Ontwerp voor een buffetkast 1908

Curator: This is "Ontwerp voor een buffetkast," a buffet design by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet, dating back to 1908. What strikes you about this preliminary sketch? Editor: Immediately, I notice the faint pencil on what seems to be aged paper. It lends the drawing an ephemeral quality, like a memory barely captured before fading away. Curator: Absolutely, it’s the kind of thing you might find tucked away in a personal sketchbook. Cachet, deeply involved in the Arts and Crafts movement and influenced by Art Nouveau, worked with interiors quite often, beyond graphic design. Editor: Right. We're talking about craftsmanship elevating the everyday—the buffet as an aspirational piece of furniture. I'm curious about his choices regarding functionality versus decoration, if we compare this design with the real buffet, are the dishes stored actually reachable, is the counter really usable or just a show off? Curator: Functionality and decoration merge quite seamlessly here, I think. Notice the geometric precision intertwined with the slightly organic shapes topping the buffet. Those hand-drawn details give it a distinct personality, a break from total industrial production which makes it a more interesting artwork in the context of that time period. What do you feel when you think of the Art Nouveau? Editor: The balance... Art Nouveau always feels like a balancing act. And in terms of labor, look at all the handwritten lettering and measurements alongside the meticulous sketch work. We're getting a glimpse into the unseen hours of production, from design to material sourcing, all feeding into the making of a singular object. Curator: It’s truly amazing to see all those decisions frozen on paper, isn’t it? I’d love to tumble back in time and rummage freely through his sketchbooks to steal some ideas for my living room. What about you? Editor: Agreed. This reminds us that design is a constant negotiation between intent and execution, a blueprint hinting at larger social forces in production and consumption of art at that period in history.