Veneer Cabinetry in Interiors: Towards an Undefined Direction

(Initial draft idea to develop and structure)

“Cabinetry in Interior Architecture: Children’s Ergonomics and Joinery Fabrication, Explored Through the ‘Re-Interpretation’ of Haus am Horn’s Children’s Room”

This thesis investigates the role of cabinetry and joinery fabrication in shaping children’s experience of interior space. Focusing on domestic and hospitality interiors, the research explores how children interact with built-in furniture systems, storage elements and material surfaces at the scale of the body. While architectural discourse has increasingly recognised children as key users of space, the interior elements they engage with most directly—cabinetry, boards and joinery systems—have largely remained based on adult proportions and standardised dimensions.

The study adopts a historical-to-propositional approach, beginning with early modernist interiors such as the Haus am Horn, where furniture and architecture were first integrated into a unified system. It then examines post-war domestic interiors, where children’s rooms became established but cabinetry systems were standardised and often disconnected from children’s ergonomic and behavioural needs. Drawing on anthropometric data and spatial analysis, the research identifies a gap between architectural intention and the lived experience of children within interior environments.

The thesis extends this investigation into contemporary practice, including hospitality environments such as hotel play areas, where interiors are designed around behaviour, play and sensory engagement. These spaces demonstrate a shift toward more adaptive and child-centred design strategies, particularly in the use of modular joinery and material systems.

Through analytical and design drawings, including a reconstruction of the children’s room at Haus am Horn, the research examines cabinetry as a constructed system of boards, joints and material assemblies. This process informs a final design proposal that reinterprets domestic interiors through adaptable, ergonomic and child-centred joinery systems.

Ultimately, the thesis argues that cabinetry should be understood as a critical component of interior architecture, acting as the primary interface between the child’s body and the built environment. By rethinking joinery fabrication, material selection and spatial integration, interior architecture can better support children’s autonomy, development and interaction with space