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IN TOUCH MAY 9, 2005

AT HOME WITH THE BACHELOR'S CHARLIE O'CONNELL

TV's newest reality star takes In Touch inside his laid-back LA apartment

Long before Charlie O'Connell began his search for love on TV, he was living the life of a carefree bachelor in his West Hollywood "Party pad." And, as with any 30-year0old male, there have been times when the entertaining may have gotten a little loud, but Charlie hasn't had to worry about his neighbor complaining - his brother, actor Jerry O'Connell, live upstairs! But what is in jeopardy is the apartment's bachelor pad status. Charlie, currently dating two finalists on The Bachelor, admits he's ready to settle down. "I think there's definitely going to be a relationship at the end of this," he says, although with the live TV finale still several weeks away, he hasn't made a choice. "I keep changing my mind," he grins. "I can't wait to choose an see what happens."

Charlie, who is 6'3", says: "This is the greatest bed I've ever had. In the beginning, I thought it was going to be too big for the room, but I wouldn't change it. I've had crappy beds all my life and this bed is a big deal. I couldn't be happier with it."

What The Home Reveals
Celebrity designer Doug Wilson of Trading Spaces weighs in: "there is such a casual, comfortable feel to this place that you can tell Charlie likes living here. And when friends come by, they'll want to hang here also."

Brother Jerry lives on the top floor and Charlie lives on the ground floor. "His place used to look just like mine inside, but Oprah just redid it. It's great!" Charlie says. "If she wants to come to my place and do that, she's welcome any day, anytime. I'm flexible."

"We see each other almost every day," Charlie says about Jerry (left), who stars on Crossing Jordan.

 

"West Hollywood is the greatest neighborhood in LA," says Charlie, who grew up on the East Coast. "We have a pool here, and it's heated - even in the winter it's not too cold to sit by it. Sometimes I'll swim laps, but I call myself more of a lounger than a swimmer."

 

I've checked the stove - and it does work," Charlie jokes. "When I entertain, I get busy with DiGiorno frozen pizzas." But his most used appliance is the fridge: "You can always find a Diet Coke in here."

 

 

"My dad's an artist - lots of these paintings are his," Charlie says. "Many things that are in my apartment are from my home growing up."

 

"I got this couch a couple of years ago at Ikea, and what I like about it is that I can always have people over," says Charlie. "I'm a big party guy - I have up to 30 people over here each week to watch The Bachelor now that I'm on the show. With Jerry living upstairs, my apartment is like the living room for events for both of us."

Doug's Decorating Tips "When you move away from your hometown and into your own apartment, it's a good idea to bring along items from your old home to help you settle in and feel more comfortable - as Charlie has done. And when you live alone, be sure to have lots of places to sit and lounge so you can have friends over."

"This is the bar from our place growing up in New York, and I used to bartend behind it. It's a great thing to have in a house, but it's impossible to keep a bar stocked in this place!" Charlie jokes.

 

© 2005