Gone are the days when a bachelor's apartment was expected to have functional furniture, excessive clutter and a general air of I-do-not-give-a-damn.

Today's single male is house-proud and spends a fair amount of time and energy in ensuring that his home is decorated in a fashion he can relate to. What's more, many singles have some of the most creative spaces around us.

Comfort, practical use and a style that is individualistic - these are the basic pre-requisites.

Single people tend to have small homes/apartments - just enough space for themselves and the occasional guest (this obviously excludes the wealthy where one person can have a five-bedroom apartment).

One effective way to make a small apartment seem spacious is to reduce the number of walls.

The open plan home, with few walls (other than what you require for privacy, when you have guests), large windows and an open plan kitchen (where the kitchen is part of your dining or living room and is not a separate enclosed space) can make even a studio apartment look grand.

If it is a rented house, then work on what goes on the walls - like the art, pictures and wall hangings, rather than tampering with the walls. A large wall hanging is a great way to add colour.

You could also use wooden screens with bright colours and textures to create interesting partitions or backdrops. Full-length curtains hung from ceiling to floor can also bring in colour if painting is not an available option.

Create diverse themes in the same apartment just by changing the paint, the floor and the materials used in the furniture and furnishings.

Glazed tiles with a reflective surface will give an snazzy and ultra-contemporary feel.

A hardwood floor will make a living room look elegant and luxurious. A rustic tile floor could transform a bathroom. Carpeting and area rugs would make the entertainment area cosier and help sound quality.

Your bedroom, of course, could have enough drama to complement your personality. Area rugs in various styles could be used to complement the various spaces.

Put colour and texture to optimal use on your walls. The living room can have a beige tone on the walls, while the dining area could be a terracotta tone. Niches can be highlighted in bright colours like flaming reds and bold blues, and the kitchen can have yellow to bring in some warmth.

You can experiment with a lot of colour depending on the amount of natural light entering a room, the size of the room and of course the colour of the furniture.

Once you have worked out the colour dynamics and texture applications (when paint is used in a textured effect that creates patterns on the wall), you need to highlight them by paying attention to what goes on those walls.

The shelves used for books, curios and other accessories allow for a lot of experimentation. Use different kinds of shelves in different rooms, to co-ordinate with the room's decor.

Your furniture could either be in a particular style in all the areas, or you could create different themes. Either way, the living room and the bedroom are the main points of focus.

In the living room, a comfortable couch is an absolute must. Leather could be one option and could be used either as the upholstery fabric on furniture or in accessories. It lends an air of masculinity and is ideally suited for a bachelor pad.

A day bed is an additional piece of furniture that is well suited for a single person's home.

A low coffee table, which is fairly large and unusual in design (thus making for an interesting conversation piece) is a good option. A square one, however, would probably work better.

While couches accent the comfort factor of the living room, the coffee table and the end-tables zero in on the trend quotient.

The polish and style of the furniture also allows for a lot of design variations and would need some synergy with the overall decor.