5 Local Lifestyle Brands To Elevate Your Home Décor
Singapore’s award-winning designers know just what you need to transform your style at home.
A home need not be big to be beautiful. Nor do you have to tear down walls to revamp your space. With the right furniture and choice accessories, any room can be transformed into a stylish sanctuary.
And you don’t have to scour the globe for outstanding furnishings either. We have plenty of those right here on our shores, courtesy of local furniture and homeware designers who are making waves with all manner of creative inventions that combine thoughtful design, fine craftsmanship and cutting-edge construction.
In recognition of local lifestyle brands and the founders’ passion and steadfast commitment to building, nurturing and growing their brands, the Singapore Brand Office and the Singapore Tourism Board—with the support of Enterprise Singapore—jointly launched the Made with Passion initiative to support local brands that embody the Singapore spirit of turning possibilities into reality.
So if you’re looking to update your home décor, look locally for inspiration. Here are five of the home-grown brands whose designs have caught our eye (and will surely catch yours too!).
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1. ipse ipsa ipsum
If a timeless style is your vibe, the modern yet classic designs by ipse ipsa ipsum (whose Latin-inspired name means “for himself, herself and itself”) will help you achieve just that.
The brand—whose pieces were featured in the 2018 Hollywood blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, which was filmed here in Singapore—was founded in 2016 by Saurabh Mangla, who cut his teeth running his family’s silverware business that his great-grandfather had started in India in 1972. After he had completed his Masters at Warwick University, the creative head of ipse ipsa ipsum gained experience with the jewellery silversmiths in Hockley, England, as well as at the Warwick Manufacturing Group and the British European Design Group.
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Mangla, now a Singaporean, launched furniture brand Sam & Sara in 2009, which prides itself on quality handmade craftsmanship in a concerted attempt to steer clear of mass-produced cookie-cutter creations.Seven years later, Sam & Sara expanded to include ipse ipsa ipsum, turning the brand into an upscale lifestyle outfit that offers semi-luxurious handcrafted furniture and accessories that combine unique aesthetics with traditional Indian craftsmanship.
In support of local creative talent, Mangla aims to work with at least two local designers a year. The brand has already collaborated with designers such as Jeremy Sun (The Straits Collection), Nathan Yong (The Nathan Yong Collection) and Brandon Yeo (The Solicitude Collection).
What’s Hot For Your Home:
Visit Ipse Ipsa Ipsum at:
Tan Boon Liat Building, 15 Outram Road, #11-02, Singapore 169074
Tel: +65 6264 4789 / +65 9271 7176
Email: hello@ipseipsaipsum.com
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2. Commune
Encapsulating sophisticated modernity and intelligent function, this home-grown furniture design and lifestyle company was established in 2011 by Julian Koh, Joshua Koh and Gan Shee Wen, and crafts high-quality artisanal works for the design-savvy.
Commune’s furniture can be described as minimalist, Scandinavian and industrial modern. A fusion of functionality, aesthetics and quality, each elegant piece is engineered to make your home stand out with its sophisticated simplicity.
Testament to its design prowess, Commune took home The New Entrant Award – Gold at the Singapore Furniture Industries Council’s 2013 Singapore Furniture Industry Awards for its Dualtone collection. The quirky collection was also recognised for its exceptional design quality at the Singapore Good Design Awards in 2015.
At the heart of the brand is the Sensory Design Lab headed by Chief Design Officer Julian, where collaborations with creatives from all around the world take place. Julian is also the brains behind what he terms the “emotive design” of the brand’s retail stores, which are styled to resemble actual homes—where interaction with the pieces on show are encouraged, and where a curated playlist and a Commune-exclusive scent accompany customers as they go about the business of putting their dream home together.
Putting a twist on conventional furniture stores, Julian, inspired by community spaces that bring people together, even set up the Commune Cafe within the flagship store at Millenia Walk—an open invitation for people to pop in and hang out over a quality cup of coffee, not just shop for furniture.
Commune’s commitment to quality is reflected in its involvement across the full production process, from the inception of ideas right down to the finishing touches. Not only does the brand create its own designs, it also manufactures the products in its own factories in Malaysia and Vietnam. Be it cutting, moulding, bending or sanding, Commune’s craftsmen take pride in their work, ensuring that every piece is made to perfection.
A strong advocate for sustainability, Commune uses eco-conscious timber imported from sustainable sources in the US, Europe and Asia, and only uses lacquers and coatings with low lead and formaldehyde content.
What’s Hot For Your Home:
Visit Commune at:
* The Commune Flagship Store
Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard, #02-50, Singapore 039596
Tel: +65 6338 3823
* The Commune Collaborative Space
Tan Boon Liat, 315 Outram Road, #11-09, Singapore 169074
Tel: +65 6226 0928
* The Commune Experience Centre
28 Defu Lane 4, Singapore 539424
Tel: +65 6282 9086
Email: enquiries@thecommunelife.com
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3. SCENE SHANG
While its roots are firmly based in Singapore, this contemporary furniture, homeware and lifestyle label was actually birthed in Shanghai in 2013—when junior college schoolmates Jessica Wong and Pamela Ting discovered their shared love of decorating spaces with meaningful pieces when they were flatmates during their internships in Shanghai.
Driven by the belief that home is where culture begins, the two wanted to develop a brand that reflects Singapore’s rich history, so they began creating forward-looking pieces that were heritage-inspired; “an ode to the old, a nod to the new”. At SCENE SHANG, “we pay homage to our rich Asian heritage with iconic designs that blend classic Chinese elements with modern-day sensibilities,” say the duo.
The pair has since racked up the accolades for their distinct aesthetics. Their Jiaju Rocking Stool, for instance, came up tops in the national leg of the 2018 regional Creative ASEAN Furniture Design Contest. More recently, they took home not one but two prizes at the 2019 Singapore Creator Awards—with their XUAN Table bagging the Silver award in the Lifestyle Product category and their “Love is a Warm Brew” collection, featuring a graphic pattern that expresses Singapore’s unique cultural mix, winning the Most Popular design award in the Graphic Design category.
In a nod perhaps to the finesse with which the designers translate Singapore’s rich heritage into home décor, five-star luxury hotel InterContinental Singapore partnered with the brand in 2020 to transform one of its signature Heritage Suites into an exclusive SCENE SHANG Suite. Contemporary furnishings from the brand, including pieces from its “Love is a Warm Brew” collection and its Trinity Blessings series—which feature illustrations with the Chinese characters 福 (bliss), 恩 (grace) and 爱 (love)—as well as works by local artist Arthur P.Y. Ting, renowned for his storied Singapore streetscapes (and who happens to be Pamela’s father), artfully complement the shophouse-inspired setting to give guests an authentic experience of culture-rich Singapore.
What’s Hot For Your Home:
Visit SCENE SHANG at:
Raffles Arcade, 328 North Bridge Road, #02-09 Raffles Hotel, Singapore 188719
Tel: +65 6493 0173
Email: shop@sceneshang.com
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4. Supermama
It was the birth of a child that led to the birth of this design-led lifestyle goods store that offers some of Singapore’s most exquisite pottery and porcelain pieces. When founders Edwin Low and his wife Mei Ling’s second child Toby arrived in 2010, the couple decided to take some time off for the family. They also saw the opportunity to pursue their dreams of starting a design store.
Taking a huge leap of faith, they quit their full-time jobs (he was a lecturer at a polytechnic while she worked as a civil servant) and sold their four-room HDB flat to fund their venture.
Launched in December 2010, Supermama was so named as a homage to Mei Ling and her support in realising the couple’s shared dream. “She’s our supermama,” says Edwin an industrial designer by training. “I want my kids to grow up knowing about this decision their mum made to support me, and that she is—and always has been—my best supporter.”
This home-grown brand has since made inroads into the global design scene, with even Disney knocking on its doors for a collaboration in 2017—which resulted in a well-received series of everyday homeware featuring Star Wars icons. The brand also has an ongoing partnership with Japanese porcelain specialist Kihara—a relationship Low describes as “a dream come true”.
What’s Hot For Your Home:
Visit Supermama at:
* The Supermama Flagship Store
265 Beach Road, Singapore 199544
* Supermama Jewel Changi Airport
80 Airport Boulevard, #02-207, Singapore 819642
Tel: +65 9615 7473 Email: info@supermama.sg
5. Folks Furniture
Founded by Singaporean designer Nathan Yong, Folks Furniture specialises in wooden furniture. From study cabinets and shelves to sideboards, beds, stools and sofas, each piece celebrates the purity of wood and pays homage to traditional carpentry work by Asian craftsmen. All its creations are original designs by the hand of Nathan and his team of designers, who work together with skilled regional artisans to craft classic pieces that last.
Nathan, who was named Designer of the Year at the 2008 President’s Design Award and is also the co-founder of lifestyle brand Grafunkt, the official and exclusive partner of Folks Furniture in Singapore, shares: “As a creative force, the fuel that drives me is my passion.”
With its fresh yet nostalgic designs that marry functionality with artistry, it’s little wonder that this home-grown label has already broken into the global market, with high-end furniture brands round the world such as French modern furniture company Ligne Roseta picking up its iconic pieces and designs.
What's Hot For Your Home:
Check out the furnishings by Folks Furniture at Grafunkt’s flagship store at:
107 North Bridge Road, #04-01 to 06, Funan Mall
Singapore 179105
Folks Furniture’s office is located at:
15 Little Road, #08-02, Singapore 536988
Tel: +65 6336 6046 / +65 6238 8372 Email: info@nathanyongdesign.com
All the items are independently selected by our editorial team. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. But we only recommend products we love. Promise.