The location of Timothy Oulton’s showroom, which opened its doors here in March, is rather uncharacteristic of the distinguished British brand—it sits at the end of the nondescript and rather nostalgic Kim Yan Road and doesn’t bear a grand façade. But once you step into the huge and extremely homely 6,000 square-feet store, it’s a totally different story.
Toasty lighting bounces off the parquet floors, squashy patchwork couches greet you as you pad across the reception area, leather trunks are stacked on every corner and vintage shadow boxes display yearbook-type group shots in sepia as well as black and white. It feels so much like a celebrity’s winter home that you’d half expect to find a roaring fire burning in the grate.
“The Timothy Oulton aesthetic is perfect for Singapore. Our re-interpretation of classic design into a modern context co-exists almost seamlessly with the design ethos of the city,” explains owner and creative director Timothy Oulton. This mix of classic and contemporary is inherent in the pieces on display, each handcrafted and luxuriously unique. For example, some of the statement pieces here belong to the brand’s Kensington Collection, featuring two and three-seater sofas upholstered in hand-finished distressed leather with hand-hammered brass studs. If leather is not your thing, the store offers several other modernly-treated textures such as vintage or solid moleskin, cowhide and scrub linen. Amid these sophisticated designs is Timothy Oulton’s outstanding collection of decorative vintage memorabilia such as steering wheels, books (we spotted Tolstoy, amongst others), typewriters and hatboxes.
Everything here is refined and luxurious indeed, but what’s British about this? The signs are apparent even on the ground floor. In the window display is their signature Union Jack Kensington sofa, and one of their gorgeous and perfectly slouchy flag cushions (from $165) bears the country’s national symbol. But these are just the obvious signs. “There are classical British design references throughout most of our collections and the clearest one is the architectural detailing from the English baroque and Georgian periods in our cabinets. However, it is more about the sensibility of being British. It is difficult to quantify but can be summed up in the way I interpret the culture and its inspiration,” Oulton explains. “The story that I try to create is a combination of British references such as the antique store and flea market, traditional elegance and style, as well as rock & roll.”
Then there are the one-off masterpieces, which have already attracted some high-level attention. The Tomcat Chair (pictured, $3,095), a statement-making piece from the Timothy Oulton aviation range, is framed in riveted aluminum, its aerodynamically-curved seat and back swathed in ribbed leather. Not only was it awarded the “Most Innovative Product Design” at the Luxuria 2010 Awards, this chair also appeared in Black Swan and had a cameo in a Givenchy ad featuring Uma Thurman. Another head turner is the copper bathtub that sits right in the center of the two-story gallery, which showed up in Sherlock Holmes. And it’s hard not to fall for Oulton’s trademark gorgeous spitfire works. The tactile Zazenne collection (up to $9,000) is made up of a wall cabinet, TV console and coffee table, and features hand-hammered studs as well as innovative storage options. Those looking for quirky elements to add to their home should take a look at the leather footstools, some of which are modeled after baseballs. There is also a thought-provoking wall decorative ($2,995) made up of 68 vintage tennis racquets and a handful of white baseballs. Their spitfire bar (from $1,800) is also very much talked about, one of which even travels with the Oulton family around the world for trade shows.
Ponder the pieces over a cup of gourmet coffee or glass of wine at Timothy Oulton, 81 Kim Yam Rd., 6737-6883, www.timothyoulton.com.
More Foreign Furniture Design Stores
