Between the squalor and the haphazard design choices, the average bachelor pad is not a pretty sight. Most bachelors give little thought to crafting a stylish home, either because they think it’s not worth the effort or they think it is beyond their means to achieve.

But by avoiding a few simple design mistakes, a good-looking home is pretty easy to achieve.

1. Proper lighting: For many bachelors, the living room is a permanently darkened space to watch movies and play video games, which means proper lighting is an afterthought. A few cheap lamps are a great way to brighten up a room, while adding a decorative touch.

2. Plan for the dinner party: If you’re the type of guy that eats most meals in front of the television, you probably don’t see much reason to invest in dining room furniture. But at some point you’re going to want to throw a dinner party, have a date over, or invite the family to your home for a holiday meal. So make sure you have enough chairs, dishes and silverware to host a modest sized dinner party.

3. Colors that clash: If you don’t trust you color palette, either stick to neutral tones or, better yet, ask someone with a good color sense to help you pick the right hues. There are also a number of online resources, like the Sherwin-Williams Color Visualizer or Colorjive, that will allow you to test your colors before you crack open that first can of paint.

4. Bed sheets, flags and towels are not curtains: These fill-ins might have cut it in college, but you’re a grown man now; it’s time to just shell out a few extra dollars and get a proper set of draperies.

5. Don’t overdo it: All right, we get it. You really love your favorite sports team. But there’s no need to blanket every inch of your home in your team’s colors and paraphernalia. Keep your obsessions in check.

6. Empty rooms: Many bachelors stuff all their belongings into the one or two rooms that they use on a regular basis, creating dead zones in the rest of the house. Make sure furniture is distributed evenly throughout the house. Adding a few plants and wall hangings are also a great way to make each room seem lived-in.

7. Mismatched furniture: If you’ve furnished your home with leftover furniture given to you by family and friends, it can resemble a hodge-podge of competing styles and colors. Replace or reupholster furniture that doesn’t add to the general esthetic.

8. Patio furniture is not indoor furniture: This should be self-explanatory, but too many bachelors try to save a buck by putting stuff to use in unintended ways. Invest in some real furniture and save the other stuff for backyard barbecue parties.

9. Don’t go for broke: Many guys try to use high prices as a substitute for design sense. Just because something is expensive, it doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for your home. That expensive Italian leather sofa might look great in the showroom, but all that really matters is how it will look in your living room.

10. Tame the power cables: The modern young male probably has more gadgets than he knows what to do with, producing messy nests of dusty cables balled up beneath outlets. Use twist ties and power bars to tame the cables, and creatively positioned furniture to hide them.

Adam Verwymeren is a Networx - https://www.networx.com - writer.  Read more articles like this one - https://www.networx.com/article/the-top-10-bachelor-pad-mistakes - on Networx.com.