Rome record store Sounds Familiar is a place to ‘wile away and get lost’

Tucked into a tiny space in Rome’s Travestere neighbourhood, this record store uses its neon-tinted palette to draw passersby in.

Local practice STUDIOTAMAT designed the shop, transforming what was previously a garage into a brightly coloured listening room and performance space. The studio had to contend with a few challenges, not least the store’s limited amount of space – it has a footprint of just 40 sqm.

STUDIOTAMAT gave the walls a fresh coat of blue-grey paint and brought in a very 1970s-vibe purple carpet as well as a series of lobster-coloured furniture that can be rearranged to accommodate various displays and DJs. There’s seating for browsers that want to linger, including one of Faye Toogood’s Roly-Poly chairs – also in a vibrant, neon red.

The garage’s existing woodwormed beams have been hidden under a new ceiling, and additional storage space is concealed by a full-length curtain. Sounds Familiar – which belongs to the record label of the same name – stocks a wide range of vinyl, as well as clothes, magazines and accessories.

Owner Ornella Cicchetti says her hope is it becomes ‘a meeting place for those who share our love for music, for those who want to learn more and have time to wile away and get lost’.