You have moved out of your college share house and finally have a place of your own.

Perhaps you even have enough money to really do up your new bachelor pad. It's time to part ways with the garage sale hand-me-downs and buy some real furniture.

Here are few things no single gentleman should live without.

A place to sit

First things first, you will need a couch. And we're not talking about some dingy sofa that spent 20 years in your parents' rumpus room.

You need to find yourself one with clean lines, preferably in leather. Crate & Barrel has a two-piece leather sectional dubbed the Lennox ($3,399.15, crateandbarrel.com). It comes in a deep-brown shade, but you can special order the leather to have an undertone of cashew or chestnut for a warmer look.

After you order the couch, Crate & Barrel will even send you a leather swatch via next-day air just to make sure you are satisfied with the color.

Another place to sit

Relaxing after a hard day's work calls for a big, comfy chair. Prop your feet up on Pottery Barn's dark-brown classic Manhattan Leather Club Chair ($1,499 to $1,955, potterybarn.com), which comes in espresso or, if you are feeling tipsy, whiskey. It's stuffed to the brim, so you can really sink into the cushions.

If you're more of a modernist, go for the big showpiece: the Eames Lounge and Ottoman. This hand-assembled, plywood chair can be purchased on Design Within Reach (from a "mere" $4,499 to $6,705, dwr.com).

But can you really resist that luxurious black leather and wood grain stained a cherry or walnut hue? Besides, the curvaceous outline of the chair itself makes for an impressive furniture-as-art piece.

Trust us, your female guests will be impressed. And if you don't crave the ottoman, just stick with the chair ($3,579 to $3,629).

Barware

If you are lounging in that Eames chair or on that leather couch, chances are you have a nice cold after-hours beverage in your hand. In the tradition of Bond (James) and Draper (Don), let that beverage be a martini served in a Williams-Sonoma monogrammed martini glass ($59 for a set of four, williams-sonoma.com). You can personalize the glasses with up to three initials. Drink up!

A big-screen TV

You've got the cozy chair and couch. And chances are your martini is already in hand. But you can't watch your favorite episode of Mad Men on an old cathode ray boob tube (no matter how "retro" it is). Head into your local Best Buy and upgrade now to a flat-screen Samsung plasma HDTV, which has 51 glorious, sparkling inches of crisp, full-color images and you will thank yourself later ($699.99, bestbuy.com).

Textiles

Your floors are bare and cold. You need a rug -- preferably a shag one. But not something akin to those ugly carpets from the '70s! Update that classic look with the Alexa My Soft and Plush Multi Shag Rug ($314.99, overstock.com). There's a range of colors (including red and orange), but we suggest sticking with neutral, manly hues, such as cream, white or silver.

New paint

Finally, you must get rid of that white wall (or whatever primary color you thought looked rad years ago) and head toward some more mature shades. Benjamin Moore has a color dubbed Gray Mirage, which is a soft brownish gray. Muted and not too dark, it will complement the black and brown leather pieces around the apartment.

Or for a cooler shade, go for Gray Cashmere, which is more classically silver-tinged.

If you want a pop of color, Benjamin Moore suggests pairing Gray Cashmere with Rustic Brick, which could be the color of an accent wall. All the paints are $48.99 a gallon (benjaminmoore.com).

Now that your apartment is souped-up enough to make Hef jealous, it's time to have another martini. You've earned it.

* Tricia Romano is a freelance writer who lives in Seattle. She likes reading on her Kindle and writing for www. RetailMeNot.com.