Walking into owner Shimshad's central London flat is not unlike stepping onto the flight deck of an interstellar cruiser, if such vessels had Swedish designers and Japanese technicians. This groovy gaff, though, is a totally British creation - with a few crucially imported bits.

Shimshad brought in London-based home cinema installation experts Zebra to turn his ultramodern yet comfy sitting room, with its brushed stainless fittings, natural wood floors and bespoke leather sofas, into something resembling a mission control centre.

One wall of the room is completely given over to toys of the shiny variety. “He wanted a media wall with everything on it”, says Dave Willmott, the technical advisor from Zebra who masterminded the installation.

Shim's home cinema actually sprang from his love of music. “I've always loved music, and I believe you can escape with music,” he says. “I work seven days a week, 12 hours a day. I can come home, lie on the sofa and totally lose myself, float away. The louder it is, the more you can envelop yourself.”

To achieve such an utterly absorbing environment, Shim had the flat's walls and the ceiling “acoustically treated” Explains Willmott “He said he wanted to be able to play the system full blast at 3am and the guy upstairs wouldn't be able to hear it”.