Your go-to places for design inspiration
Written by Kalina Penkova, edited by Tamar Weisert, photo by Kristin Wilson (Unsplash).
Now that we’re spending more time at home than ever, creating an inspiring living space is even more important for our well-being. Here’s a list of different shops in Sofia and Bulgaria to help you furnish and decorate your home to reflect your style and needs.
The essentials
These are the mainstream places where you can find everything you need. You can shop online as well as in-store.
IKEA is probably one of the most famous furniture retailers and offers modern and simple designs. IKEA’s main branch is in Sofia, and they have online delivery centers in Varna, Burgas, and Plovdiv. Their services include delivery, furniture assembly, kitchen sizing, and installation.
COMO is a furniture hypermarket located in Sofia. They offer furniture delivery and kitchen installation services. Their website is also available in English.
Aiko and Domko are Bulgarian furniture stores that you can find in most major towns. They offer delivery, assembly, old furniture removal, kitchen measurement, and curtain sewing. Their websites have English versions as well.
vivre.bg is one of the biggest online furniture stores in Central and Eastern Europe. There you can find a huge array of furniture, decorative pieces, kitchen and bathroom equipment, and even clothes and cosmetics.
JYSK is another affordable Scandinavian-style store. They offer small furniture, decorative pieces, and accessories. JYSK has many locations in Sofia and all over Bulgaria.
Pirinski bor is a Sofia-based store that produces solid wood furniture. It has locations in Mladost 1A, Mladost 3, and Knyazhevo.
Mr. Bricolage and Praktiker are home improvement stores with locations all over Bulgaria. There you can find hardware goods, building and flooring materials, paints, lighting, and heating solutions.
Local designers
Whether you’ve lived in Sofia for a while or are still planning to make the move there, you’ve probably found that it’s a major design and creativity hub. There are lots of unique little shops scattered around (and outside of) Sofia center, which can help give your home a more personal touch.
Gifted (located at 24 Ivan Denkgolu Str.) is an urban space dedicated to local artists, collectives, and brands. Their mission is to present Sofia as well as Bulgaria in an innovative and creative way. The store combines an art gallery and a gift shop. Gifted brings together the old and the new by offering a contemporary spin on Bulgarian history.
SKLADA showroom, located at 10 Tsar Kaloyan street in Sofia, showcases a selection of edgy, quirky, and elegant furniture in a creative and authentic atmosphere. You can find information about objects and services, and advice on your project from their creative team.
In their design shop at 8 Tsar Ivan Shishman Str., N8 by SKLADA, you will discover smaller design objects like accessories, textiles, and toys.
Ourhood creates handcrafted furniture and accessories from high-quality wood. Yana and Lubo value beauty and emotion in their craftsmanship and believe that our working atmosphere influences our levels of inspiration, comfort, and motivation. You can check out their designs on Etsy.
Sofia Design District is a place where international design is collected with passion and a focus on quality and functionality. There you will find furniture, decorative items, lighting, and accessories from internationally well-known designers. Their showroom is located on Bul. Simeonovsko Shose 91 in Sofia.
If you’d like to learn more about Bulgarian design, take a look at MELBA, a dynamic bilingual curated online archive of contemporary Bulgarian design.
Tochka & Tochka design and manufacture items for the table and interior - lamps, mirrors, interior accents, vessels, objects, and jewelry, working mainly with porcelain. Their designs focus on contemporary and minimalist forms with pure silhouettes. You can find their designs at several galleries in Sofia and Burgas or order directly via contacting them on their website or Facebook page.
Bulgarian traditions
If you would like to add a more authentic, local flair to your home, you can incorporate some typical Bulgarian elements into your decorations.
The traditional Bulgarian home is cozy and inviting, centered around the dining table. It includes natural materials like wood, stone and clay, and a big fireplace. To feel that atmosphere for yourself in Sofia, you can visit a traditional Bulgarian restaurant.
Some classic decor elements include Troyan clay pottery, tablecloths with traditional regional embroidery, Rhodope wool blankets, kilim rugs, wooden figurines, copper objects. These are best found in souvenir shops when traveling in Bulgaria, and it’s a great way to support local artists.
Blaiv and Rodopska Takan are traditional textile stores based in Sevlievo and Smolyan, respectively. You can order traditional blankets, bedspreads, and tablecloths online.
Wondering what to do with all your time at your cozy home? We’ve covered how to make the best out of your quarantine.
