Is Your Home Guy Friendly?

When you bring your new love interest to your pad, you want to make a good first impression. But who has the time or resources these days? Never fear—a few minor adjustments can help your new guy feel right at home without compromising your bank account or your personal style.

Although many women fear than an overly feminine home will scare a guy off, remember that most guys care less about a home's level of girliness and more about what it says about her: Is she high-maintenance? Does she have good taste? Does she have any closeted freakiness? (Hint: consider hiding your Hello Kitty paraphernalia). 5 Tips For Spending The Night With A New Guy

Here are some more tips on making your home more guy-friendly, room by room:

The living room:
The living room is where your home makes its first impression, so give it extra attention. Firstly, watch the scents! Once you've eliminated any traces of eau de cat litter or leftover chow mein, light a woodsy-smelling candle. A combination of sandalwood, teak, lemon oil, and even vanilla may remind him of the great outdoors.

On a related note, buy some plants. Don't worry, a well-tended batch of peonies doesn't look girly, it looks fresh and suggests that you're sensual and attentive.

Tiny apartment? Create an illusion of space by leaving 10-15 inches between the couch and the wall. On a related note, make sure your couch is free of excessive throw pillows. Remember what Coco Chanel said about removing one accessory in the morning? We're pretty sure that also applies to home decor.

On the other hand, if your living room is minimalistic to the point of barrenness, the guy might wrongly assume you're also rather drab. A few simple, completely affordable pieces like vintage-looking pitchers, mason jars, or candlesticks liven up a home. If you have some empty photo frames lying around, but no photos or posters, frame a piece of a retro-looking sheet instead.

Contrary to what your brothers might have told you, men actually dig women who enjoy books. Unless you read chick lit and listen to Kenny G's greatest hits exclusively, put your book and music collections on display. If your bookshelf and coffee table look a little sparse, check out Penguin's Classic's limited edition of covers illustrated by Coralie Bickford-Smith, which can be used as both decoration and conversation pieces.

Finally, there's only a couple degrees of difference between toastiness and stuffiness, and guys heat up a lot faster than women do. Crack open a window or turn on a small fan. Remember, the cold is conducive to cuddling. The Thermostat War, And 6 More Silly Compromises

The kitchen:
If it's a little chilly outside, put on a pot of mulled wine. Simmer a couple bottles of red wine in a pot and add cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, orange slices, and cloves. Your home will smell inviting and the studies show men adore the scent of cinnamon. Check out The Food Network's recipe for more details. Sunbathing & Other Natural Aphrodisiacs

Clean out, defrost and restock your refrigerator: add beer (nothing too frat boy-like), meat, and even a pint of ice cream. Guys like to know that a woman eats well and enjoys herself without jeopardizing her health, so throw out the frozen low-fat burritos and South Beach diet meals and replace them with some real food. Men Want Women To Order Steak, Not Salad

The bathroom:
The key to making your bathroom guy-friendly is taking cleanliness up to hotel standards. Or, close enough. He probably won't notice the hair collected in the tub, but why stress yourself wondering if he did?

Take your books and magazines off the toilet rack. Not only do they look unhygienic, but a guy might wonder how much time you really spend doing business in there.

Put out some hand soap and towels. In other words, encourage hand washing over the "zip and exit" some men seem to favor.

Put away makeup products, especially your brushes, which can be breeding grounds for bacteria when exposed to a humid environment. Sure, we don't expect guys to know anything about makeup brushes or even notice them on your skink, but he'll appreciate your breakout-free skin nonetheless.

The bedroom:
In the bedroom, comfort is key. Also, keep in mind what colors communicate: for instance, blue conveys calmness, reds and oranges inspire creativity and conversation. Dark purples are associated with luxury and wealth, and light purples with spring and romance. For your bedspread, try a shade of green, which suggests natural vibrance by incorporating the energy of yellows into the mellowness of blues. Beautiful Master Bedroom Designs

Harsh lighting won't kill the mood, but the warmth of romantically-dimmed table lamps will certainly help it. Dress them up by investing in a bright or eclectic-looking shade. Visit Lamps Plus for ideas.

It kills us to say this, but hide your stuffed animal and/or porcelain doll collection, especially if you display them on your bed. Nothing says, "I never get frisky under the sheets" like having them buried underneath an in-home Toys "R" Us.

And last but not least, take down the picture of Mom and Dad displayed next to your bed. Is Your Bedroom Ready For Action?

Do you have advice about making a home male-friendly? Tell us in the comments below or write your own blog post about it.