In the autumn of 2020, the interior architecture master’s students at Hasselt University were given the design brief to transform an existing indoor garage into an additional living space for a young adult – whether real or fictional. The aim was to conceive the small interior as a large piece of furniture, with particular attention to the significance of the art cabinet or studio throughout history. Within the cabinet, the user had to be able to wash, sleep, sit, work and store things, whilst taking into account acoustics, daylight and artificial lighting.

Laura Lo Bue converts the garage of the fictional character Nora’s parental home into a painter’s studio. She does this by, as it were, sliding a large wooden cabinet into the space. Inspired by the way a stretcher frame is constructed, over which a canvas is stretched, this wooden piece of furniture is built from cross-slats and stretcher slats. A sofa bed has been incorporated into the piece, which can also serve as a seat. Furthermore, the wooden cabinet comprises various moving parts: doors, drawers and sliding panels. By sliding or pulling out certain parts of the piece, two easels are created. Lo Bue paid particular attention to the detailing of the easels. They can be adjusted using wing screws, the legs can be slid forwards or backwards, and the height of the support on which the canvas rests is also adjustable.