New Design Gem in Belgrade: The GIR Store

A few days ago I blogged about the Belgian furniture brand Ethnicraft. In the text I spoke about part of their furniture being made in Serbia. And today I want to talk about the Serbian side. That is about the company GIR. GIR is a company that grew from a family business in the Serbian town of Kraljevo in 1993. Since 2001 the company is collaborating with the Belgian brand Ethnicraft. And today the company expanded their business and opened their first showroom in Belgrade: the GIR Store.

The new GIR Store in Belgrade is sheer design delight. It is the masterpiece of one of Serbia’s best architectural and design studios named ‘AUTORI’. The young architects have reimagined the interior by merging three spaces into one airy and sensuous showroom. The spacious store acts like an empty canvas putting the senses and the exhibited design into focus. Long, soft curtains serve as ambiental dividers while surprising details like a swing emphasize the dash of unexpected refinement which is intrinsic to good design. Moreover, large indoor plants invigorate the white space with a touch of nature. In a nutshell: This showroom is a visual retreat for every visitor.

The team of Studio AUTORI not only envisioned the space but they also custom made furniture for the showroom. These pieces were influenced by the details seen at the GIR factory where the furniture is actually being made. And the GIR Store is more than a showroom – not only the exposed furniture awaits to be discovered, but the entire space is a design story in itself. Carefully chosen materials, long debated hues of grey and white, tactile surprises are there to be seen, felt and experienced. The Belgrade-based architectural photographer Relja Ivanic perfectly managed to capture the essence of the space.

The GIR Store features design furniture from collaborating brands like Ethnicraft and Universo Positivo, Scandinavian design labels like Muuto and Ferm Living as well as young local design talents such as Miljana Nikolic (the ‘Catapult’ swing is by her) and Stevan Djurovic among others. According to GIR’s website we can also expect their own collection soon. Now if this is not yet another good reason to think of a trip to Belgrade, then I don’t know! In fact I would question your interest in design, got it? Just joking! 🙂

Photography by Relja Ivanic Architectural Photography