Furniture in Singapore can range from reasonable to very expensive. Locals will all point you towards IKEA, as it offers space-saving furniture at very cheap prices. There are numerous stores offering finer furnishings, however, including clusters of antique and reproduction shops offering Asian furniture from the entire region. Many of these dealers also offer custom-made furniture, often at prices no higher than those on the retail floor.
Expatriates often take the opportunity to collect furniture in Singapore, as one can find great pieces from Tibet, China, Indonesia, India, and elsewhere in the region at prices unheard of in their home countries. Pieces with clean, zen lines or those with intricate carving and painting can be easily found in the furniture shops in Tanglin Village / Dempsey Hill, in Chinatown, and elsewhere on the island.
- Parkway Parade: This high-end furniture shopping complex on Penang Road, just across from Plaza Singapura on Orchard Road, offers more expensive furnishing in variant styles.
- Tanglin Village / Dempsey Hill: The furniture shops clustered in the refurbished colonial barracks on Dempsey Road offer antique and reproduction antiques from China, Indonesia, Burma, and India. One can park easily at Dempsey Road, or take a taxi, then walk amongst the barracks into outlets including Renaissance, Red House, and Woody Furniture.
- The Shophouse: Offers a beautiful line of teak furnishings and soft home furnishings, with in-house design services available. 22 Lock Road Gillman Village, Tel. 6344 0100
- IKEA: This favorite furniture chain needs no further explanation with its internationally acclaimed brand and reputation for offering low-cost furnishings and decor. There are two stores in Singapore located at Alexandra and Tampines.
- International Furniture Centre (IFC): The IFC is a hub for furniture export and import. With more than 20 furniture companies in this industrial building, it caters to a wide range of tastes from cheap, mass manufactured furniture to designer pieces. 62 Sungei Kadut Loop #04-19 International Furniture Centre, Tel: 65-6569 6988
- Lim’s Art and Living: Offers Chinese furniture and soft furnishings, #02-01 Holland Road Shopping Centre, Tel: 6467 1300
- Jane’s Art & Craft: Offers Chinese and Korean reproduction pieces as wholesale prices, 75-77 Hillcrest Road, Tel: 6469 5920
- Taylor B: One of Singapore’s best kept secrets. A warehouse of imported furnishings and ornaments from all over the world. 43 Keppel Road, 4th floor, 65 6225-7090
- Crate and Barrel: High end furniture imported from the US. Can be found on the 3rd floor of the Ion shopping centre on Orchard Road. There is a second store opening in Orchard Central in late 2014.
- CB2: Sister company of Crate and Barrel, CB2 features slightly cheaper pieces of furniture in a range of quirky styles. 170A Orchard Road, Tel: 6732 5333
Second-Hand Furniture
While Singaporeans don’t typically purchase used furniture, there are some great ways to find very good used pieces. In particular, posting boards at private expatriate clubs and expat grocery stores, and listings in international school publications, are usually full of classifieds for used furniture – much of it very nice – at good prices. Online posting boards including http://mocaa.com and http://www.craigslist.com are also becoming more popular. Finally, there are two locations of the Salvation Army at Serangoon and Upper Bukit Timah that offer used furniture.
