The buzz: Having clearly tasted success in Singapore, American home decor brand Crate & Barrel look to expand their reach yet further with the opening of a five story megastore at Orchard Gateway that is supposedly aimed at ‘the people’, which means a lower price point than the original ION branch.
The vibe: Despite the imposing, slightly industrial looking facade, the vibe inside is surprisingly cozy thanks to the use of neutral colors and lots of warm wood. Each level is themed by room type, with their home decor products set up showroom style so you can imagine how your home might look. It’s a bit like IKEA’s sophisticated older sister.
The goods: A homemaker’s wonderland. It starts with products relating to the kitchen on the bottom floor and goes all the way through to bedroom items on the fifth level. There’s also a “seasonal area” which is currently a sea of Christmas trees and tinsel, but we suspect will be decorated for Chinese New Year before we know it. In many sections, items are arranged according to price instead of just brand, so you can stick to browsing within your budget. We particularly like the entire room dedicated to glasswear (from $1.50 each) complete with handy signs explaining what glasses are meant to be used for what types of drink. Products worthy of note include the range of ready-to-hang curtains (from $39.95), the selection of kitchen knife sets (from $119.95) and, just in time for Christmas, the cute range of animal-themed baubles (from $2.95).
Why you’ll be back: Sure, we already had a Crate & Barrel in Singapore, but this is all on a much bigger scale and also feels much more practical thanks to the focus on smaller, more compact (and affordable) items that can fit into the average Singaporean apartment.
