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Noden's showroom exudes a sense of ease upon entry, with a rich and enamouring collection of furniture fills the space. Mirrors, shelves, and desks lined the walls, with coffee table and chair sets placed intentionally around the showroom.
It was bathed in a soft glow, by lamps both standing and hanging from the ceiling. The inviting wooden tones and calming background music seem to beckon visitors further in, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Noden is one of the only few genuine vintage Scandinavian furniture collections in Singapore. Their prices are indicated in detail in their physical showroom. Image by Isabel Lim
Best known for their vintage Scandinavian pieces, Noden is an independent furniture store in Singapore founded by Tawan and Marko. They've established themselves as a reliable haven for quality vintage furniture, featuring in over a dozen magazines since Noden's debut in April, 2013.
Location: 211 Henderson Road, 02-02, Singapore 159552
Opening Hours: Wed-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm
Closed: Every Monday & Tuesday
Noden Furniture
Where does Noden source their furniture from?
One would imagine that acquiring genuine vintage furniture all the way from Europe is not an easy process. What was even more surprising to hear, however, was how much effort and care went into each individual piece sold at Noden.
The display in the Noden showroom changes nearly every month. Photo by Noden
Both Tawan and Marko hand-pick each piece of furniture individually, searching from a variety of providers, such as through auctions and collectors.
Afterwards, they decide which pieces can be presented as-is, and as for the others, all forms of restoration occur directly at Noden's warehouse.
With so much time going into every single article, Tawan and Marko knew each piece like the back of their hand. There leaves no doubt that all of their furniture were of the best quality, either through loving restoration or meticulous selection of the well-maintained pieces spanning decades.
The entire Noden showroom was designed to exude a homely feel - it was almost as if I was wandering around someone's living quarters. Image by Isabel Lim
In the process of picking furniture, they place particular attention on style and quality, further taking into consideration to choose pieces that can fit in Singaporean households.
Not only is there much confidence in the standard and design of their pieces, but the after-purchase services, including site-repair, maintenance, and restoration, are also held to a high degree by Noden. Their devotion to quality draws customers back time and time again.
The Noden showroom changes layout every few weeks once all the items in the current stock are sold out. It never stays the same for very long. Image by Isabel Lim
Buying Noden furniture
Here are some things to take note
When asked about how their business is doing, Marko was confident in saying, "People queue up outside our showroom before we open on the day of a new collection launch. People come and they look at the quality and they feel comfortable in buying from us, and we try out best to keep our services at an extremely high standard."
Noden sets a high standard indeed, from selection, to restoration, and even post-purchase repairs. It's no wonder they have a loyal customer base, despite their main form of outreach being through word of mouth, with each new launch highly anticipated.
"We're always keeping a lookout for new pieces, our pieces are sold out 90% of the time," he added. "Every time you come you're guaranteed to see something new."
Whilst Tawan and Marko stock their showroom often, working their hardest to ensure that the pieces displayed are available for purchase, you might want to check their website for new arrivals and plan your visits accordingly.
The founders travel to Denmark and the surrounding region often, carefully selecting pieces and works for their own business. They ensure that the showroom constantly has a line of furniture ready for sale, and have been enacting plans to avoid a high sell-out rate for customers who come in store.
Noden Furniture Repair
Noden also offers repair services for any furniture piece bought from them. They recommend performing regular maintenance at least once or twice a year to protect your furniture from deteriorating and keep it clean.
You can drop them an email with your purchase invoice, photos, and descriptions of your furniture piece, and they will provide a quote, transport fees, and an estimated time for completion. You can even consult them for more information and prices.
Noden Furniture Singapore: Background
How did Noden begin?
Tawan and Marko have collected Scandinavian furniture since long before the establishment of Noden. In fact, Noden first started not in a warehouse, but from their very own home. The now flourishing business is a result of adoration and love for Scandinavian furniture.
Tawan and Marko have been married since 2010, and started Noden from their home in 2013.
Original Hans Wegner The Round Chair
The first piece of furniture that sparked their furniture collection was The Round Chair by Hans Wegner (it even has its very own Wikipedia page!) designed in 1949, Denmark. Marko ushered me to get a picture of the one in their showroom, an original piece, as he explained its cultural significance (such as in the presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy).
An original The Round Chair by Hans Wegner was the unexpected seed that Noden's business stems from. It takes up a significant position on a table in the middle of their showroom. Image by Isabel Lim
"They're beautiful and aesthetically pleasing", Marko said. "The fact that they look relevant in the modern home today was something that spoke to both of us a lot as well. If you look around, some things were designed in 1949, 1953. They add a soulfulness and character to any home, especially our home to begin with."
From there, their collection of Scandinavian furniture only grew.
Co-Founders Tawan and Marko
Tawan is in charge of all design-related fields, from social media management, marketing, to their website and branding. Before starting Noden, she worked as a photographer, and still utilise her skills in running her business. Marko was the Regional Brand In-Charge for Nixon, a watch brand based in California. So, with their combined skillsets, they started Noden furniture in 2013 officially.
Within the first month following the launch of the Noden official website, the brand appeared on a featured cover in the Business Times. By the third year of their establishment, various auspicious magazines had featured Noden, such as MONOCLE, Nordic Design, and The New York Times.
Monocle Furniture Shops
In 2019, Noden were featured in MONOCLE's retail guide book as one of the top 100 shops in the world. They've also been featured multiple times in Monocle's print magazine and Monocle's Singapore travel guide, though most of their publicity still comes through word-of-mouth or referrals.
"It's very important for us to create a space that felt really authentic, really warm, welcoming, and peaceful as well. It has been very important to us from day one, when we started from home. It's just an extension of who we are, and we want to keep everything as natural as possible," Tawan explained. They alternate in answering questions, sometimes elaborating on each other's responses.
Married couple starting a business
When I asked them what it was like to be business partners with your significant other, they were unanimous in their response.
"It's been the easiest thing," Tawan starts. Marko continues, "We just compliment each other. Firstly, with out skillset, and secondly with our characters. All our decisions are joint - if one of us thinks, say, this table isn't good enough, it will never appear in our showroom."
Tawan and Marko want Noden to be a personal, soulful business. Not only do they have a hand in restoring and selecting each of the furniture they sell, they make all the executive decisions regarding Noden's business together, from their furniture to the music in their showroom.
Other Scandinavian products such as soap and fragrances (that have been tried and tested by Tawan and Marko personally) are also sold at Noden. Image by Isabel Lim
"We feel very lucky that we're able to just be together and also work together," Tawan adds. "It all feels very natural - it's (referring to their business) is what we wake up for, what we talk about, it's our life."
When I asked about future plans for Noden, perhaps an expansion of showroom, Marko was quick to respond.
"We can sprout out to two, three showrooms around the island, or even overseas, but I don't think that's the kind of expansion we're looking for. Because maintaining the quality of what we do is the most difficult part, and that's where we'll keep expanding every year."
If that doesn't assure you on the high quality of furniture at Noden, I'm not sure what will. With each piece curated and prepared with love, it's a store unlike any other.