Beyond the Tour: How (and where) to buy pre-loved and vintage home items in Singapore
By Shannon Osztonits -
Share this article
Did you know that a world of treasures awaits you in Singapore if you just know where to look?
It’s no secret that the island isn’t the biggest flea market playground.
Whilst the current home trend scope in Singapore sways more towards the Japandi, Muji-style aesthetic, there are a handful of homeowners/eager-to-renovate dwellers who have a penchant for a more vintage/eclectic aesthetic.
Collectors, antiquarians and vintage enthusiasts, we recently had the pleasure of chatting with passionate homeowner Grace, whose colourful home is a trove of pre-loved and second-hand furniture items, collected over the years and thriftily sourced from online shopping platforms, warehouses, and even Facebook Marketplace.
It’s become somewhat of a love of hers…Hunting down collectibles, storing them until they serve a purpose, or moving furniture around in her home into various spaces, so nothing ever stays stagnant.
“I really like to give furniture a second life because the thing is, when things are well-made, they just need a little bit of maintenance,” says Grace. “A small rewiring or reupholstering. And then they work. You don’t have to always go after brand new furniture, right?”
We’ve got the inside scoop as to how she’s gone about doing so; tips for you on where to look for pre-loved goods, as well as ideas of ways to breathe a second life into once-used household items and furniture.
A sneak peek into Grace’s pre-loved world
Grace (and her husband Mike’s) home is like a book filled with stories. Every piece of furniture has a tale behind it. All in all, their bohemian-meets-industrial-cool abode is a beautiful reflection of the colourful couple.
Because isn’t that what a home should be?
It took five years for Grace to finally find “the ones,” and by “the ones,” I mean her dining table chairs. She never seemed to come across the right chairs that fit under their table for the longest time.
Just when Grace was about to give up hope, forgoing the rectangular-shaped table for a circular one, she stumbled upon THE ONES while scrolling Facebook Marketplace. Contacting the seller, she visited the showroom where the set of four Air Division chairs was kept. At first, she bought two (just to make sure they fit the table). Sliding them beneath, she immediately knew she had hit the jackpot, nabbing the other two.
The four Air Division dining table chairs around the dining table.
Every piece of furniture that Grace has sourced has its own unique story.
A bright orange bench, which now sits beneath her husband’s collection of framed musicians, was originally meant for the dining table. But it wasn’t the right fit. Playing around with movement, the bench found its home beneath the feature wall and guitar station, adding a gorgeous pop of colour.
The repurposed real fire hydrant was in Mike and Grace’s previous home. Used to store rubbish, in their new home, it now acts as their shoe rack and storage.
The Mid-Century style coffee table made its way out of a five-year storage hiatus. Their new home is now large enough to accommodate it in the living room. Grace originally bought it circa 2013.
An all-leather butterfly chair was purchased from Facebook Marketplace, too.
The silver Arco-esque floor lamp with its sturdy marble base, a standout feature in its own right, is 12 years old (bought in 2013) and weighs about 70 kilograms. You’d never say it was over a decade old. When first buying the accent lamp, Grace had it rewired before it was back to its original working condition. It’s beautiful and timeless.
The massive gas stove is from Bertazzoni with fun red knobs. The extra deep basin, counters, shelves, and cooking hob are all restaurant-approved.
Much of the kitchen fittings and equipment was moved over from their previous home. The husband and wife sourced the extremely industrial pieces, like the sink and racks, from a stainless steel warehouse, specialising in second-hand professional kitchen and hawker vendor equipment. When these restaurants and hawkers close down, they sell their kitchen equipment to this warehouse.
“As homeowners, it challenges us to think. Of course, I like something fancy, but hey, I have cats and two kids, you know?” Grace explains. “Maybe I’ll indulge when they’re grown up and the cats are gone. But otherwise, it’s always good to sit and think about every piece of furniture you have in the house.”
Where to buy vintage furniture in Singapore
Grace explains that repurposing pieces doesn’t always have to be along the trendy lines.
“I feel like in Singapore, the majority of the population likes the really modern, tech-y and latest trending style. Flea markets are few and far between.”
So, where else can one source second-hand or vintage collectibles in Singapore? Grace gave us the lowdown:
- Facebook Marketplace: Most of Grace’s sourcing is off FB Marketplace. Sellers list their items for sale here.
- Carousell: An online shopping platform, find both pre-loved and brand new items here.
- Warehouses: This is where you can find repurposed furniture, and often in bulk. For example, Grace and Mike bought most of their kitchen setup from Ah Seng Stainless Steel warehouse.
- Website Clearance Sales: If you hop onto retailer websites, search the drop-down menu for ‘Clearance’ or ‘Sale’ categories. Items listed here are marked down, sometimes because of a slight defect or wear and tear.
Ideas for repurposing furniture and household items
Sadly, with the introduction of mass production and technology advancements, furniture doesn’t boast the same quality and craftsmanship as it once did, say 50 years ago. (Unless you’re paying the Earth for a designer item, and even then it’s not as long-standing.)
“I personally believe that a lot of the treasures that you find that are typically vintage or secondhand; things aren’t made like that anymore,” tells Grace.
A stainless steel key box, adorning the wall between the music station and gym, adds to the industrial-esque aesthetics.
Retrending
As trends come and go, you’ll often notice decades-old styles resurfacing, for example, retro or Mid-Century modern. It can be a difficult task sourcing these items brand new. However, if you branch beyond the new, scouring platforms like FB Marketplace, you might hit the jackpot, where a seller is finally letting go of a furniture item they have owned for 60 years.
TLC
Don’t be put off by wear and tear. Think outside the box. Often, all it takes to make furniture appear and function as brand new is a little love and effort.
How to achieve this?
- Rewire electricals
- Sand and repaint wooden items
- Reupholster fabrics
- Reimagine its purpose, for example, DIY a storage cabinet into a home bar, or wooden palettes into a low, children’s bed base.
“People ask me: ‘Why do you always buy used furniture, isn’t it filthy?’ I’m like, no, you just take a wet vacuum and clean it. I love it.”
Sometimes, repurposing furniture takes on a different meaning. It’s simply a matter of moving furniture around. Maybe a standing lamp gathering dust in the corner of a guest room lights up your existing living room space better?
Grace and her husband Mike strategically chose not to have anything permanently built-in for the most part. This makes things easily movable.
Doorways and frames boast a dramatic apple red colour, balanced with the cool materials like cement.
Furniture always makes a comeback, for example, Mid-century is back in vogue.
“Mid-century doesn’t seem to age in style,” says Grace. “It goes through time quite well.”
Lastly, if you’re moving into a newly renovated home, who’s to say you can’t carry over your existing furniture?
Clue: NO ONE! Stray away from the tide; go against the grain. We promise you, it’s worth it.