(Blogpost updated Jan 2016)
Located between Outram and Zion Road is one of our favourite one-stop places for furniture shopping. Don’t be fooled by the worn warehouse façade and "old school" open-air car park of the Tan Boon Liat Building, for its shops inside are brimming with life. We take you through the storeys of this old enclave and present you a list of must-visit shops.
FairPrice Antique
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Image: Fairprice Antiques
Visit FairPrice Antiques for authentic antiques acquired from a sole supplier from China, as well as, unique reproductions like Buddha statue replicas. Owner Helle Espersen handpicks each piece and guarantees its authenticity. We have fallen for the intricate oriental details in their old window panels, medicine cabinets, and chests that you can hardly find on modern furniture.
Arete Culture
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Image: Affluent
Arete Culture is best known for their wide range of soft furnishings – all at affordable prices. There, you can find original artworks, carpets, silk duvets and more from brands such as Linen & Moore and Cochine. Besides carrying a bright and wide collection of cheery-coloured home pieces, Arete Culture also offers styling services for the home!
Journey East
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Image: Journey East
A playful sign the Journey East showroom reads, “I can resist everything but vintage”, and the shop’s collections are testament of that. Their vintage-inspired, reclaimed and restored furniture includes industrial pieces from District Eight Design, made of hardwood and cast iron from factories in Vietnam. Other collections are d-Bodhi, featuring sleek dining sets and shelves handcrafted from recycled teak wood, and an outdoor furniture range from Mamagreen.
Deer Industries
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Image: Deer Industries
Spruce your child's bedroom up with some chic children furniture from Deer Industries! The 2,600sqf store carries a range of modern European kids lifestyle brands that cater to newborns up till teenagers. Their cribs, bedroom accessories and decor pieces are perfect for a minimal yet trendy addition to any room.
Mountain Teak
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Image: Mountain Teak
If you fancy wooden furniture and love the raw look of its grain, then Mountain Teak is the shop for you. Carrying a collection of teak furniture brands from Europe, their goods range from bed frames to moveable mini bars. You can find classic, Danish-design inspired pieces from their Vintage collection, or go for the industrial-chic look with storage units from Atelier K.
The Shophouse
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Image: The Shophouse
The best term to describe the goods at The Shophouse would be: eclectic. From modern-style fabric sofas, to unique glass table lamps and traditional Chinese kitchenware, the shop offers a wide range to meet your individual design needs.
Read more about The Shophouse and see more of their products in our blog entry.
Singapore Trading Post
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Image: Singapore Trading Post
Singapore Trading Post is the place to be if you're a massive vintage collector. Housing items sourced from India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar, the space is an eclectic mix of furniture and decorative accents for the home. The pieces you'll see here are representative of the colonial era, and will definitely be unique additions for your living space.
Artful House
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Take a break from your run-of-the-mill modern furniture shops and visit Artful House. The shop carries restored hardwood furniture from the colonial era, sourced from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India. If old, colonial pieces are not your style, you’ll appreciate their contemporary home accessories that feature elegant classical motifs. Take for example their simple dining plates with a lovely depiction of a crane.
Read more about the unique individual pieces at Artful House in our blog entry.
Knocknock
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Image: Knocknock
Do you ever knock on wood to prevent bad luck? Such was the concept behind Knocknock's name. The store houses both factory-made and customised teak furniture. Most of the wood used in making the pieces on sale are sourced from Indonesia. Everything in the store is easy on the pocket (with prices starting from $500 for a side table, to $5,000 for a dining table), but doesn't compromise on durability and looks.
Make Room
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Image: Make Room
When dropping by Make Room, do not miss out on their own line of home accessories – a colourful collection of poufs, cushions, baskets and more. The irresistibly plush pieces are hand woven by owner Barbara Fritschy herself. The shop also houses Danish brands Nordal and Madam Stoltz, with pieces ranging from full-sized cabinets to ladder racks and embossed trays. Make Room offers interior styling services as well.
The Beuro
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Having only opened its doors in May 2015, The Beuro's 11,000sqf showroom in the Tan Boon Liat building is fairly new! The space is divided not by brands, but into living areas, such as the bedroom and living room. Names that you can look out for in their showroom include Thomas Bina, Loop & Co, Delightfull and more.
Pomelo
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Pomelo houses contemporary furniture from many international design brands, offering you inspiration to dress up your home. Classic contemporary pieces from British brand Case, include collaborations with iconic designers such as Matthew Hilton and Robin Day, while high quality furnishings from Italian brand Ex.T feature clean lines in visually attractive colours. For one, we love the Ex.T Fuse lights – simple pendant lamps that come in lovely pastel coloured ceramic shades.
Find out more about the people behind Pomelo in this blog entry.
The Providore
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Image: The Providore
After all the furniture shopping has worked up an appetite, you don’t have to look far for a light treat. In fact, The Providore warehouse is occupying a decent space at Tan Boon Liat Building itself. In this unlikely location, the grocer stocks a generous serving of gourmet food, and is practically the dream pantry of foodies. Expect fresh bread and croissants in the morning from BAO bakery, along with artisanal cheese and jams, and The Providore brand of coffee blends, tea blends and confectionary.
Tan Boon Liat building is located at 315 Outram Road.
[Text & Coordination by Thrina Tham]