Dappered | The Dappered Space: 5 Easy Bachelor Pad Upgrades

[()] --------------------------------------------------------------- - [The Dappered Space: 5 Easy Bachelor Pad Upgrades] - [Steal Alert: Orient Bambino Second Generation Watches for $117] - [Win It: The Cobble & Hyde “Baron” Chukka] [The Dappered Space: 5 Easy Bachelor Pad Upgrades] Posted: 01 Feb 2017 03:00 AM PST The Dappered Space is a series designed to help guys apply the sense of personal style they’ve developed to the space they inhabit. Watch for articles on furniture and decor sales & picks, advice on how to style a room or work space, and tackling creating a space that reflects your own (and perhaps a significant other’s) personal tastes. We’ll suggest items that can be sourced online, but always keep in mind that deals can be found at consignment and thrift stores, local stores with floor models, discount stores, and even yard sales. Ah, the bachelor pad. From time immortal, many a guy has collected (or inherited) really random stuff, and thrown it all together into a cacophony of mis-matched living space. Hey, when you don’t have the money to purchase your own dishes, couch, towels… you take what you can get where you can get it. But perhaps you’ve reached a point that the chipped mugs and plywood media stand just aren’t living up to your style standards any longer. Time to upgrade. ([photo credit]) The Futon [Better Homes and Gardens Futon] - [Zipcode Design Makenzie Futon and Mattress – $198.99] - [Better Homes and Gardens Flynn Mid Century Futon – $299] - [DHP Paris Futon – $326] - [West Elm Mid-Century Futon Sofa – $999] Futons are the quintessential college dorm/bachelor pad seating choice. Part of the reason for this? They’re functional. A futon can double as a bed. Futons have come a long way. As seen above, there are many options nowadays that look great, and that a guest coming into your home likely wouldn’t even think was a futon. There is one drawback that seems typical of most futons, they’re really firm. If you’re looking for seating you can sink into, it’s not going to happen with a futon (one workaround for sleeping is to purchase a [memory foam mattress topper]). But if you want the option of having an additional sleeping area for friends or guests to crash on, and you don’t have the space for a guest room, a good looking futon can fill that need. And yes, there is a [link to Wal-Mart] on Dappered. [2017 is going to be an interesting year]. The Media Cabinet [Millsboro TV Stand] - [Agora Wall Mounted Media Console – $193.41] (shown at top of post) - [Threshold Millsboro TV Stand – $229.49] ($269.99) - [Breckenridge Walnut Entertainment Center – $299.99] - [Mercury Row Theodulus TV Stand – $312.99] This is another item that typically is hand-me-down, or very little money was spent on, for a first dorm room or apartment. I mean, it is just a cabinet to set and house electronics in. But it’s a large piece of furniture, and thus becomes one of the focal points in a room. For a more “mature” look in your home, you can opt for a console that has doors that close, thus concealing your X-Box game collection and all those wires. The Dishes [Dappered Space Dishes] - [Home Essentials Highball Drinking Glasses (set of 8) – $22.99] - [3.5″ Stemless Glass (set of 6) – $32] ($40) - [Amazon Basics 18-Piece Dinnerware – $30.49] - [MANNAGRYN 12 Piece Dinnerware Set – $34.99] - [Oneida Natural White 32-pc Porcelain Dinnerware Set – $64.99] (Costco Member Price) - [Red Vanilla Everytime White 18-piece Dinner Set – $88.64] Let the days of disposable and mom’s old-school corningware plates be gone. Get rid of the mis-matched mugs, bowls, and pint glasses stolen from your favorite college bars. Step up your game by purchasing a set of nicer dishes and glasses. This doesn’t have to be complicated, or that expensive, and it’s an easy way to make your next dinner party look like you graduated from the days of subsisting off Cup-O-Noodles. Plain white dishes are the most versatile, and easily replaced. The Linens [Dappered Space Linens] - [Soft Touch Linen 10 Piece Towel Set – $31.99 to $35.99] - [Briarwood Home Diamond Jacquard 6 Piece Bath Towel Set – $35.99] - [Turkish Long Staple Ribbed 600 GSM 6-piece Towel Set – $65.49] - [Threshold Performance Sheet Set – $23.99 to $59.99] - [Studio™ 550tc UltraFit Performance Sheet Set – $49.99] ($110) - [Nordstrom at Home 400 Thread Count Sheet Set – $79 to $109] Cheap sheets and towels feel exactly like that next to your skin. But if you’ve not often slept on nicer sheets, or dried yourself off with a high quality towel, how would you know the difference? There is a difference though, and making these upgrades can be thoroughly enjoyable. You don’t have to go crazy and spend [twenty bucks on a bath towel], but investing a little in a better set than you’re currently using will not only likely be agreeable to you, but it will also convey a sense of sophistication to your guests when they use a quality hand towel. Same goes for sheets, and guests in your bed. [Giggity]. The Art [Dappered Space Lighthouse] - [New York Blueprint Map – starts at $14.99] - [Coastal Beauty Collection Fine Art Giclee Print – starts at $24] - [iCanvas Portrait Of A Highland Cow by Dorit Fuhg – starts at $32.72] - [INK+IVY Cool Stone Glass Coat 2-Piece Set – $69.99] - [Grand Prix Monaco, 30 Mai 1965 – $194.99] (wait for a sale) - [Hendricks Gin by Jackie Graham original watercolor – $575] - [Vladimir Putin. Spring, 2014 original work – $109,000] (but the shipping is free!) Art and decor in the typical dorm room or bachelor pad can sometimes be… lacking. But that’s totally OK! When you’re in school there are much more important things to think about. And just out of school, hopefully a career is starting, and decorating your space might not be high on the priority list. But that time does come, and tacked up posters and/or bad thrift store finds might not quite reflect the man you’ve become. The thing is though, if a tacked up poster is actually artistic (like a retro movie poster), it can look pretty great matted and framed. Just… make sure you avoid some of the [more collegey]/[cliche] movie posters out there. Having that professionally done can get expensive, but frames can be found for cheap on Amazon. Not sure how your art tastes lean? Do some exploring on [AllPosters.com], [Art.com], or even [Etsy] for original and limited edition pieces. Also, if you have some digital photos you’ve taken that you’d use as art, blow them up on canvas. the canvas in the photo above is a picture taken by Dappered contributor [Ben Madeska], who also creates his own [original art]. Sarah W. is a long time member of the Dappered team, typically working behind the scenes editing posts, taking some photos, and keeping the books in good standing. Occasionally she’ll come out from behind the curtain to offer her two cents. [Steal Alert: Orient Bambino Second Generation Watches for $117] Posted: 31 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST [Orient Bambino 2nd Gen. V2 (retro) or V1 – $117] (reg. $150 – $210) NOTE: This heavily discounted price is via LongIslandWatch. Haven’t ordered personally through them before, but they seem to be the place to go for discounted Orient watches… when they have stock. For the price of a Timex Waterbury (or less,) you can now get a hand-windable, hackable, automatic Orient Bambino in either their original clean-and-mean version, or, the almost antique looking, [retro/classic second version]. Multiple color combos [are available for each model too]. [Orient Bambinos] Clockwise from top left: [V2 Cream], [V2 White], [V1 White]. All 2nd generation models hack and hand-wind. Usually these things run between $150 – $200ish depending on the seller and code that’s being offered (standard price is $210 with a 30% off code direct through Orient). So under $120? That’s just about unheard of. Huge thanks to Reed H. [for sending in the tip]. That’s all. Carry on. [Win It: The Cobble & Hyde “Baron” Chukka] Posted: 31 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST [Cobble & Hyde “Baron” Blake Stitched Chukka Boot – $220] A few years ago, maybe five or six, there was a hole in the men’s shoe market. You had either cheap, department or discount store shoes, or high end luxury shoes that were out of the price range for most. Allen Edmonds filled this hole with sales and their Factory Outlets, but for a long while there, finding a quality shoe, with a stitched sole, made from decent quality leather, for the high $100s to low $200s was darn near impossible. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Seems like that hole has been plugged and then some. There are more than a few companies now making shoes in that price range, and getting the work done in Spain or Portugal (say, [Jack Erwin]), China (J. Crew… wait for sales), South America, or India. And to reasonable levels of success too. So when Sabir from [Men’s Style Pro] reached out with another one of these new companies to possibly take a look at (they’re based about 15 minutes from his house), we said sure. [In Review: The Cobble & Hyde "Baron" Chukka | Dappered.com] Nice shape. Sleek, simple, soft leather. Blake Stitched, Made in India, and the leathers are super soft and supple. That’s the bottom line for Cobble & Hyde. Now, [some of their designs are a little funky]… and some of the verbiage on their site can be a little odd. (They call these chukkas their “lace leather boot for the ages.” THE AGES PEOPLE!) But they feel like quality shoes for what was once a rare, mid-point of a price. [In Review: The Cobble & Hyde "Baron" Chukka | Dappered.com] Blake Stitched. Not as beefy as a Goodyear welt, but, that helps keep the sole looking anything but clunky. This “Baron” Chukka is sleek without being pointy, not nearly as heavily burnished in person as it appears on their site, and a 10.5 fits like a 10.5 out of the box (standard, D width). Again, the leather is very soft. More elegant than rough and tumble. Unlike [some] of my [other] boots, I don’t think I’d want to wear these out in crappy weather. Far from it. BUT… not everyone is looking for that kind of versatility. That’s why [many of us have a pair of JC Penney boots] on standby. [In Review: The Cobble & Hyde "Baron" Chukka | Dappered.com] Pretty dressy for a boot, but could do some duty with dark, solid denim. Just a couple of concerns. One… they seem to not want to say where these things are made. Not on the site, and… not anywhere on the shoe or the box from what I can tell? Two… [to start a return, you have to send an email]. It’s not a quick and easy form to click and print, and there’s no pre-paid label in the box. It’s a small hurdle to leap to return, but it’s another sign that these guys appear to be young and growing. [In Review: The Cobble & Hyde "Baron" Chukka | Dappered.com] Left: Cobble & Hyde’s Baron. Right: an old, well loved, Allen Edmonds Bleeker Street. Cobble & Hyde is a little softer & sleeker, but the AEs are Goodyear welted and more robust. And more expensive. They don’t feel as borderline bullet proof as my Allen Edmonds (I have really beat the hell out of those Bleeker Streets). But that’s not to be expected. What they do look and feel like is a well designed, style-forward pair of shoes, from a company trying to carve out a spot in the market. So, if one of their models catches your eye? There doesn’t seem to be any harm in giving them a shot. [Enter here to win] a pair of Cobble & Hyde Baron Chukkas in your chosen size (sorry, just regular/medium width available). One entry per person. Deadline for entry is 11:59 pm ET 2/1/17. Many thanks to Cobble & Hyde, as well as Sabir, for lining up the review and giveaway! You are subscribed to email updates from [Dappered Style Mail]. To stop receiving these emails, you may [unsubscribe now]. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States