DOUBLE JOY A LIFESTYLE AND GARDEN CENTRE

Shop for plants as well as rugs, vases, and chairs made out of natural materials.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Shop for plants as well as rugs, vases, and chairs made out of natural materials.

My Reading Room

The spacious longhouse in which Double Joy is located used to home horses in the 1900s.

My Reading Room

Customers can choose from plants and gardening materials from Indonesia, Malaysia and the UK. Double Joy also has Murakami Nishikigoi koi, a championship breed from Japan.

My Reading Room

Many of the products have interesting origins, such as table lamps made from water jars in Vietnam, and stone birds which are carved out of river stones by hand.

My Reading Room

The cafe features a halal menu, and its indoor and outdoor seating can hold about 20 people.

My Reading Room

Besides the extensive range of candles and reed diffusers by Sohum, the store also has accessories and even jars of lavender honey from Australia.

Known for its long stretch of pubs and eateries, East Coast Road is always bustling with activity. At the quieter intersection, however, is a boutique where you can unwind as well as do some shopping. Double Joy A Lifestyle And Garden Centre comprises a furniture and decor store, a quaint cafe that sells freshly baked pastries, a garden nursery, and a floral studio.

The boutique is run by husband-and-wife team Tinah and Desmond Leong. The former is a florist and interior design enthusiast who has worked with John Erdos Home and Liaigre, while the latter is founder of Mandala Landscapes. Tinah’s selection of relaxed, beach-inspired furniture – mostly made out of natural materials like wood, pandan, seagrass and bamboo – and Desmond’s array of plants and flowers create a restful atmosphere. After spending some time here, you’ll be inspired to recreate the environment at home, too.

“We bring in non-mass-produced items we have sourced during our travels, including those by European designers in Indonesia. From them are products like the wooden daybed and burnt wooden stools, and from Vietnam, the fish-trap hanging lamps. There are vases and trays from Australia as well,” says Tinah.

The store smells wonderful, thanks to the eco wood wick candles by Australian bath, body and fragrance label Sohum. One of the scents, Cotton Flower, has notes of white lily, pink pepper and carnation. As for the lush greenery, step outside to experience it. “Mandala Landscapes is branching out from commercial projects into retail. We sell gardening supplies, fertilisers, and plants and flowers like agave, globe amaranth and marigold. I even use some of them for my TinahL floral arrangements,” says Tinah.

Double Joy is located at 1A Kuo Chuan Avenue, tel: 6344-0443.

Text ELIZA HAMIZAH Photography DARREN CHANG Art direction KAFFY TAN