the last couple of years that men seem to have become bolder and more interested in color and pattern, and attributes some of that shift to the art market. 

‘The art market and these collectible design pieces are becoming more mainstream, and people have more access to contemporary art, people are going to art fairs, people are learning about collectible pieces,’ she said. 

‘And I think they want to introduce those things into their spaces and also complement them with the design finishes and other choices in the room.’ 

‘Everyone is moving away from the neutrals and the clean aesthetic…but I think people are feeling braver about doing that because of their art collections or because of what they’re seeing on social media,’ Curtis said

‘You know our home is really core to our psychological well-being and part of what I think enhances our well-being in our home is it representing who we truly are to ourselves and to anybody who you know might venture in,’ said interior architecture psychologist Sally Augustin

‘It makes the space look unique and fantastic, and also the man living there feels like it’s part of his art collection that he’s super proud of. 

‘They feel like, “Hey, I could do this, and I like living with these pieces, and this color or this wallpaper is going to compliment the art and the collectible pieces I already have,” and there’s a status in that. So perhaps its status driven,’ she added. 

The idea of embracing uniqueness and bold colors can equally be seen within the fashion world, which is especially changing for men.  

Interior designer Jarret Yoshida pointed out that fashion is serving as a possible reflection for the design world. 

‘Men increasingly and publicly have started to become really interested in fashion, not just in that sort of name-dropping brand name, but you start to see hyper masculine icons being really aware of fashion and wearing outfits that have been worn right off the runway,’ he said.  

‘I think that has given permission for men to be engaged [in interior design] in a way that is refreshing.’ 

But Yoshida has seen that uniqueness and customization has been one of the major trends among men looking to upscale their living space. 

‘They’re not interested in getting what everyone else can get… Our clients now want more custom. The primary part is, you know, you’ve worked hard for your money, and you want to get something that captures all the visual details that you love.’ 

Interior designer Jarret Yoshida pointed out that fashion is serving as a possible reflection for the design world, he said: ‘I think that [fashion] has given permission for men to be engaged [in interior design] in a way that is refreshing’

‘The art market and these collectible design pieces are becoming more mainstream, and people have more access to contemporary art, people are going to art fairs, people are learning about collectible pieces,’ Curtis said

The ‘boy apartment’ trend seeing gaming products incorporated into an apartment’s aesthetic

The idea of customizing your space is a common theme among the boy apartment trend, Yoshida believed this also plays into the idea of your space being your own and a reflection of who you are. 

‘Making things feel personal and intimate. We’ve all learned that money can basically buy anything, but it can’t buy taste, and it can’t buy love and feelings. And when I see boy apartments, I see people wanting to think about their space more,’ he said. 

‘Just making, having something that feels special to you. Creating something that is going to be comfortable for you, that’s going to be inviting for your friends. And this is about creating a home.’ 

This is completely true for Skelm, 25, in South Africa, who described his apartment as an ‘ever-evolving canvas,’ full of elements of his life from across the years. 

Those who come into his home also add to the canvas and draw on his chalk wall. 

‘I leave pieces of chalk all around the house and anyone new that comes to the house or anyone, like all my friends, whatever, they all know that I want to turn my house, as much as it’s my art, I want to turn my house into a constantly evolving artwork. 

‘So, my walls are just covered in chalk drawings, people’s Instagram handles, like catchphrases, DJ names, drawings, like all the like, there’s everything on my walls.’ 

Skelm grew up with an interest in interior design and couldn’t wait for the chance to move out and kit out his own apartment. 

The boy apartment trend, in Skelm’s eye’s, is a demonstration of impulsivity and the generational changes that have occurred. 

‘My apartment’s just everything I like and if people don’t like it, I don’t care, and that’s kind of what it all comes down to,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘I think there are things about guys that are just the way it is and like one of them is just not always thinking things through. Like guys just do things.’

‘It was just kind of that like don’t think act first ask questions apologize later kind of thing. And I think my apartment is literally just the demonstration of that.’ 

‘I leave pieces of chalk all around the house and anyone new that comes to the house or anyone, like all my friends, whatever, they all know that I want to turn my house, as much as it’s my art, I want to turn my house into a constantly evolving artwork,’ Skelm said

‘It’s always been important for us to signal what’s what we value about ourselves in our homes because those signals are something that we reference ourselves continually and that are handy to others,’ Augustin said

As the trend is demonstrating, not only are mattresses being lifted off the floor onto frames, but careful thought is being given to how it could accentuate the aesthetic of the ‘boy apartment’

‘I just absolutely don’t care what people think, so I wear a pearl necklace every day of my life, I have all these artistic like weird elements to my house and I’m fine with that.’

Skelm keeps quirky and unique pieces of his own design, which showcase the epitome of the boy apartment. 

His apartment is a perfect demonstration that men are beginning to cultivate their living spaces with status in mind – showcasing art and unique elements. 

‘I’m busy curating, I guess, a South African art collection. I think South Africa is one of the most talented countries in the world in terms of music, art, culture, creativity, like sport as well,’ he said. 

Skelm told a story about two pieces of art in his home and explained how he uses the platform he’s curated on social media to support and showcase South African artists. 

‘I make a video about the artist and the artwork and hopefully, through doing that, I can get some extra eyes onto the artist’s art, you know, maybe make a difference in some way,’ he said. 

One piece of art he gave to a friend who transformed it into a textured cooking scene, the original rope on the canvas became strings of pasta. 

‘It’s super cool, and then one of my favorite art pieces I found on Facebook marketplace,’ he said. ‘[It’s] this concrete Porsche mounted on a canvas and every now again I go and check the prices of the art and they’ve like tripled.’ 

‘All the time my house is just like this organic, like, almost like a living artwork,’ Skelm said

‘I think there are things about guys that are just the way it is and like one of them is just not always thinking things through. Like guys just do things. It was just kind of that like don’t think act first ask questions apologize later kind of thing. And I think my apartment is literally just the demonstration of that,’ Skelm said

His space is bold and unique, something he has penned down to his sentimentality as well as a belief he holds that men are more impulsive about their choices. 

‘I turn my old skateboards into shelves. I’ve seen skateboards mounted flat on the walls like displays and I thought what if I do that but make it functional, so I found some brackets that fit the skateboards perfectly and mounted them,’ he explained. 

Skelm’s approach to his apartment was from a place of creativity and uniqueness, but he also found the joy of being able to showcase his home on his own platforms – like the ones he used to admire. 

‘I would always like look at these videos that I was making and think, damn, one day I’ll be able to make a video like this about my own house. And then I moved to Cape Town and slowly but surely started curating my place,’ he said. 

‘I was like, sick, this is like a full circle moment, I’m able to make content about my own place, like I used to make about other people’s places. And it just feels pretty good.’ 

From a sticker covered traffic cone and skateboard shelves to a well curated coffee table and a colorful velvet couch; Skelm’s apartment is a cultivation of memories that he’s stylistically turned into a piece of art. 

‘All the time my house is just like this organic, like, almost like a living artwork,’ he said. 

From his first apartment which blossomed from his Pinterest board, he was able to create his dream living space. 

Social media has become a melting pot of different people and their expressions in fashion or design, making it easier to find inspiration for your own space and pulling from all kinds of avenues

The man who kicked off the trend, Victor Gerchev, told The New York Times: ‘When you hear a “man’s apartment”, a “man cave” or a “bachelor apartment,” you think it’s a total mess. It’s gross and not well curated.’ ‘This trend shows that a lot of men are actually pretty interested in interior design’

‘My apartment’s just everything I like and if people don’t like it, I don’t care, and that’s kind of what it all comes down to,’ Skelm said

And Curtis agrees that social media has given men more exposure to different styles and allowed them to feel more comfortable taking risks after seeing content online. 

‘People have more access to trends and what’s happening in interior design, and I think men have a renewed interest in interior design, but people are also just, in general, more comfortable with their sexuality and taking risks with interior design.’ 

‘Everyone is moving away from the neutrals and the clean aesthetic…but I think people are feeling braver about doing that because of their art collections or because of what they’re seeing on social media.’

Even Skelm recognizes, however, that there is a certain expectation for ‘boy apartments’ to consist of mattress and TVs on the floor with little care. 

But, as the trend is demonstrating, not only are mattresses being lifted off the floor onto frames, but careful thought is being given to how it could accentuate the aesthetic of the ‘boy apartment’. 

It doesn’t mean that their personality is falling through the cracks, but they’re finding ways to stylize their hobbies and passions. 

Interior architecture psychologist Sally Augustin told DailyMail.com that everyone is feeling freer to express themselves and what’s important to them. 

‘You know our home is really core to our psychological well-being and part of what I think enhances our well-being in our home is it representing who we truly are to ourselves and to anybody who you know might venture in,’ she said. 

‘We’ve always had this need to present ourselves I think it’s possible that you know a few generations ago maybe men didn’t see as many you know options for things they might consider about themselves.’

In pointing out that humans have always wanted to express themselves in this way, whether through fashion or hobbies, it is often also expressed through decor and home design. 

‘It’s always been important for us to signal what’s what we value about ourselves in our homes because those signals are something that we reference ourselves continually and that are handy to others,’ she added. 

‘We’ve always had this need to present ourselves I think it’s possible that you know a few generations ago maybe men didn’t see as many you know options for things they might consider about themselves,’ Augustin said

The trend, however, is much bigger than a few men making some more carefully chosen design choices. ‘Boy apartments’ are demonstrating how masculinity is perceived and changing across generations

In pointing out that humans have always wanted to express themselves in this way, whether through fashion or hobbies, it is often also expressed through decor and home design

‘People may be evolving how they think about themselves you know options that they have in how they think about themselves and therefore how they’re creating their home places maybe changing some,’ she said, but also pointed out that consumption has lent a hand to allowing easier access to more unique decor. 

The man who kicked off the ‘boy apartment’ trend, Victor Gerchev, told The New York Times: ‘When you hear a “man’s apartment”, a “man cave” or a “bachelor apartment,” you think it’s a total mess. It’s gross and not well curated.’ 

‘This trend shows that a lot of men are actually pretty interested in interior design.’ 

 A sentiment similarly felt by Adrian Vazquez, 33, who told DailyMail.com that as an adult he was all the more interested in curating his space. 

 ‘I think a lot of guys feel that way. We just have fun with it. I think a space is a reflection of our personality, for better or for worse,’ Adrian said. 

He believes the shift in male interior design lies with the influence that Gen Z has had. 

‘I just think people are over the bachelor pad thing. As we move on from millennial to Gen Z, like the bachelor pad was very millennial grey and kinda boring, you know, and now it’s like how do you disrupt something? It’s just it’s doing the exact opposite of like what used to be interesting and cool,’ he said. 

Adrian said he likes to ‘get his hands dirty’ and make or upcycle items for him to showcase in his home. 

‘I like to think of my space a little bit like a museum, right? Like when people come in, it’s like, I have stories to tell about all the things that I’ve made,’ Adrian said

‘I think a lot of guys feel that way. We just have fun with it. I think a space is a reflection of our personality, for better or for worse,’ Adrian Vazquez said

‘I just I just did a project where I dipped a baseball bat in like a Tiffany blue paint and I rebranded the slugger, the Louisville slugger logo into a Tiffany’s parody version of that. And that’s displayed really nicely,’ he said. 

‘So, it’s like it’s all these quirky things that I like, like bright orange couches. It’s just like that excites me.’ 

But apart from his apartment decor originating from passionate creativity, he believes some of the appeal is the nostalgia of some of the quirky features becoming popular again. 

‘I think that like nostalgia is the closest thing that we have to time travel. And I think that we love that, right? I think nostalgia is like a powerful thing,’ he said. 

‘And like, I’m looking at a lot of my space and a lot of it like reminds me of times when I was younger. Again, the Lego sets, like I have like vinyl figurines. I think there’s a piece of that, right? That youthfulness.’ 

‘As we move on from millennial to Gen Z, like the bachelor pad was very millennial grey and kinda boring, you know, and now it’s like how do you disrupt something? It’s just it’s doing the exact opposite of like what used to be interesting and cool,’ Adrian said

Not only has accessibility through economical consumption become easier, but the consumption of ideas, art and different forms of design is also constantly at our fingertips

Adrian said he likes to ‘get his hands dirty’ and make or upcycle items for him to showcase in his home

‘I think that like nostalgia is the closest thing that we have to time travel. And I think that we love that, right? I think nostalgia is like a powerful thing,’ Adrian said

But for Adrian, his apartment is also a reflection of himself and his life. 

‘I like to think of my space a little bit like a museum, right? Like when people come in, it’s like, I have stories to tell about all the things that I’ve made. 

‘And it’s like, it’s exciting and it’s fun. I think the stories are fascinating and like, I like sharing those stories online and in return, people seem to really enjoy them.’

He furthered that the trend was an insight into men feeling that they can show off who they are and that they enjoy their own things. 

‘You’re just filling your space with things that you love,’ he said. ‘This isn’t about like conforming anymore.’