Furnish your home with flair part 2: New Furniture, the best of the best

PUBLISHED September 20th, 2013 02:25 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:57 pm

So last week we did vintage, but if you prefer your furniture new, without the imprint of its predecessors’ bums then here’s our round up of the best stores to get your brand-spanking new furniture in Singapore. We’ve omitted some of the more obvious choices, instead, focusing on those more unique finds …because let’s face it, if someone can walk in to your home and identify the name and catalogue number of every item in your living room, you’re boring (Yes… WE JUST SAID THAT!!!).

Fred Lives Here

If you’re dreaming of an Eames chair or some other utterly desirable but extortionately expensive modern classic and you just can’t afford the $30,000 price tag, check out Fred Lives Here. Unlike other stores that do reproductions in a slapdash- ‘oh it just looks a bit like it, but the quality is rubbish’- way, Fred Lives Here goes to great lengths to ensure that their reproductions are as close to the real thing in every aspect, except the price tag – so you get all the style but without the spender’s guilt. They also have a great collection of jazzed up pieces from local designers, who have graffed-up, studded and painted existing pieces to give you a truly one of a kind piece of functional art for your home. Fred also has show-stopping furniture and lifestyle pieces from totally unique designers, often exclusive to Singapore…all of which when put together makes for quite the collection. Oooooh that Fred!

Fred Lives Here is on the move with a new store opening in a matter of weeks in Orchard Central. In the meantime you can check out their collection on their website here and their FB here.

White House Living

Literally furniture porn. White House Living is an extension of A Thousand Tales’ home furnishing… y’know that awesome furniture shop/bar/cafe on Haji Lane. If, like us, you’ve pressed your nose up against the glass ogling the beautiful furniture, you’ll be pleased to know that last year they opened a larger gallery on Mohamed Sultan, showcasing many, many beautiful things. The aesthetic is mid-century Scandinavian-inspired (which is so fashionable at the moment and yet so timelessly chic, well done those Scandinavians!) complimented by original designs and colourful and interesting knick-knacks. Not by any means cheap, but beauty comes at a cost right?

White House Living is located at 17 Mohamed Sultan Road, 238966. Opening hours are Monday to Sunday 11am – 8pm. They are currently working on their website, so check out their FB page here.

Pomelo Home

Pomelo Home is located at 10-04 Tan Boon Liat Building, 315 Outram Road, 169074. Opening hours are Tuesday – Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday -Sunday 11am – 4pm, closed on public holidays. For more information, see here.

Commune

Good grief! Everything is so sexy! Offering sleek, minimal and well-designed furniture, Commune’s contemporary, minimalist aesthetic is far from stark, because everything is rich, chocolatey, tactile wood. And have no fear, your conscience can be calmed by the knowledge that all the wood is sourced from responsibly harvested trees from sustainable sources around South East Asia. Although this furniture store is only little, it packs a serious design punch with quirky home accessories by international designers, and they commission local artists to create paintings and works to perfectly complement their wood furniture.

Commune is located at 9 Raffles Boulevard, 02-52, 039596. Opening hours are Monday – Sunday: 11am – 9pm. For more information, see their FB page here.

Grafunkt

Just darn, darn funky, Grafunkt is the passion project of Jefery Kurniadidjaja and Nathan Yong (Ex–founder of Air Division & recipient of Singapore President’s Design Award, Designer of the Year 2008) and these guys have an amazing aesthetic. Grafunkt is stocked with playful contemporary designs that combine creativity, functionality and quality and you get the impression these guys just pick stuff they like…which is great because they have fantastic taste! Their belief that life is better appreciated when one is surrounded with well thought objects that serve well with their functionality, inspire with their beauty and dazzle with their creativity, is one we appreciate. As well as stocking international designers they also produce products through their own label GFNKT, partnering closely with local designers.

Grafunkt Flagship Store is located at  85 Playfair Road, #02-01 Tong Yuan Industrial Building, 368000. Opening Hours: Daily 12pm – 6pm. For more information, check out their website here

CB2

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. Chic and affordable, the furniture pieces are sized to more compact measurements offering innovative design solutions perfect for the compact Singapore home. What we love is the anti-beige policy! (we’re not sure it’s an official company policy but!). Walking in to CB2 it’s a riot of colour and this makes us happy.

CB2 is located at 178A Orchard Road, Peranakan Place Complex, 238845, Tel. 6732 5333. Open daily 10am – 9pm. Parking available at Centrepoint, Orchard Central, or Emerald Hill (limited coupon parking). Take a look at their website here.

Taylor B

Not so much a store as an emporium, Taylor B is a whopping 3 floors of chic furniture and accessories based in Keppel Road. A bit tricky to find, make your way up in the industrial lift, trek down the service corridor and prepare to be rewarded and amazed as you step into the lofty showroom packed with desirables. Their stock is always changing so no two visits are ever the same and there’s no one style. They stock for all tastes and budgets! Known for great value, you’ll be blown away by the sheer range and volume of goods, the hugely informed and helpful staff and the fun you can have searching for that perfect piece!

Taylor B has 2 showrooms, one at 43 and one at 1557 Keppel Road with a free shuttle to take you between the two. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 11am – 6pm. Sunday 1pm – 6pm. For more information call 6225 7090 or check out their website here.

Journey East

If you appreciate the cosy warmth of wooden furniture, Journey East’s furniture collections span a variety of styles but all showcase beautiful natural wood chosen from partners who demonstrate fair trade practices and endeavour to reduce their carbon footprint through eco-friendly practices. There’s Vintage – original refurbished teak pieces from the 1920s-1960s as well as Art-Deco, Retro and Colonial furniture, all of which are curated and restored by hand; d-Bodhi– contemporary design, borne from recycled materials (e.g. reclaimed teak, refurbished galvanized iron pipes); and Eco- chic – clean modern lines and a homage to natural symmetry, accentuating simplicity and environmental friendliness. Expect exceptionally high-quality finishes and beautiful pieces to last.

Journey East is located at 315 Outram Road, #03-02, Tan Boon Liat Building, 169074. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday: 11am – 6pm. Sunday & Public Holidays: 11.30am – 6pm. Take a look at their website here.

Korla Home

We couldn’t do a round up of our favourite homeware stores without mentioning Korla Home. Ok ok so it’s not furniture but once you’ve got the basics, it’s all about the soft furnishings and pops of colour right? Korla Home are our favourites, hands down. Before we discovered these guys, we actually made our own cushions on our own little sewing machine, because we couldn’t find anything that wasn’t sequinned, satin, velvety, or shaped in a heart- seriously? Yuck. Korla Home’s fabrics are made from natural cotton, have fabulous patterns and vibrant colours. They make bespoke curtains, blinds, cushions and lampshades all guaranteed to brighten up your life.

Korla Home is online here.

Written by Heh Zee

Header image courtesy of Fred Lives Here