Fleas & Trees
Founded by husband-and-wife team Terrence Yeung and Bella Koh, who cut their teeth on all matters of design, this cozy vintage shop reflects its owners‘ stylish taste and belief in LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability)—resulting in a veritable treasure trove of eclectic home wares, clothes, accessories, books and magazines; mostly one-of-a-kind items picked up from all over the world.
The Godown
Interior designer Audrey Lee, lamenting the lack of reasonably priced, one-of-a-kind home décor items, opened this quaint vintage home furnishings store with her Indonesia-based business partner (who is also the founder of bath label Bathe). Everything you see in store, whether it‘s the herringbone-patterned coffee table, or the glass table lamp, is for sale and new items are added each month, so there‘s always something new to discover.
G.O.D
The award-winning Hong Kong lifestyle label embraces the local scene with select goods specifically designed with Singapore in mind, like the tongue-in-cheek book/catalog The “Xi” Paper: 69 to 6.9 Million, adding “lah” to its signature DelayNoMore tees and, the latest, a panda motif. Who can say no to nostalgic, kitschy-cool items that remind you of the good ol‘ days?
Little Man
The name might conjure a menswear-focused boutique, but Little Man yields a mixed bag of clothing, accessories, furniture and stationery. On the racks and shelves, thoughtful, interesting home wares, like Lithuania-based Aiste Nestrovaite’s well-made aprons, and Danish furnishing specialist Hay’s decor pieces are showcased alongside coveted pieces from Japan’s Silas and local label Al&Alicia.
The Moongi Project
Low-key and unpretentious, this small but well-stocked flea market of a shop offers an ever-changing collection of antiques, restored furniture and eccentric objects such as a French medicinal bottle, an antique cast iron and vintage wine barrels sourced directly from artisans worldwide. Items sold here may be unique, but prices are incredibly affordable and up for negotiation, too—extremely rare for a shop on Orchard Road.
Mondays Off
Reflecting store owner Leyna Poh’s personal taste, the Haji Lane boutique is a melange of light-wash wood, minimalist aesthetics and shelves strewn with stationery, pillows and even an alligator skull. Books are piled on a large table that acts as a centerpiece.The playlist comprising upbeat YouTube covers and the latest indie bands keeps the browsing energy up. There’s a shelf full of made-in-SG goodies like GSH Conserves (from $4 a bottle), as well as local hand-made vases inspired by traditional cheongsams (from $400) and in-house designed typographic posters dreamed up by Leyna herself (from $20).
Roccoco Kent
This unpretentious vintage shop is filled to the brim with an eclectic range of items from clothes and accessories to furniture and collectibles. Goods stocked here are mostly rare, one-of-a-kind pieces from all around the world and are updated weekly.
Straits Records
For left-field music lovers and vinyl collectors, this alternative record shop is one of the most reliable places in the city for hard-to-find regional punk-rock and heavy metal CDs and jazz vinyls. There‘s also a small, curated range of dance, reggae, indie and jazz music for the uninitiated, plus a respectable selection of music and counterculture books and DVDs that you won‘t find at the other major bookstores. The store is also open on Sundays 3-9pm and Thursdays by appointment only.
Strangelets
Established in 2008, design boutique Strangelets is still one of the best spots in town for wild and wonderful furnishings and curious accessories sourced from all over the world, like porcelain wares from Studio Gu and side tables from Mark Product.
Supermama
Neat displays, white walls and potted plants give this understated space, home to an interesting collection of trinkets, home wares and objet d‘arts by local and Japanese designers, a sense of calm amidst the bustle of the city. Particularly noteworthy is the boutique‘s in-house label, Democratic Society, which works with Asian designers for thoughtful, functional items with a distinct local identity. Every piece sold here has a story to tell—the friendly staff will be more than happy to share—so don‘t just grab and go.
Supplies & Co.
Taking over what used to be the Raffles Hotel Museum, this multi-label boutique, helmed by former Surrender folks Danny and WJ Tan, specializes in hard-to-find furniture, homewares and accessories that blend heritage and modernity. Noteworthy labels include Stephen Kenn, Maison Martin Margiela (yes, its collection of lifestyle wares) and Steele Canvas with their timelessly cool and functional products. There are also a handful of quaint toys from Miller Goodman, scented candles by retaW and sleek audio gadgets from Bang & Olufsen.
Tyrwhitt General Company
Neighbor to hip coffee spot Chye Seng Huat Hardware, this retro-fitted boutique for artisanal goods—wallets, watches, tablewares, books, artworks and more—also organizes workshops like leather crafting, planting and silkscreening for participants to deepen their appreciation of good design and craftmanship. An advocate of the traditional artisan movement, the store also provides a platform for emerging and established labels like Bellroy, Oldman Handmade and Hygge.
World Savage
An incarnation of the now-defunct Stevie General Store, the rundown, spray-painted space should never be judged by its shabby surface. Inside, each nook and cranny is filled with art, antiques, books, lamps, tin toys, watches, silverware and every other item imaginable, so be prepared to dig. Weekend shopping is by appointment only.
Zha Huo Dian (The Corner Shop)
Kitsch and playful, this little shop tucked in a corner space of Far East Plaza is something of a grown-up toy store, with retro gadgets, old-school trinkets and vinyl records sold alongside vintage clothes and cool local labels like The Cult of Nine.
