Jules Wabbes (1919–1974): Creating Total Works of Art in Interiors

Abstract

Despite the remarkable success achieved during his lifetime, the Belgian self–made designer and interior architect Jules Wabbes (1919–1974) is still poorly represented whether in museum collections or in interior design history. However, he is now being acknowledged as a multi–talented creator and for his particular vision of interior design and space. Wabbes believed design is a construction of meaning for life, advocating responsible design. The intention of this paper is to: (1) interpret to what extent Wabbes’ interiors were based on a personal conception of interiors as total works of art and (2) to reflect on his high–quality furniture as contributing to interior concepts. On the basis of the available writings and mainly on his body of work, our goal is to portray his practice as interior designer. Our research perspective stems from a concept present in all of his works, design quality, and attitudes, from which we can derive the main thesis of this paper: for Jules Wabbes, each piece of furniture or decorative object should hold value in itself in order to be integrated in an ensemble, creating an atmosphere of well–being and fruition of space, in literal and metaphoric terms. On the basis of the simplicity of forms and flawless manufacture, his work exemplifies a feeling of timeless aesthetics. Case studies include Wabbes’ own home and two public interiors: Live at School as at Home, and Drugstore Louise.