PUBLISHED March 22nd, 2013 01:44 am | UPDATED July 23rd, 2024 12:54 am
Recently Crate and Barrel – a big US interiors export, arrived in Singapore to huge fanfare and accolade. Being a Brit, not at all familiar with the brand, I was expecting to be blown away the way people were talking about it, I mean, folk were going crrrrrazy for it. But after visiting the store, can I be honest?…it’s lovely but good grief, why so beige?! I do like the finer things, but can I also have a little pizazz please?
Thankfully, while Crate & Barrel were setting up shop so was CB2, it’s younger, cooler and more colourful sister who sashayed past Ion and exploded in a riot of colour at Peranakan Place. While Crate & Barrel is known for its chic, high-quality products targeted at home owners looking for furniture with clean, elegant lines. CB2’s appeal lies in its modern, minimalist yet totally vibrant style that will speak to a younger crowd, such as first-time home owners and students. To put it bluntly, Ikea has a competitor and she’s hipper and trendier.
From the outside, CB2 is a little confusing. It’s discreet and totally unassuming, just a small shop entrance with a large glass lift. But hop in, glide up a floor, step out the other side and you find something you really weren’t expecting! A huge, light, loft-like space with concrete floors and traditional old windows, filled with many many things you’re going to want.
This store is the first out of North America (good call CB2!) and really, it’s perfect for Singapore, because CB2 is all about modern living in small spaces. Even the large furniture pieces are sized to more compact measurements rather than the sprawling sofas we so often see in furniture stores and wonder, really? who has space for that! CB2 are offering innovative design solutions perfect for the compact Singapore home AND they look fab!
They’ve got everything covered from key furniture pieces, to charming room accessories. Kitchenware, textiles, lighting, bed/bath, storage, dining, all in bright hues, textured fabrics, exciting colour options and a little bit of ooomph, youth and personality. For me, it’s a one-stop shop for the urban dweller who wants a chic apartment, but doesn’t want his or her visitors to know the exact name and catalogue number of every item in their home!
For the longest time, Ikea has taken up such a huge proportion of the market for cheap, cheerful furniture, because of its accesible prices and mass appeal. But I’m thinking that CB2 may just rock the boat a little. So how do the prices compare?
Overall, CB2 is a little pricier but, not hugely and what you get for that extra here and there makes the difference between looking so so, or like quality, designer pieces. You can expect glassware to start at about $4, cushions at $50, the knitted poufs were exceptionally well priced at $200 when I know that most retailers sell them for at least double that. And this chubby little owl who hitched a ride with me back to my apartment, was $18.
While we don’t usually feature big chains here on City Nomads, I think CB2 absolutely deserves a mention. Firstly because it really doesn’t feel like a big chain! It feels like a cool, new warehouse store that I stumbled upon and only realised afterwards just how big the company was when I Googled it! Secondly, of course in an ideal world we would all have unique one-of-a-kind pieces sourced from far off places, lovingly restored and screamingly cool, but in reality what we need is comfort and style, preferably at great prices to make our place feel like a home. And lastly because if I see one more paper lantern light and KLIPPAN sofa combo, I may scream!
Whether you’re looking for a total interiors overhaul or just some charismatic accessories to add a little flair, I’d recommend a visit to CB2. They’ve got style …and crucially, the staff are lovely, knowledgeable and happy to help! Home improvements just had an extreme makeover!
Written by Heh Zee