Words: Gentleman's Journal
There’s a time in a man’s life – after he finishes his time in education but before he settles down to start a family – when any sense of interior decoration or building a comfortable home goes out of the window. Eating out or seeing friends takes precedence over creating a homely space to come back to and, as such, we enter a vicious circle that ends with our flats or houses – for all their potential – looking little better than budget hotels.
The good news is, that even if you’re on a budget, you can create a cosier atmosphere with just a handful of key pieces, revolutionising and renovating your living space with several items that will immediately make it somewhere you want to live – and not just sleep…
There’s nothing better than a fresh cup of coffee in the morning and, if you can play barista in your very own house, it’ll mean you don’t have to run down to Starbucks with wet hair and drink your morning Americano on the tube or bus with other people shouldering into you.
Instead, invest in the best with Smeg, an Italian brand who have been leading the home appliance industry with style and innovation for years. Elegantly designed in a 50s retro style, this won’t only allow you to create your own fresh and tasty espressos every morning, it’ll also look great doing so.
It’s becoming increasingly popular to watch Netflix or television on your laptop or tablet rather than a television and we, for one, are not happy. The whole experience is watered down – in both size and definition – when you watch on a mobile device and, whilst we’re not telling you to set up your own home cinema, a modestly-sized 4K television can make a living space feel considerably more homely for a relatively low cost.
Our pick, from reliability kings Samsung, uses Active Crystal Colour tech to give you a staggering array of colours, and with the brand’s Smart Hub feature, you can watch and interact with any apps you may have on your phone on your television. Stream films, play music or scroll through social media – all from one remote.
A good quality leather armchair can elevate a room no end. And yes, the majority of them will be out of your price range right now, but there is the odd bargain to be found. This Prado armchair, from Made, is one such example. Alternatively designed, but crafted from the finest leather, this chair will sit comfortably in front of your new television and give you the perfect vantage point from which to watch your shows.
Like your espresso in the morning, there are few things that will wake you up as well as a powerful shower. Forget the head that came with your flat – you know, the one that drips out barely enough water to wash your hair – and instead invest in something that will keep you clean and invigorate you for the day to come.
A rain shower is really the only way to go here – as long as you’ve got the water pressure to do it justice. Abode’s Euphoria head is our particular pick. Not only does it look more stylish that it needs to as a shower head, it also has the coverage to keep you looking and feeling fresh – and getting you out of the door on time.
What exercise gear do you have at the moment? A couple of free weights, a resistance band or two and maybe a pull up bar? Ditch them. You want to streamline your gear – and the best all round machine to do that with is a rower.
This particular rowing machine, from JTX, is robust, gym-quality and combines air and electromagnetic resistance for a smooth workout. A screen keeps you right and you can control the options with your heart rate using a chest strap. It’s a little slice of the gym at home and – more importantly – compact.
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