ARCHITECTES DÉCORATEURS BELGES 1920-1930

Around 1900, Horta, van de Velde and Serrurier-Bovy gained international renown. After the First World War, Belgian interior designers were unable to compete with the French luxury goods industry and the German and Dutch avant-garde, and there was not enough demand for mass-produced furniture.

The period 1920-1940 was marked by a revolution in the furniture industry, with the introduction of plywood in response to the damage caused by the spread of central heating, and by a new art of living linked to the emancipation of women and the influence of the United States. 

In this stimulating context, Belgian modernist architect-decorators demonstrated a rare inventiveness. They experimented with combination furniture in steel, curved wood strips and aluminum. Their story is told and illustrated in this book, largely based on the CIVA collections.

Edited by Maurice Culot and Anne-Marie Pirlot, designed by Patrick Demuylder, with contributions from Catherine Cnudde, Lieven Daenens, Marc Dubois, Manon Kempinaire, Anne Lauwers, Yaron Pesztat, Raf Steel, Francis Strauven and Robin Vinois.