Great furniture stores may come and go, but some have become cherished landmarks for local homeowners. Here are ten popular furniture stores that have remained favourite furniture 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.
Here, we start with the best furniture shops with history in Singapore:
Lim’s Legacy
1. LIM’S LEGACY
Once known as Lim’s Arts & Living, the 59-year-old furniture 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.
Lim’s Legacy is located at #02-23/24 and #02-324/325, Marina Square.
The Lovbacken sidetable from Ikea.
2. IKEA
An all-time favourite among furniture shoppers, Ikea opened its first store in Singapore in July 1978, and was originally located along Sixth Avenue. Today, the Swedish furniture giant has flagship stores along Alexandra Road and Tampines North Drive.
Some of Ikea’s signature furniture pieces include the versatile Ikea Poang armchair, Lack side table and, last but not least, its much-loved Swedish meatballs.
Ikea Tampines is located at 60 Tampines North Drive 2.
A refurbished piece by Hock Siong & Co.
3. HOCK SIONG & Co
Hock Siong & Co. has grown to be a household name amongst new homeowners looking for retro, rustic, or heritage furniture pieces. The family-owned furniture business started out as a karung guni (translate: rag and bone man) “recycling” business.
In the early days, the family bought used newspapers from hotels in the 1970s. Later, they branched out into furniture in 1998.
Today, Hock Siong has made a name for itself with lovingly refurbished and upcycled second- hand goods for use in modern homes. It also has a strong social media following, and is considerably popular with the millennials and Gen Z homeowners.
Hock Siong & Co. is located at #01-03 Junjie Industrial Building, 153 Kampong Ampat.
W.Atelier’s showroom
4. W ATELIER
W.Atelier was founded in 1980 in Singapore. In their early days, they distributed Toto sanitary and toilet fittings. Today, the business has expanded into a multi-brand retailer of home furnishings and kitchenware. Expect globally-established furniture brands like Fritz Hansen and Zanotta.
The expansive flagship showroom located along Henderson Road allow customers to experience its products, and participate in workshops for an immersive experience.
W Atelier’s main showroom is located at #01 and #03-01, 201, Henderson Road.
5. SCANTEAK
Did you know that the well-loved teak wood furniture brand Scanteak is actually a Singaporean brand? The furniture brand was originally called Hawaii Interior Decoration before it rebranded to Scanteak in 1988.
In Singapore today, Scanteak is a household name known for their sustainable teak wood furniture.
Scanteak’s flagship showroom is located at #01-04/05 Henderson Industrial Park, 211 Henderson Road.
Now that we’ve covered the household, popular furniture stores in Singapore, let’s move on to some modern furniture stores in Singapore.
6. ETHNICRAFT ONLINE
The Belgian-based furniture brand Ethnicraft made its foray into Singapore in 2012. Back then, the brand had its own online store. Today, you will find Ethnicraft’s furniture stocked with online furniture stores in Singapore such as Souls & Tables, and Originals.
Central to the brand is its use of high quality solid teak and oak that are sourced from sustainably managed plantations. Though marketed as an online outfit, you will still be able to view Ethnicraft’s furniture pieces in person at the Souls & Tables showroom, #02-03, Tan Boon Liat Building.
7. JOURNEY EAST
Tan Boon Liat is home to many furniture stores, but one we keep coming back to is Journey East.
The 23-year-old multi-label furniture store is best known amongst local furniture enthusiasts for their famous feline resident. Journey East carries furniture pieces with character in the likes of reclaimed teak wood furniture.
Journey East is located at #03-02, Tan Boon Liat Building.
8. P5 STUDIO
The 14-year-old local luxury furniture retailer, P5, is better known for its Molteni & C and Dada flagship store located along 3 Killiney Road, Winsland House.
P5’s own showroom, called P5 Studio, carries international brands such as Shanghai-based Stellar Works, 101 Copehagen, and Saba Italia.
P5 Studio is located at #01-08 Henderson Industrial Park, 213 Henderson Road.
9. Grafunkt
Started by one of Singapore’s most well-known 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 Singaporeans having to fly miles to shop these coveted furniture brands.
Fans of Nathan’s work will also be able to get their hands on his original Grafunkt designs in-store.
Grafunkt is located at 107 North Bridge Road #04-01, Funan Mall.
10. Commune
Established in 2011, Commune is a modern furniture brand by Singaporean brothers, Julian and Joshua Koh, and their cousin Gan Shee Wen. The furniture brand has its own in-house design team that produce furniture pieces in line with international furniture trends such as Modern-Industrial and Mid-Century Modern.
Commune’s designs are also eco-conscious, using costlier but high quality raw materials from sustainable forests, and non-toxic finishes.
Commune’s flagship store is located at #02-50 Millenia Walk.