SHOPS OLD AND NEW

Furniture stores may come and go, but some have become cherished landmarks for local homeowners. Here are five that have remained favourite shopping destinations over the last three decades, and a younger bunch that we hope will be able to weather changing trends and the test of time.

Shops with History

LIM’S LEGACY

Once known as Lim’s Arts & Living, the 59-year-old store was recently rebranded to mark its handover to the next generation in the Lim family. The store is known for its selection of handcrafted artisanal products, such as ceramic elephants, lacquerware and figurines from Thailand, Nepal and Indonesia, which it sources first-hand from village craftsmen and makers. Lim’s Legacy operates four stores, at Marina Square, Holland Road Shopping Centre, Leisure Park Kallang and OneKM mall.

IKEA

An all-time favourite among furniture shoppers, Ikea’s first store here opened at Sixth Avenue in July 1978. Its signature items include the versatile Poang armchair, Lack sidetable and, last but not least, its much-loved Swedish meatballs.

HOCK SIONG & CO.

It started out as a karung guni “recycling” business, buying used newspapers from hotels in the 1970s, and branched out into furniture in 1998. Today, Hock Siong has made a name for itself with lovingly refurbished and upcycled secondhand goods for use in modern homes. It also has a strong social media following, with over 17,000 followers on Instagram, and 42,000 Facebook followers.

W.ATELIER

W.Atelier started in 1980 distributing Toto sanitaryware. Today, the store has expanded into a multi-brand retailer of home furnishings and kitchenware, carrying established European brands like Fritz Hansen and Zanotta. The retailer’s expansive showrooms allow customers to experience its products, and participate in workshops for an immersive experience.

SCANTEAK

Did you know that before local furniture brand Scanteak came to be thusly named, it was called Hawaii Interior Decoration? The 44-year-old brand is now a household name known for sustainable teak wood furniture.

P5

The past couple of months have been rather exciting for the nine-year-old local luxury retailer. Not only did it open the flagship store of Italian furniture company Molteni & C late last year, it also opened P5 Studio in March, a showroom housing international brands such as Sancal from Spain, and Shanghai-based Stellar Works.

JOURNEY EAST

Tan Boon Liat is home to many a furniture store, but one we keep coming back to is Journey East. The 23-year-old store with a famous feline resident is known to carry pieces with character, like its reclaimed teak wood furniture and popular vintage collection.

ETHNICRAFT ONLINE

The Belgian-based brand Ethnicraft made its foray into Singapore in 2012 via its first online store. Central to the brand is its use of high quality solid teak and oak that are from sustainably managed plantations. Though marketed as an online outfit, the brand understands that customers may want to experience the products in person, which they can do at its two showrooms.

GRAFUNKT

Started by one of Singapore’s most wellknown furniture designers Nathan Yong, and his business partner, Jefery Kurniadidjaja, multi-label retailer Grafunkt has brought in the likes of Vitra, Hay and Ligne Roset, without us having to fly miles to get them. Fans of Nathan’s work will also be able to get their hands on his designs in-store.

COMMUNE

Established in 2011, Commune is a modern brand with a family history in furniture manufacturing. Set up by brothers Julian and Joshua Koh, and their cousin Gan Shee Wen, the brand has its own inhouse design team that is sensitive to international trends such as ModernIndustrial and Mid-Century Modern. They are also ecoconscious, using costlier but high quality raw materials from sustainable forests, and non-toxic finishes.

text Isabelle Tow