Inspired by French and Italian design, Boloni is a rich person's Ikea. Cleverly marketed as 'the lifestyle museum', this post minimalist store houses interior designs based around Classical, Roman and Modern concepts. The store prides itself on being a leader of non-conventional design in China, aptly symbolized by the tree (not real unfortunately) growing from the roof.

[Photo by smartshanghai.com]

Upon approaching the store you would think it's still under construction, but make your way up the horse head lined staircase and inside it's evident that everything is polished to perfection. Sharing its premises with other retailers, Boloni occupies the entire 8000 square metres of the second floor. And it's a space that has been artistically managed to be deceivingly minimalist.

Walking through the store is a creative journey through seven major design concepts, starting at the show home inspired by the Audrey Hepburn movie Roman Holiday. Being ushered into a side door and asked to wear plastic lining bags over our shoes, we found ourselves standing on luxury carpet in a corridor of closed doors. I opened one cautiously, half expecting to be transported to another dimension in my ultra tacky space shoes, to find a very stylish lounge area (needless to say I felt underdressed). Every door led to a classical design layout that was reminiscent of 1950's romanticism.

[Photo by smartshanghai.com]

Having disposed of the plastic shoe covers, we were free to browse through the Art Deco, Nomad and Ethnic, Freedom, Feminine Consciousness and Fusion sections: each one as non-conventional as the last. You can pick up a sofa huge enough to fit at least 10 people, 20 if your as ambitious as me, for the rocket price of 70,000rmb (often snapped up by frequenting millionaires). But if this is too expensive for your taste then a mid range sofa comes in at around 20,000rmb.

If you just want to browse for inspirational purposes I wouldn't blame you, but trust me, you will leave wanting to redecorate your entire apartment. Boloni stock everything you could possibly need when planning a refurbishment, from the fundamentally basic kitchen sink to the finer finishing touches.

Already a success in Beijing, Boloni have another 10 stores planned for the Shanghai market. I don't know if they're worthy of the title 'lifestyle museum' just yet, but if anyone can get away with it then Boloni can. But I'm still wondering how they go about asking their millionaire clientele to wear those plastic covers for their shoes.