East-meets-west style luxury furniture and accessories
Contemporary, fusion-style furniture Akar de Nissim is known for, as well as modern art and antiques, spruce up the understated shophouse space.
The Toise console, made of solid oak and featuring brass details, may be inspired by Eastern culture, but remains a versatile piece in any setting.
Featuring a lacquered wood frame and an inlaid buffalo horn surface, the shape of the Iris coffee table ($12,200) is both a circle and a square.
East-meets-west style luxury furniture and accessories
Vibrant Keong Saik Road is known for its plethora of hip restaurants and bars but, just a street away, you’ll find a stylish new furniture gallery. High-end furniture brand Akar de Nissim is housed in an 800sqf shophouse with concrete screed flooring and plain walls, which provides the perfect minimalist canvas to show off its modern oriental furnishings.
The furniture and decor are all designed with delicate proportions and clean lines, but with a twist in the form of shapes and silhouettes derived from traditional Chinese furniture. Materials the brand frequently relies on to create its beautiful, handcrafted pieces are solid European and American oak, brass and leather. However, unique and rare materials – such as obsidian and Ru ceramic – are also incorporated for specific collections. Standout pieces include the Confluence console that is made using copper threads, and the Iris table that has an inlaid buffalo horn surface and a glossy, lacquered finish. “Every piece has a story, and is made with special details and techniques,” says Richard le Sand, who founded the brand with his wife, Marianne Fabre le Sand.
The Frenchman started his career in Paris, and has a background in industrial design, while his wife provides a feminine touch to the relatively masculine designs, he says, smiling. The couple draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources – for example, the work of French artist Pierre Soulages, who is known for his black, textured artworks.
Everything is made by a French master craftsman in Vietnam, in the brand’s own workshop. Besides its own high-quality pieces, you can also get antiques, sourced worldwide, from Shang Antiques and modern art by Michel Cuie from Rodez, France. Pop by every few months, as the set-up of the shop will change, says Richard, in order to display the variety of pieces from various collections.
AKAR DE NISSIM IS AT 4 TECK LIM ROAD, TEL: 6221-6301.
