A man's home is his castle - or pad

If you think a bachelor pad is all about cigarette butts, slept-in sofas and unwashed glasses, then take a peep into Makram Khadij's two-bedroom apartment in Dubai. Account manager at Impact/BBDO, Khadij has taken a lot of effort to dispel the notion that the interiors of a bachelor's flat lack good taste.

A year and a half ago, Khadij came to Dubai and chose a cosy two-bedroom apartment which he decided to turn into his home. The first thing he did was to get the flat tiled in a neutral shade (with a hint of warm tones). "I chose the colour based on the ambience I wanted to recreate in this home - namely, a warm look," he says.

By doing up the place in a simple yet contemporary way, Khadij has created an interior that is both restful and comfortable. Given the limited space, he has set up, what he calls, a creative environment.

Most of the pieces of furniture are from Design People, where he also got a lot of advice to do up his place, and his collection of paintings is by local Lebanese designer and artist, Imad Bechara. To begin with, the living room seating is made of sea grass, and has cushions with Nepalese embroidery adding warmth to the dark linen upholstery. Roman blinds complete the setting, which is accented by plant-holders in solid copper.

When asked about his choice of Roman blinds, Khadij explains that he thought it was simpler and goes well with the kind of setting he has come up with. "I did not want curtains and pleats here," he says. "Besides, the latter would not look good with this kind of an interior."