This Palm Jumeirah penthouse is the real estate embodiment of the Dubai dream

Clean and contemporary, with not a thread out of place, the 10,500 sq.ft apartment sees the use of the finest materials sourced from around the world, with subtle marine influences to accentuate the apartment's seafront location.

Forget those preconceived notions about messy bachelor pads. Philip Charles Gamett's Palm Jumeirah home, while the creative conceptualisation of a bachelor, would put any interior designer to shame.
At first glance the two-penthouse apartment appears impersonal, luxury hotel-like even. But that isn't by accident, as Philip quite consciously wanted to create a 'boutique hotel vibe'. "I wanted to create a space where I would entertain my guests from around the world, allowing them to truly experience the world of luxury and glamour imagined when thinking of the city of Dubai," he says.
And that isn't hard to envision here. Philip is a self-made success story who made his millions at an early age, dropping out of school to get into sustainable t-shirt manufacturing. He personally project-managed the design and execution of his apartment, which he bought shell and core in 2009. His painstaking attention to detail and quality, which led to him building a successful wholesale business in organic cotton t-shirts, is reflected in the apartment too.
"Every inch of this space has been designed, nothing has been duplicated," he says, with a hint of pride. Having spent two years building and doing up his home, Philip, an avowed health freak, now wholly dedicates his time to 'living the Dubai lifestyle'.
The large, airy, sun-drenched space maximises its location with floor to ceiling windows in every room, overlooking the fronds of Palm Jumeirah and marina with yachts bobbing about at their berths. Clean and contemporary, with not a thread out of place, the 10,500 sq.ft apartment sees the use of the finest materials sourced from around the world, with subtle marine influences to accentuate the apartment's seafront location.
From the sleek white kitchen by Hacker and shagreen wall panels to the Steinway piano and black-finished sound system with built in speakers throughout, a no-expense-spared approach has clearly been taken when creating this home.
The informal living and open kitchen area, which Philip describes as an 'entertainment lounge', complete with drop-down projector screen, opens into a narrow hallway with silk-panelled walls which leads through to the formal dining room by way of the in-house spa. Arguably the piece de resistance of this home - although there are quite a few elements that can vie for that title - this private hammam-style spa suite features a vaulted ceiling held in place by solid travertine columns, influenced by ancient Roman baths. Walls are finished with authentic tadelakt plaster (a traditional Moroccan craft of polishing limestone surfaces with olive soap) and floors are polished granite. Designer brass light fixtures in an abstract swordfish design are a subtle nod to marine influences.  
The theme of no-holds-barred indulgence continues into the outdoor area, an expansive terrace with its own infinity plunge pool and Jacuzzi, gazebo seating and of course, unbeatable views.
Philip says that while the whole space was designed with a lifestyle in mind, it also reflects his personality. "The design is certainly masculine and contemporary, yet to an extent timeless. It is also extremely clean and organised," he says.
The house was also designed to host friends and entertain guests. Philip's penchant for stylish entertaining is probably best represented in the formal drawing room where a wooden bookcase slides away at the touch of a button to reveal a mini-bar and coffee machine. The slightly tongue-in-cheek approach continues in the other 'secret' feature of this room - an artwork (a map of Arabia, if you must know) swinging open at the touch of a button to reveal a safe. "I just had to have that, didn't I?" Philip laughs.
If that wasn't enough to impress in this luxurious room, there's the striking anemone-inspired chain link chandelier over the formal dining table (hand-picked from Italy); the Persian white onyx flooring; and the bespoke bamboo-style brass columns fabricated in Paris, which bring in a touch of travel-inspired eclecticism to the décor.
Just off this room is the master bedroom suite (there are two guest bedrooms in a separate part of the house, including one fitted out to be a kids' room, that can be closed off to become an independent apartment), accessed through a touchpad - the entire 'smart' home is automated, with digital and motion sensor controls, and there isn't a switch in sight.
The boudoir-style bedroom features dramatic black Art Deco walls and ceilings, with bone inlay, satin bed linens, and a specially commissioned mural that depicts Dubai in all its glory, from sand dunes to skyscrapers.
Possibly one of Philip's favourite rooms in the house is the adjacent walk-in closet, which is a real design symphony of veneered wood, brass and horn. With a floor that is an impression of a real ship's floor (another nod to the nautical), made of lacquered brass, and shelves that are all cantilevered to create a feeling of space, the highlight within this compact space is a statement piece of art - an authentic African Songye sculpture that represents power which Philip picked up on his travels.
And while he personally designed the whole space, overcoming many challenges - he reveals sometimes they had to redo things up to three times to get it right - he employed interior design company Caspaiou to give the apartment its finishing touches such as art pieces, rugs, lamps and similar accent pieces that pull the look together. As he himself admits, it needed a feminine touch, to bring his aspirations of a home that is modern yet timeless, to life.
And that, as is evident in the finished product, which is now selectively used as a venue for exclusive events and art exhibitions, has clearly been achieved.

• Inspired Living