5 Rue des Francs — 1040 Brussels
tel./fax : 32 (0)2 733 86 84
info@cauchie.be
The furniture
Furniture forms an integral part of the way we live. Art Nouveau represents the first step towards a decidedly modern way of designing space. Paul Cauchie made his home functional but at the same time created a welcoming atmosphere.
The three consecutive rooms on the ground floor link in perfectly, each one illustrating Paul and Lina’s talents. It is a scenography based on various associations, and perfectly laid out to welcome guests and friends.
In the front room along the street, sgraffiti blend in with the rigid geometrical lines of the furniture designed by Paul, based on the shape of the square and circle. These shapes can already be distinguished on the façade and they continue on the doors, and on the polished oak furniture.
The panelling covering the lower part of the walls is produced in a new and virtually indestructible material, i.e. “lincrusta”. This consists of linen cloth, pasted on a cardboard, coated with a compound of wood powder and linseed oil which is subsequently pressed or embossed with an ornamental design.
The middle room, in the shape of a perfect cube — a symbol of stability and wisdom — has light flooding in from both sides. Originally, the walls were covered with pleated fabric decorated with a band of stencilled designs. The bottom of the chimney is decorated with sgraffito.
Access to the back room is via a portal. Here the very simple furniture is painted white. The consistent recurrence of purple in the window panes and in the doors is inspired by Mackintosh. There is one large window to brighten up this whole area. This invites the eyes to discover the façade of the workshop decorated with sgraffito, and to stroll out onto the outside patio.