Summary<\/p>\n
EBBA director Benni Allan\u2019s new home doubles as a live-in design showcase
\nInteriors feature Douglas fir, reclaimed mahogany parquet and concealed open-plan kitchen storage
\nCustom furniture and a collaborative Douglas fir speaker highlight Allan\u2019s passion for experimentation<\/p>\n
The newly completed home of London-based architectural and design practice, EBBA<\/a>\u2019s director, Benni Allan<\/a>, serves as both a personal residence and an experimental design showcase. Conceived as a \u201clive-come-showspace,\u201d the apartment embodies Allan\u2019s philosophy of living among objects that evolve over time. Pieces collected from collaborators and friends are displayed in a gallery-like setting, encouraging ongoing exploration of how design interacts with everyday life.<\/p>\n Spatially, the apartment is arranged around a large open-plan kitchen and living area, where the functional aspects of the kitchen are concealed behind expansive cupboards. This central piece of furniture not only provides ample storage but also resolves the sharp angles of the original building, maintaining a sense of calm through raw plaster surfaces and warm timber finishes. The main bedroom connects to the kitchen via a full-height sliding door, allowing borrowed light to permeate the space. A study off the corridor doubles as a workshop, often filled with discarded materials awaiting transformation into new experiments.\n<\/p>\n A defining feature of the interiors is the extensive use of Douglas fir, applied across walls, floors and joinery. This choice highlights Allan\u2019s interest in testing cost-effective materials for durability and longevity. Complementing the timber are reclaimed elements, such as mahogany parquet salvaged from a previous EBBA project, which add layers of narrative and sustainability to the design. The interplay between new and found materials underscores the apartment\u2019s experimental quality, positioning it as both a home and a laboratory for architectural ideas.\n<\/p>\n The interiors also showcase Allan\u2019s passion for furniture and music, with custom-designed pieces integrated into the home. A stacked coffee table serves as a centerpiece and part of a new collection under development by EBBA, while a bespoke Douglas fir speaker, created in collaboration with Friendly Pressure and Our Department, adds a distinctive touch. These objects reinforce the apartment\u2019s dual identity as a living space and creative platform, encapsulating EBBA\u2019s commitment to inventive, materially rich design that bridges functionality with artistic expression.\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n