September 17, 2026 – March 21, 2027
10 PLN / 8 PLN, Thursday 1 PLN

Praga interiors

An exhibition about historical details worth preserving.

What do the façades of tenement houses conceal?
What kinds of flats do the adorned staircases lead us to?
When do premises retain their authentic character?

It is the elements of interior design that are of vital importance: permanent features that were both functional and decorative. Panel parquet and marquetry flooring, ceiling medallions and crown moulding, ceramic and cement tiles, woodwork, metal fittings, and even tiled stoves were designed drawing on the palace aesthetics. The patterns corresponded with the fashions of particular decades – from eclecticism and Baroque Revival to Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and early modernism. Many of them have survived to this day and can co-weave the story of Warsaw’s heritage and deepen our knowledge of old crafts and construction technologies. They can also be renovated so that they continue to fulfil their role in their original locations. 

Let’s take a closer look at these details, often unnoticed, at times considered outdated or anachronistic. They are presented in four thematic sections of the exhibition: Rescued, Remodelled, Renovated, and (Re)Inhabited. This is a view from a contemporary perspective, a record of recent years and, at the same time, the result of research conducted by the exhibition curator Katarzyna Chudyńska-Szuchnik in pre-war residential units, as well as studies on the history of Praga’s craft workshops and businesses.  

The exhibition is accompanied by an album dedicated to panels from the collection of Bednarczyk Wood Flooring Manufactory.

Curator: Katarzyna Chudyńska-Szuchnik

Exhibition Design: Anna Sarnowska

Producers: Aleksandra Złotowska, Marta Galewska

Graphic Design for the Exhibition: Anna Sarnowska, Daniel Szwed

Poster and Visual Identity Design: Joanna Bębenek

Typographic System for Warsaw Museum Exhibitions: Anna Światłowska

Exhibition Video: Marcin Liminowicz, Pola Salicka

Photographs: Krzysztof Gajewski, Tomasz Kaczor

Language Editing and Proofreading: Katarzyna Głowińska, Anna Sośnicka (Lingventa)

Translation into English: Aleksandra Szymczyk

Conservation supervision: Piotr Kaczkiełło, Janusz Mróz, Igor Nowak, Karolina Nowicka, Piotr Popławski, Katarzyna Szymczuk, Adam Wrzosek

Digitization coordination: Mikołaj Kalina

Digitization: Adrian Czechowski, Anna Sulej

Post-production: Eliza Kowalska-Małek

Preparation of images for print: Daniel Szwed

External loans: Janusz Kurczak

Internal loans: Marta Kuźmińska, Tomasz Lewandowski, Małgorzata Oliwińska, Dorota Parszewska, Zuzanna Sieroszewska-Rolewicz, Filip Żelewski

Layout and Technical Production: Piotr Lipiński (coordination), Michał Bogumił, Zofia Cur, Ksenia Góreczna, Paweł Grochowalski, Artur Miniewicz, Katarzyna Radecka, Tomasz Raubo, Leszek Sokołowski, Mariusz Stawski, Robert Stupnicki, Filip Wielechowski-Olszak, Adam Wrzosek

IKG/Aleksander Sieklicki

D-POS Bartłomiej Jakóbowski

Accompanying program: Katarzyna Chudyńska-Szuchnik, Małgorzata Czekajło

Educational program for the exhibition: Aleksandra Karkowska-Rogińska, Małgorzata Kędzierzawska

Communications: Anna Dobrowolska-Balcerzak, Anna Ładna, Nela Sobieszczańska-Siawrys, Milena Soporowska, Maria Alicja Włodarska

Marketing: Karina Dąbska, Agata Fronczyk

Subject Matter Consultation: Grzegorz Boczkowski, Katarzyna Komar-Michalczyk, Prof. Jacek Martusewicz, Tomasz Strobel, Jacek Turant, Office of the Capital City Conservator of Monuments

Institutions and Individuals Lending Collections: Archiwum Zakładowe Wojewódzkiego Urzędu Ochrony Zabytków w Warszawie, Biuro Stołecznego Konserwatora Zabytków, Dekorum Tomasz Strobel, Galeria Antyków Stara Praga Filip Stanowski, Jarosław Gawina, Katarzyna Komar-Michalczyk i Zbigniew Michalczyk, Manufaktura Ceramiczna Fougasse CER-TECH PLUS, Maria Piradoff-Link z Mini Muzeum Bankowiec, Muzeum Regionalne w Opocznie, Piotr Stryczyński, Anna Szwałkiewicz, Jacek Turant oraz Better Home Interior Design, Zakład Gospodarowania Nieruchomościami Praga-Północ

Special thanks to Zakład Gospodarowania Nieruchomościami Praga-Północ and Zakład Gospodarowania Nieruchomościami Praga-Południe for enabling the curator to conduct research in historic apartments.