Hollywood heartthrob and confirmed bachelor, George Clooney, recently ended another relationship based on his ‘commitment issues’; his split with Stacy Keibler was reportedly due to the fact that he did not want children. Today’s survey of bachelors in the UK, conducted by 1926, revealed that Clooney is not alone in his unwillingness to settle down; only 8% of respondents were interested in getting married and only 4% in starting a family.* The majority of bachelors specified that their top three most important priorities were their careers, travelling and buying a property. They displayed a surprising amount of consideration when it came to selecting their ideal domestic surroundings. It was clear that many hankered after the ultimate bachelor pad, proving that men are happier when they can enjoy the sanctity of their own space, away from the chaos of their daily lives. Despite the increasing range of digital gadgets, nearly 40% of bachelors listed a flat screen TV as the most essential item for their dream flat. Respondents also displayed a keen interest in aesthetics; they felt that fine art would have the biggest impact on the style of their 21st century man cave, followed closely by luxury wooden flooring and marble kitchen worktops. One in four bachelors reinforced gender stereotypes by selecting blue as their preferred interior colour, with beige and black also proving popular. Bachelors who were under 25 years old preferred to consult their mothers when choosing how and what to furnish their place with. Overall, however, friends were the first point of call for unattached single men looking for advice on interior design and decoration. As well as Clooney, Prince Harry also ranked as a hugely admired bachelor, showing that a hedonistic and lavish lifestyle is appealing to the modern man, as well as an opulent place to call their home. It seems that today’s bachelor has liberated himself from the need for a housewife and carved out a new identity as an independent playboy who is proud to say “I don’t”.