Inside producer Kenny Beats' retro-inspired Los Angeles recording studio

Los Angeles-based design studio Willett designs 'Furniture for spaces and spaces for furniture.' Throughout Willett’s most recent project – a Los Angeles recording studio for producer Kenneth Blume, also known as Kenny Beats – this cohesive approach is evident. Willett brought this sensibility when designing the recording studio’s living, dining and lounge spaces, incorporating custom-made furniture to make use of the small space in a creative yet functional way.

Inside Kenny Beats' LA recording studio by Willett

Willett’s project for Blume, who has worked with musicians such as Vince Staples, FKA Twigs and Idles, is both playful and pared back. 'A lot of recording studios these days look a bit like spaceships,' remarks Ben Willett. Instead, his design draws inspiration from the golden era of Motown studios of the 1960s and 1970s to evoke a collaborative and spontaneous atmosphere. Warm wood tones, curvilinear forms and tactile furnishings give the space a look that’s both retro and fresh.

'Kenny’s vision was taking his inspiration of these classic recording studios, and bringing in a bit of the Willett flavour,' explains Willett. The intent of the design was to instil a similarly convivial, open-door energy that referenced the recording studios of the era, while also prioritizing comfort and flow.

Warm Douglas fir wraps the built-in space, with curved forms that soften the previously rectilinear interiors. 'I wanted to use built-ins to save space and make things feel more permanent, like they were always there,' says Willett. A sinuous built-in desk is paired with Willett’s soon-to-launch Poporo chair, a black upholstered chair with stepped arms, which stands out against the wood-panelled walls and ceiling.

The workspace overlooks a lounge with a built-in sectional upholstered in rich olive green leather, providing texture and comfort. 'Kenny was drawn to using green, which is a big colour in recording equipment, so that was a throughline for the spaces,' says Willett. Small design details reinforce the studio’s spontaneous atmosphere, such as microphone inputs built into the custom sectional, 'so you can put vocals down while you’re sitting on the couch.' Willett Furniture's Tonn coffee table, which nods to the studio’s modernist influences, anchors the lounge.

A natural extension to the workspace and lounge, the dining area features a Willett-designed dining table and bench in golden-toned Douglas fir with black leather seats. Willett’s Otto chair was added, which easily glides under the table for savvy storage. 'It’s a sneaky little move that’s a great space saver,' explains Willett. Above, a Santa & Cole pendant light provides soft illumination to the dining area.

An expanding experiential design portfolio

This is the latest in an expanding portfolio of projects from Willett, who founded his eponymous practice in 2022. Having been trained in architecture and graphic design, Willett approaches his furniture and spatial design projects with a distinctly multidisciplinary lens. His background in creating experiential spaces for brands like Nike and Stella Artois enabled him, as he notes, 'to learn how to understand the whole cohesive storyline, and make sure the architecture speaks to the furniture.' It wasn’t until Willett and his wife, chef Molly Baz, moved from New York to Los Angeles that he began designing furniture for their home. This exploration led him to start his design company, which opened a showroom in the Los Angeles Arts District in 2024.

With its reciprocal and harmonious interaction of furniture and spatial design, as well as function and atmosphere, this space is emblematic of Willett’s approach. 'I use design expressions as a way to bring aesthetic joy into the world and seek to uncover new ways in which furniture and built spaces coexist,' explains Willett. By playing with geometry, scale and form, Willett’s objects and spaces feel as satisfyingly cohesive and authentically liveable.

willettspace.com