LITHUANIAN INTERWAR INTERIORS 1918–1940

Interior design is problematic as it is always associated with the expression of psyche and representation, and often designed without aligning with the external stylistics of the building. In interior spaces, we can look for the “(internal or subjective)” reasons for various architectural styles and discover a more diverse expression of identity than is apparent on the outside of buildings. The aim of this book is to demonstrate the diversity and origin of aesthetic concepts in Lithuania during the interwar (1918–1940) period, to describe the artistic (aesthetic) qualities of Lithuanian public and residential interiors that have been forgotten, and to reveal the interior trends in internal premises that prevailed in interwar Lithuania. Employing the methodological tool of cultural memory, the book reviews the public and residential interiors of interwar Lithuania (1918–1940), both professional (created by architects, painters, and decorators) and non-professionally equipped premises. For purposes of comparison, the interiors of other countries were taken into account. The research into Lithuanian interiors reveals that the nationalities living side by side in interwar Lithuania were not averse to cultural synthesis. The theoretical formulation of the national style was maximally rational, fitting, and attractive in relation to the various aesthetic views. So, in the exploration of the Lithuanian style we can recognise the creative workshop of the European style. The interwar period was a brief but particularly significant stage in the formation of current collective understanding of interior design. Many of the cases described may be viewed in open public spaces or museums.