6 Lifestyle Stores We'll Never Get Tired Of Visiting
Whether you're on the hunt for great homeware or cool designs by an independent Japanese fashion label, these stores will cater to your needs.
By Rebecca Rachel Wong,
We’re all in for supporting local business as we recover from the pandemic’s effects, especially our homegrown lifestyle stores. Lately, we’ve been spotting really stylish e-stores with well-designed products popping up on the Gram as well.
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Picture the Glossier of lifestyle brands, with chic and cheery visuals and unique items you won’t typically find at a shopping mall. One of our favourites is Jaded Chains, featuring handmade candles and quirky homeware. We also love The Lazy Social’s cheeky body-shaped vases, and WeSellLove’s hand-crafted plates splashed with joyful colour.
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At present, these e-stores don’t have a physical space for you to pop by. But there are other physical stores we love for their thoughtful design, excellent curation and quality goods.
Here are six of our favourites you will want to visit – if you've already not done so.
This one’s more of a French creperie featuring a shoppable space, but we love its simple and understated design aesthetic all the same. A concept by owner Vincent Teng, Gather opened last year after the closure of Teng’s previous cafe Ronin at Hong Kong Street.
Aside from its food items like sweet crepes, sandwiches and baked goods, space includes a rotating selection of small batch goods sourced from around the world. Current products include Ms Brown hand creams and hand washes, as well as jewellery and threads from independent Tokyo label _Ito_.
#01-12 Raffles Arcade, e-mail: info@gathershop.co
We’ve always been a fan of this contemporary furniture and homeware brand for its unapologetically Asian aesthetic. The label was founded in 2014 by owners Jessica Wong and Pamela Ting, who met while interning in China.
Inspired by the city’s east-west blend, Scene Shang’s products merge ancient Chinese influences with contemporary sensibilities. This is best exemplified in the Shang System, their signature furniture collection merging Ming Dynasty visual elements with a modular stacking concept. Another bestseller is the Maverick Cane Chair, handmade by artisans from sustainable rattan.
263 Beach Rd, tel: 6291-9629 and #02-09 Raffles Hotel, tel: 6493-0173
This design-led lifestyle goods and gallery store has been turning heads since it first opened in 2010. Originally a pet project by husband-wife duo Edwin Low and Lee Meiling, the brand has become well-known for its distinctly Singaporean identity.
In fact, many of their products feature local motifs and icons. Take for example Singapore Stories − part of their new Singapore Blue label launched last year. The award-winning selection of blue-and-white porcelain is inspired by the country’s heritage and transformation, with designs from 20 collaborators across a spectrum of fields like art, entertainment, heritage and social work.
265 Beach Rd and #02-207 Jewel Changi Airport, tel: 961-7473 or e-mail: info@supermama.sg
Founded by local designer Goh Ling Ling, label Ling Wu has gained a steady following for its chic bags created from sustainable leather. We also love Le Salon by Ling, the apartment-esque lifestyle store which makes you feel like you’re stepping into a very chic friend’s home.
Featuring books and objects in the fields of fashion, design and art, the store is very much an extension of designer Ling’s own casa. Current collections include fragranced art objects from design collective A Dose Of Something Good, as well as Dark Horse Vintage − a jewellery range by Jasmine Chee featuring sculpture pieces in high-shine gold.
#02-78 43 Jalan Merah Saga, tel: 9696-3118 or e-mail: ling@lingwu.sg
You probably know of Humid House for its avant-garde floral creations, influenced by founder John Lim’s training in architecture. Its Floral Concierge at Straits Clan features weekly installations, as well as a range of floral products you can take home.
The brand has since expanded into homeware too, with a selection of one-of-a-kind vessels on display at the concierge. These objects hail from various historical periods and countries, with a focus on modern and postmodern artefacts from Europe, Japan and the Americas.
Floral Concierge at Straits Clan at 31 Bukit Pasoh Road, e-mail: info@humidhouse.com
If you’re on the hunt for exquisite homeware and furniture by talented designers, Maissone Home is the place to visit. The online cum brick-and-mortar store offers everything from kitchenware to lights, bathroom accessories, mirrors and decorative objects.
It has garnered some serious street cred too, having been awarded South East Asian Retailer of the Year in the 2018 IHA Global Innovations Awards. Owner Stephanie Hancock specially curates and sources each collection as well. We’re especially digging their stylish and oriental-looking Ribbed Infinity Ceramic Vases − a perfect addition to your home for the Lunar New Year.
25 Yong Siak Street, tel: 8506-3665 or e-mail: maissonehome@gmail.com