Interieurontwerpen c. 1928

Editor: Here we have Carel Adolph Lion Cachet's "Interieurontwerpen" from around 1928, a pencil drawing on paper. Looking at this page of sketches and calculations, it feels like stepping right into the artist’s thought process. So many ideas, numbers and drawings all at once. What stands out to you most when you look at this piece? Curator: I’m drawn to the combination of freehand sketches and precise calculations. Notice how the ladder leans in a very direct relationship with some cryptic figures; those strike me as powerful symbols. Don't you feel how numbers act as structural metaphors? Editor: A structural metaphor? Interesting. The ladder definitely jumps out. What would you say that symbolizes in this context? Curator: Well, ladders, since ancient times, represent ascension, a striving towards something higher. Perhaps in the context of interior design, Cachet is suggesting the reaching of an ideal space? Editor: So, it's not just about physically reaching a higher shelf, but perhaps striving for an elevated design aesthetic? Curator: Precisely. Consider too, the repeated geometric motifs and calculations - these also relate to ideal forms that are themselves both philosophical and very, very practical. What impact can geometry in design produce for modern living? Editor: I hadn't considered that the geometry could represent Cachet's ideals that appear at once functional and, as you said, philosophical. It definitely adds another layer to the piece. Curator: Indeed. Seeing these sketches together lets us decode something new about what we may now think and expect from interior design.