Welcome to the Dollhouse: Bennett House by brinca dada

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12 20 2011

Remember that December 25 early morning rush? That tingly anticipation… the unstoppable curiosity to see what just Santa left under the tree. The before sunrise quiet… barely buzzing with suspense. I recall racing downstairs, ecstatic with the revelation that brother received the Lego Pirate Ship. I was three, he was seven. It was the awesomest Lego Pirate Ship ever. There were cannon-balls and palm trees, a yellow Lego pirate with a painted-on eye-patch and hook.

That also was the year I received my dollhouse: white with a pink roof and miniature blue china plates. Its construction was simple, easy to navigate… but a little boring after a while (no offense to my mother because I really, truly loved it). There only was so much one could do with its three stacked rooms and, for some reason, there weren’t any stairs (odd for a three-story home). So naturally, as kids are ought to do, we joined forces with our universe of playthings, twisting wooden Brio train-tracks with Lego’s pulley-system and created a far more fanciful space for our wild galaxy of Transformers, Breyer Horses and Little People.

Skip 26-years to Little BG. I was browsing through the children’s boutique (perhaps trying on a few capes & coats & such because did you know? the larger sizes perfectly fit a petite adult… particularly Mini Milly, Stella McCartney & Baby Dior…) when something caught my eye. There it was, shining in the corner: the perfect dollhouse. But this was no conventional, simple dollhouse — this one was eye-catching…even for a grown adult. It was the sort of dollhouse I’d actually like to call home: sleek and modern, furnished in the mid-century contemporary designs. It was multi-level and vast — reminiscent of the simple-yet-intricate stage-design found in Broadway’s How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Oh yes, this was no simple dollhouse… this was the Bennett House by brinca dada.

Designed by noted architect Tim Boyle, the Bennett House is more complex than the standard toy townhouse style. Instead, the Bennett House steps outside of the conventional dollhouse box, poking outside with its angular balconies and roof-decks. There’s an elevator, two-story living room, roof-top pool and eco-friendly furnishings. Folded up, brinca dada’s Bennett House is reminiscent of an odd, modernist sculpture (you may even confuse it for true art… it is heavily influenced by the De Stijl movement); however, once opened, the home is revealed and playtime can begin. So consider this Sunday morning’s discoveries…. the racing heart, bare feet slapping on the floor, plate of cookie crumbs… what will they discover this year? And will you be taking a shine to it, too?