“Eclectic minimalism.” That’s how Romanian architect Bogdan Ciocodeica describes his firm’s style. And in projects big and small, from residences to pop-ups, he has displayed a deft ability to bring sleek and modern elements together with ornate features.

At Aparterre, a clothing shop in Bucharest, this sensibility is applied in a Memphis-imbued interior. Ciocodeica used the ALPI Sottsass collection of veneers to clad multiple surfaces; made in bold hues of red, orange, brown and grey, the finish celebrates the amplified wood-grain aesthetic familiar to lovers of the 1980s Italian design movement and adherents of its leader, the iconic Ettore Sottsass.

“Much as in that design movement,” the firm explains, “Aparterre is a place of exploration, a world of textures and shapes designed to create an entire universe, born as a reaction against the status quo of the rigid and overly pretentious approach of most high end fashion stores.”

For the vertical surfaces, like the wall panels and the baroque-style mirrors, Ciocodeica used ALPI Sottsass Orange. The benches and the bases of the clothing stands are clad in ALPI Sottsass Red, while the centrally positioned display platforms are covered in ALPI Sottsass Grey.

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Together, the coverings form an energetic tapestry that is counterbalanced by monochromatic surfaces in soft tones — including the blush-pink velvet alls and curtains, the chevron-pattern warm oak flooring, and the burnt-sienna accent rugs. The firm also brought their own motifs into play, creating bold life-sized horse reliefs that are silhouetted against some walls, and working in furniture accents with floral upholstery to give the space an added sense of grandeur — and homeyness.

“Aparterre was envisioned more as a private residence,” the designers explain. In fact, it is situated on the ground floor of an apartment building and has access to a private garden at the rear, accessed through massive sliding glass windows. “The doors wide open for the fashion enthusiasts and the design lovers: its a space where you feel at home surrounded by beautiful apparel, special objects and a myriad of colours and textures.”