Granted, decorating your frat house may not be absolutely at the top of your to-do list, but having a well-organized venue can make everyone feel more comfortable and can even make parties more fun. We’re not going to be like Martha Stewart on you. These ideas will be quick, cheap, and easy, and will add some character to that lifeless place that is probably now full of bachelor dust and swearing.
1. Clean. Dirty socks and beer can’t count as decoration. You don’t really have to make any rules about this or anything, but just make sure everyone does their part to keep things orderly in the frat house. And once a week or so, you should clean the kitchen, dust, and clean the bathrooms so the girls don’t completely freak out every time you throw a party.
2. Put some paint on it. Painting is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make a room look better. Not all furniture has to match, and you don’t have to have pretty curtains. Just buy a can of paint in an interesting color and go to town. You can do an entire room in a bright color, but not neon, or you can use a deep, rich color on some accent walls.
3. Add a few, very few, accent pieces. Nothing makes for a more interesting topic of conversation than an original piece of art. Head over to your school’s art department to see if anyone is willing to do a custom painting or sculpture for your frat house. Don’t go with anything too fragile or girly. Now you can get your hands on some really cool impressionist or modernist pieces, and buying a piece from a fellow student will save you a lot of money.
Instead of using lots of small pieces on different walls, try a simple look with just one huge painting on the main wall of your living room. This makes everything easier and also gives you less to dust off. The same goes for other decor pieces. Just get a few big, sturdy, interesting pieces instead of a bunch of small, brittle, dust-collecting pieces.
4. Don’t use a theme, but pick a few colors to stick with. Obviously, you don’t want to worry too much about everyone’s rooms, as that would be overkill. However, when it comes to living rooms, kitchens and such, you can go a long way by simply choosing a few colors to stick with. Use complementary colors like blues and oranges, or choose colors that are similar, like two different shades of green.
Can’t decide? Head over to your local hardware store and pick up a bunch of paint chips. You don’t necessarily have to go through every little hue variation, but you can get a quick majority vote to see what colors you’ll wear throughout your frat house.
It will take some effort to make your frat house look decent, but it will be worth it. It will feel more like a house than a den, and it will also keep your girlfriends, friends, and potential girlfriends happy when they come to visit.