Being a single male can sometimes mean being lost. Not lost as in not knowing what to do with your life or where you’re heading (even if that’s true sometimes too). Rather, lost as in you have no idea where your belongings are in your home because your home is messy, gross, or in a state of uncontrollable non-order. At least that’s been my idea of the bachelor for a long time.

So I took a tour around Stockholm to visit a bunch of young bachelors to document where on the scale of gross they are. Turns out a man can sometimes be more than the myths surrounding him. Sometimes.

CARL, 27, HORNSTULL

VICE: How often do you clean?
Carl: Thoroughly, about once a week.

Do you ever let your mum visit?
She can come if she wants to but she most often avoids it.

Is it okay if she does the dishes if she’s here?
Absolutely not.

Why did you decide to get cats?
Well, I like cats and I’ve had them since I was a boy. Cookie [one of the cats] needed a home, so I took care of him. After a while, when I moved to a smaller flat without balcony, it became apparent he needed a brotha’, so I decided to get another one.

How do visitors react to cat fur?
It depends really, some are more used to it than others. Also, it obviously depends on how much of the fur I’ve vacuumed at the given time.

Describe your bathroom.
We have a word for it here, and that word is Södertoa. It’s these bathrooms in older buildings on Södermalm in Stockholm where the bathrooms haven’t been refurnished in decades. The layout is worthless. A Södertoa is like a bathroom in a shitty pub.

Who’s the lady on your fridge?
It’s my wife. Nah, it’s an abandoned portrait my father found at a construction site and left on my fridge as a practical joke when I was on vacation. I don’t see a reason to take it down!

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to cleaning?
I hate to bend over and pick up stuff. And general order is not prioritised; I guess that’s a weakness.

And your strengths?
I have fairly good discipline when it comes to doing the dishes and taking care of the cat boxes.

OK. Cheers, Carl.

More photos of Carl’s flat:

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ANTON, 24, BLACKEBERG

VICE: How come you live in this basement, Anton?
Anton: It was the best I could find for a reasonable price.

What’s the worst thing with your basement?
It doesn’t have a shower.

And the best thing?
My mum never visits! She’s never been here.

What’s up with the pipes in the ceiling?
They’re some kind of drainpipes or cold/warm water circulation. They seem to working pretty aggressively at 3 AM every morning.

For how long has your underwear been hanging on a wire over your bed?
Woah! They’ve been hanging there for a while now. I guess they’re easy to forget up there.

Describe your bathroom.
Tiny. I installed a shower nozzle for emergency-showers, with the combo of a plastic… bowl. But I got a gym card now so I shower at the gym.

Speaking of bowls. What’s with the dog bowl in the kitchen? You don’t seem to have a dog?
I bought it as a joke and a bowl for breakfast cereal.

Tell me about the meds on your desk.
It’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that: D-vitamins, Omega 3, Levaxin for my metabolism and anti-depressants. I should probably put them away somewhere.

You have a drawing of Stanley Kubrick on your wall, and next to it you have a couple of lists. What are those?
It’s my anti-procrastinate area. The lists are things I’m supposed to do and stuff I’m not allowed to do until the shit is done. With Kubrick judging me right next them. He was a famous perfectionist, you know.

I know. Thanks, Anton.

More photos of Anton’s flat:

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THURE, 19, NACKA

VICE: Why do you live in a cabin on your mother’s plot in Nacka?
Thure: I live here ’cause I’m unemployed at the moment, and the money I make from tattooing people here in the cabin I tend to spend as fast as I get them. Also because I like it here.

Does your mother come over?
Yeah, she comes over every now and then trying to clean up, but I think she has lost all hope now. I’ve actually started cleaning up a bit since I began tattooing. In that line of work it’s pretty important to stay clean.

What’s it like tattooing from your bedroom?
It’s nice. And sometimes kinda weird. The other day a client I had totally forgot about saw me naked coming out from the shower. But tattooing as an art form is magical. It’s amazing how people go around with your art on their bodies forever, you know.

Where do you take a dump?
Well, the kitchen and bathroom are in my parents’ house here right next to my cabin. It’s awesome with a clean toilet and a full refrigerator at all times.

You have loads of notes all over your place here telling you to take it easy. Why do you need to be reminded of that?
It’s a cheesy thing to say, but we are all super stressed all the time, we don’t stop to look at the beautiful things. Also because I’m this totally impulsive guy, so I try to remind myself to stay calm and think before I do.

And the art on your walls?
It just happens, you know, when I feel like painting a wall I’ll draw something on the wall. Mostly when I can’t sleep.

Alright. Thanks, Thure.

More photos of Thure’s cabin:

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STAFFAN, 33, TANTO

VICE: How come you live here?
Staffan: I have another home, and it’s pretty expensive to have two. So when I had to give notice of dismissal on my flat in the city-centre, my brother asked if I wanted to sleep over at The Firm. Then he moved in as well.

Why all the synthesisers?
The Firm, as we call it, is a forum for art and play. We take photographs, play instruments and plan great things. Right now I feel a crazy amount of stimulating power in the act of playing a synth.

What does your mother say about you living like this?
Well, the only thing she’s said is that there is a lack of order in here. Which is totally wrong. What do you think?

I like that there’s a lack of order but in a very controlled manner. Can you describe the neighbourhood you live in?
A mixture of Chernobyl and the French Riviera. It’s this lonely part of Södermalm, free parking outside my window, no drunk hooligans, no silliness.

What are the best things with your flat?
All the stuff my brother and I care about are in perfect order. And it’s a flat of good quality.

And the worst things?
Except for having to shower in a trash can and lay on these really small beds, it would have been nice with a separate room to drink coffee and hang out in.

I can see why. Cheers, Staffan.

More photos of Staffan’s home:

@foltmar

Previously: Photos of the Bedrooms, Bathrooms and Kitchens of Stockholm’s Young Ladies