My Romanian Store

my romanian store is a small shop, located behind the Romanian Athenaeum, in the heart of Bucharest. There, you will find beautiful decorative pieces, such as ceramics, wood carved objects, the Romanian Blouse (ie), painted eggs and carpets. Just like Bucharest itself, the shop also has an eclectic feel, a mix of modern and traditional.

The story behind the store

“We live in a moment in which traditional Romanian values are rediscovered and brought back into focus”, states Andreea Cremenescu, the founder of my romanian store. After years as a brand manager within the beauty industry, Andreea decided to join the few people who strive to keep the Romanian national identity alive. She didn’t have a plan from the beginning, but once she found out that the small space behind the Athenaeum was for sale, the now tangible ideas popped into her mind as if they had been there all along, but never said hello.

The story behind each story

My Romanian Store is not the typical “souvenir shop”. Its shelves are not overflowing, and once you look around, you can notice that every little object that is for sale has been carefully selected. And because, as Andreea says, the behind-the-scene of traditional Romanian art is so juicy,

“it is impossible not to desire to share the true value behind every piece: the story, the meaning and the artist.”

Andreea looks for the artists herself, and is excited to always find out their stories. This is why every object in the store comes together with a short story about where it comes from and who crafted it.

The story behind the look and feel

Once I entered the shop, I found myself in a beautifully designed micro-universe. I realised that everything has been designed to the smallest level of detail, from the heater, painted in traditional Romanian patterns, to the computer screen, which stays hidden behind a nicely designed engraved piece of wood. When I asked Andreea about the architect, Alexandru Gavrilescu and his vision, she told me that he developed the whole concept on the music of Maria Tanase, a singer who, herself, revived the Romanian culture through her music. Everything was built with a lot of heart and passion.

To conclude this article, I asked Andreea to tell me one thing that she would tell foreigners to invite them to Bucharest, and I liked her answer so much, that I had to share it here:

“In the first place I would tell them that:

“I have never met a tourist disappointed by Bucharest. This city, tormented by the communist history as it is, has such a lively pulse and a special charm that have to be experienced at least once in your life. And it has something more – its locals. All foreigners who come to my romanian store tell me that they are, above all, impressed by the people.”