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The mention of Somme road may draw many blank stares since it's a relatively small street hidden away from the main road leading from Lavender towards Jalan Besar.
Turn the corner towards the junction where Petain road and Kitchener Link meet, and you'll see Somme road right next to a large playground. In the past, Somme road was filled with rows of colonial Peranakan houses as well as shophouses owned by hardware stores and furniture makers. While you can still find a row of beautifully conserved Peranakan houses along the road, much of the area has been gentrified.
Look around and you'll see several quaint (and hipster) cafes along the ground floor of the apartment developments. Walk down the development called Le Somme and that's where you'll stumble onto an amazing find - a store with superbly curated goods for anyone who appreciates good craftsmanship and living life with a touch of refinement.
The Emporium of Modern Man
The storefront looks inviting and warm, thanks to the row of plants. The store also has a resident cat, which greeted us on the day of our visit.
Large low tables fill the front of the store, with an assortment of interesting items laid out. Take time to wander around and you're sure to find wonderful curios, such as these handmade Japanese candles and desk knife.
The walls of the shop are also filled with shelves featuring artisanal products, such as these ceramic bowls and Japanese craft scissors. Special mention goes to the crane-shaped scissors!
True intellectuals and literary enthusiasts will appreciate the diverse collection of specially crafted stationery available. This ranges from fountain pens to fountain pen inks from France, art pencils from cult label Ouur and handmade Japanese notebooks.
Aside from prized finds for the desk and office, EOMM also has ranges of grooming and home fragrance goods, all sourced from other continents. Fancy having soaps that look like real gems in your powder room? EOMM has them too!
You're probably wondering about the minds behind this concept store. EOMM is actually the brainchild of partners Lip (above), Winnie and Damien. The three friends come from different creative industries (Lip is an Art lecturer while Winnie used to specialise in landscape architecture), but all three were brought together by their love of artisanal products that are still being produced overseas.
Every item in the store was sourced by the team, who deals directly with the brand principals or craftspeople in order to bring the products in. Because of the artisanal nature of the finds, each design is also available in limited numbers, with no definite restocking schedule.
However, according to Lip, plans are in the the pipeline for the concept store to go big with an additional outlet to its flagship in the heart of the shopping district. So before that happens, be sure to check out the original EOMM at 60 Somme road so you can attain some brag value of telling everyone you already knew of EOMM before they expanded. If you're rushing to do your Christmas shopping, check them out online at http://shop.eomm.co/.
For more interesting finds:
Looking for a concept store with great furniture? Visit Homestolife!
How about handmade candles from local candlemakers?