We have worked in retail throughout many years. The fabric, the manufacturing, the raw materials used including the store’s decor and style; these are all aspects of the textile industry that we honor and cultivate.
It was with great pleasure that we set up the multi-label boutique, BUNKHA, in the center of Madrid. The concept for the store was to bring together labels for both men and women from northern Europe and the U.S. We centered our business on working with delicate, well-made garments from recognizable labels and labels belonging to upcoming designers. The attention to detail, design and quality is a distinguishing characteristic of the store.
We started out in a location which had previously been a clothing store. The structure of the store along with its design, storage space, and window displays had been well thought out. Nevertheless, all of the furniture and upholstery needed to be replaced.
The initial concept was to create a shopping haven that reflected a calm, organic and pleasant atmosphere. It was a nod to English style and their gardens.
We began by removing the existing carpet and replacing it with hard wood flooring brought directly from northern Spain. Our objective was to make the space more attractive and inviting for our customers. A solid, well made wooden floor is always a distinctive option for business and residential spaces. In this case, we were working with a rectangular space measuring 65 m2 with raised ceilings and we created a cozy feel while simultaneously amplifying the visual field.
We opted for large, wall size size mirrors. Having placed the mirrors on the entire wall, without a baseboard, gives the illusion of a vast and open space. The optical effect is impressive as we saw how the store became much bigger, luminous and spacious. We placed a large mirror on the ground floor for our male clientele and another one on the upper floor for our female clientele.
The curtains in the fitting rooms were made with black velvet. The clothes hangers were made with black wrought iron in the shape of tree branches which added an elegant and modern flair. The artificial grass carpet successfully achieved the ‘garden’ effect once it connected with the painted panels on the bottom of the walls.
We used two sheets of paper that were painted in delicate, yet rich in detail, organic motifs. Painted wallpaper, when used appropriately, can dress any space. For the main entrance, we chose a light pink motif with beautiful flower bouquets. For the central area, we chose a pistachio green color with birds and trees painted on the paper which added a dynamic and colorful feel to the store.
The lighting was set up indirectly from behind the garments as well as from the center. Most of the store furniture was custom made from solid wood and we built a clothes hanger from oxidized wrought iron that matched it perfectly.
We removed the doors from a built-in wardrobe that had been built with plasterboard. The wardrobe was designed for employee storage space but its convenient location near the display window changed that. We placed painted wallpaper where the doors used to be and created a brand new display for accessories.
In the hallway we designed a great patchwork of pictures from different time periods, also in different sizes and formats which created a colorful ambience. Although the pictures were meant to be decorative, many have shown interest in purchasing them.
Years later, the store was due for an aesthetic update. Fashion changes rapidly, as does the retail business in the textile sector. We perfected the concept of the store, reformatted brands and from that point on, the desire to update the decor became imminent.
The wallpaper with organic motifs was replaced by British designer Vivienne Westwood’s iconic wallpaper designs. The patchwork was substituted by added display space. The entrance facade and door were painted in emerald green and we replaced the lighting in the central area with a more contemporary and sustainable system. With few but very key elements, we were able to recondition the store.
It’s always interesting to go back and revisit a project for a second time. It is a unique opportunity to evolve through time within your own design and it has given us immense pleasure to be part of this process for the past ten years with Bunkha.