Skip to main content

Scott Sanders on How to Create a Stylish Bachelor Pad

scott sanders create stylish bachelor pad ss bedroom bed copy
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Interior designer Scott Sanders knows all about how to keep interiors stylish, yet functional.He helped Ralph Lauren launch his interior design business, conceptualized the decor for several well-known hotels, including the newly renovated Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore, and DC’s Capitol Skyline Hotel which are both owned by Mera and Don Rubell. His signature “New American” style of decor takes inspiration from his travels around the world, fusing them with classic American touches. We tapped Sanders for a two-part series. This week, he gives you five tips on how to create a sleek bachelor pad.

  • Bachelor pads are notoriously cluttered, and clutter is a success killer. Keep it clean – less is more! Get rid of the college furniture, trophies and last night’s cocktail party. However, there may still be hope for your baseball card collection. Displayed as one massive installation, it become a distinctive and unique art piece that sparks conversation, proclaims individuality and personalizes the space.  Building an art collection doesn’t have to be about acquiring new pieces, inspiration can come from displaying items from one’s childhood or family history; it can sometimes be humorous, but always celebratory. A collection of artist’s smaller sculptures gathered over time, or even a wall of black and white family photographs from past summers, mixed with classic movie scenes, can become “Cool Collections.”
  •  Bedrooms Beyond. The bedroom should be a total sanctuary from the everyday, featuring different colors, themes and a feel that is separate from the rest of the home.  If the home is designed in warm and bright tones, the dusky muted tones in the bedroom signal a toning-down of the energy.  Investing in high quality bedding and layering pillows in a mix of fabrics, creates a luxurious and calming retreat.  And make your bed every morning! You never know who will be seeing it later!!!
  •  A bachelor pad is not a 24-hour gym. Don’t park your bike in the living room!  Sports equipment should be kept in a closet or spare bedroom. Use this new-found space to include a must have for any bachelor pad: The New Mini-bar!
  • You should be ready at any time to host a cocktail party!  Unique takes on mini-bars in key spots of a living room or den, signal and encourages social mixing. A fully stocked bar allows you to be ready at a moment’s notice.  In addition to liquor, mixers, and wine, be sure to include a collection of vintage and modern glassware, cocktail napkins, and one piece rich with personality, such as an antique decanter or vintage martini shaker.  Mini-bars can run the gamut from classic to modern, or can be a mix of both. For example, a large antique mirror can be placed over a mid-century low cabinet and outfitted with a pop-art colored large tray of curated bar glassware.
  • A bachelor’s kitchen shows the way to his foodie heart. The best coffee/espresso machine you can afford is a must.  After that, any other upgrades are just ‘icing on the cake’. Mixing luxe finishes with unusual surfaces for leads to high function and style: granite countertops over high gloss lacquered cabinets (think automotive paint!) accented with stainless steel tile backsplashes, elevate the look of the whole kitchen.  You may never want to eat out again!
Ann Binlot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…
The best Super Bowl games in NFL history: Unforgettable victories and moments
These are the unforgettable games in the Super Bowl's history
Old NFL games

For the majority of the people who watch the Super Bowl every February, the biggest game of the year is about the entertainment and the spectacle. Halftime shows take precedence over first downs. Celebrity-filled commercials are front and center instead of X's and O's. It's hard for true NFL diehards to block out the noise and focus on just the game. Football purists probably wish the Super Bowl hadn't evolved into something so much bigger than what's on the gridiron, and we have those people covered.

There have been plenty of great Super Bowls throughout the years based strictly on the play on the field. Incredible athletes like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Patrick Mahomes put on a show and demonstrate their killer instincts when competing for the NFL's ultimate prize. We have the eight best Super Bowl games of all time stacked up right here for your perfect trip down memory lane. Put down the snacks and start doing your football homework with us right here.
What are the best Super Bowls of all time?
Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants vs Buffalo Bills in 1991. Icon Sportswire /Getty Images / Getty Images
8. Super Bowl LVIII: Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22 (OT)
The second matchup between the Chiefs and the Niners in the last decade didn't disappoint. San Francisco's rushing attack and stout defense, led by Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa, were able to play the Kansas City dynasty to a standstill for 60 minutes. In only the second overtime game in Super Bowl history, Patrick Mahomes was able to respond to a Niners' field goal with a touchdown to close the game and a second consecutive championship.
7. Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28
The New England Patriots made their six Super Bowls look easy most of the time, but the fifth title against the Atlanta Falcons was anything but simple. Down 28-3 with only two minutes and change left in the third quarter, Tom Brady went to work with a furious comeback for the history books. A 31-0 run in the fourth quarter and overtime allowed the Pats to win arguably the most improbable championship of their dominance (there was another incomprehensible win we'll get to later on.)
6. Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
With two big-name franchises like the Steelers and the Cowboys headlining this matchup, Super Bowl XIII was able to live up to all of its potential. Terry Bradshaw was usually known as a game manager at quarterback, but his four touchdown passes in this contest proved the doubters wrong. Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach did everything he could to compete with the Steelers but came up just short.
5. Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23
Pittsburgh's sixth Super Bowl win was a jaw-dropping highlight tape of incredible plays and thrilling athletic feats. From James Harrison's 100-yard interception to Santonio Holmes' game-winning touchdown with under a minute left, the Steelers showed they possessed the playmakers to overcome Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner. Arizona has not reached the Super Bowl again since this game.
4. Super Bowl XXXII: Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24
John Elway's first Super Bowl win after years of disappointment made him a sentimental favorite of NFL fans all across the country. Super Bowl XXXII was about much more than defeating those demons, though. Running back Terrell Davis ran roughshod over the Packers with 157 yards on the ground. Green Bay was never able to reach the Super Bowl again with Brett Favre as quarterback.
3. Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
Buffalo's string of Super Bowl losses in the 1990s came in a variety of ways. The 1991 defeat to the New York Giants was a crushing one because of a simple missed kick by Scott Norwood. The game leading up to this moment was a beautiful contrast of styles as the Giants stymied the Bills' furious offensive attack. Norwood's miss at the buzzer encapsulated the fun and the drama up to that point.
2. Super Bowl XLIV: New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
The Seattle Seahawks were trying to become the first team to repeat since the Patriots in the early 2000s. New England's Malcolm Butler had other things on his mind in the waning seconds of Super Bowl XLIV. A controversial decision to throw the ball instead of running it with Marshawn Lynch led to a Russell Wilson interception, and Seattle plucked defeat from the jaws of certain victory. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's second dynasty was kickstarted by this victory.
1. Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14
The New England Patriots don't suffer a lot of brutal losses, but losing the last game of the season to a Wild Card team after winning 18 games in a row is as shocking as any defeat in NFL history. Tom Brady was kept quiet by a hellacious New York pass rush, and Eli Manning finished the job with David Tyree's famous helmet catch on the receiving end of the younger Manning's throw down the field. No matter how much one team is favored, Super Bowl XLII proved that sports are all about the unexpected.

Read more
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan reunite for Sinners — here’s what to expect
Coogler and Michael B. Jordan will reunite for the fifth time
Coogler and Jordan

Ryan Coogler is one of the first names you hear when critics discuss the directors with the brightest futures in the movie industry. Coogler has a keen sense of what makes both an entertaining and thought-provoking story on the big screen. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for his producing efforts on Judas and the Black Messiah, but let's stick with his directorial career only for the sake of this article. His vision always includes Michael B. Jordan as his muse. Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, and its sequel are the four films the duo have collaborated on so far, and their fifth film is just around the corner.

Sinners will star Jordan as two identical twins with a checkered past as they travel back to their hometown in search of a better life. The unexpected horrors that await Smoke and Stack when they arrive will test their identities and their abilities to survive. There are not a lot of plot details, but the movie seems to be a perfect mix of horror and thriller elements. It should also critique race relations and make social statements about the current world we're living in if we're to go off of what Coogler's previous movies have focused on. This is everything we know about Sinners so far, from any trailers for the movie to the release date of the film in theaters (it's not far away).
What is the business relationship between Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan?
As mentioned in the intro, Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan have a type of relationship that has been shared in the past by duos like Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro. Fruitvale Station was the first time they collaborated. It was Coogler's first time directing a film and one of the first times Jordan was the main star after smaller roles in shows like The Wire. They revived the Rocky franchise with the spinoff film Creed at a time when many people didn't think Jordan would be able to serve as an adequate star for the world's most famous boxing franchise. And then came the movie franchise that changed everything for both Coogler and Jordan: Black Panther. Jordan played the antagonist of the film, while Coogler's vision for Marvel's biggest movie yet helped solidify it as a modern classic. It became the first Marvel film to win an Academy Award.

Read more
How to watch the 2025 NBA All-Star Game (and more)
Don't miss the new format for the NBA All Star Game
Lebron James - Suit with Shorts

February is one of the best months for sports fans. The Super Bowl towers over other events on the calendar, but the NBA All-Star Weekend is a great, carefree, and fun way to celebrate professional basketball's intermission before the playoff chase takes off. There are three days of competition that take place annually during the weekend, and we have all of the analysis and information on how you can watch NBA All-Star Weekend. Make time during Valentine's Day weekend to watch with our guide to every event.
Rising Stars Challenge 2025

When to watch: Friday, February 14, 2025 at 9:00 PM ET

Read more