Research team
Expertise
My research focuses on the history and historiography of interior design in the twentieth century, with a focus on the post-war period in Belgium. The development of interior design as an independent discipline and field, and the formation of its own professional and disciplinary identity, are an inherent part of my research domain. My doctoral research scrutinised one of those factors: the historical development of officially subsidised interior design education in postwar Belgium. Given the ephemeral and temporary character of many interiors, tracing and constructing interior design histories neccesitate an alternative historiographical approaches: how can we historicize interior design, interior designers, and their networks within the broad field of design disciplines? My current research builds on feminist criticism and queer theory to historicise interior design practices as collaborative, transdisciplinary networks. The emphasis is on tracing networks of actors who are intrinsically linked to interior design practices, but who are often overlooked in mainstream historiography due to the narrative of individual authorship.