This is part of my Making Of Our Dream Home series. Click to read the other entries in the series.
House moving is a huge project that involves many different considerations, careful planning and detailed budgeting. For us, one of the first things we started to do after we got a new place is to check out second hand furniture shops and thrift shops in Singapore for inspiration. You might find that to be a little odd, because most people would head straight to the new furniture shops to check out the latest design trends. The husband and I are vintage lovers, and we love ploughing through pre-loved items and search out vintage and old furnishings that we believe would add a unique touch to our new home. Of course, many of the pre-loved items would need refurbishing works and most are not cheap, but when we are able to find a piece that we really like, the joy is immeasurable. :)
So, it’s apt that I share about the second hand furniture shops and thrift shops we found in our research in the first post of this series. Till date, we’ve only visited the first three in the list but each one inspired us in different ways. In my opinion, even if you are not planning on shifting any time soon, a leisure visit to these stores can be very therapeutic as well.
1. Hock Siong & Co
This might be the most famous in the list I’m sharing today – Most people I talked to tell me about this place. Because of that, it was also the first shop we visited. Hock Siong & Co is basically a garang guni company that collects old furniture and sell them as-is in their space near Tai Seng. Some specific pieces are refurbished before they are sold, and customers can also purchase pieces and request for their refurbishing works. Among the few that I’ve visited so far, I have to say that Hock Siong & Co is probably also one of the most affordable. Their refurbished pieces are very limited in stocks for obvious reasons and they are sold before you can send in your query to purchase it. Many people (like myself) are glued to their instagram to watch out for new pieces put up for sale because it’s usually fastest fingers first.
I would really love to have one of these in my new house, but it’s all sold out, so I’ve been put on the waiting list, hoping for good news soon. =X
Hock Siong & Co
Address: 153 Kampong Ampat, #01-03 Junjie Industrial Building, Singapore 368326
Opening Hours: 9.30 am - 5.45 pm daily
2. Junkie’s Corner
I have to say that the items at Junkie’s Corner are not cheap at all, and if you are not so keen on really old things, this might not be a suitable place for you. It’s huge though, and stepping into it is like going back in time by 30 years. I spotted many things that existed in my childhood there, but all needing some serious refurbishing works. Most people would not want to pay such hefty prices for really old items, but I would say that if you are trying to find a piece of history, you may well find it there.
Find a piece that you fancy in the shop? Just ask the shop owner and he’ll ponder a little before telling you the price he’s willing to let go at. I got a feeling you might be able to get a good buy on days he’s in a good mood because nothing is really fixed price there.
And while you are at Junkie’s Corner, continue walking down the road to visit the next shop, very similar to Junkie’s Corner as well, but with no name or signboard so I have no idea what it’s called. The entire stretch all the way till the end belong to this one owner and it’s a super long stretch of vintage and old furniture that you can spend quite a bit of time browsing through. Again, prices are not cheap at all, but it’s all because everything comes in limited quantities – many of which are unique single pieces. We didn’t get anything from there, though I certainly would if the prices were less exorbitant. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable family outing as I introduced the kids to a piece of history in my childhood, many of which made them gasp in disbelief. Yes kids, I can’t believe I’m that old either.
Junkie’s Corner & No-Name Garang Guni Shop
Address: 2 Turf Club Road
3. Yasashii Trading
This was one of those shops I visited a few times before I even considered shifting house, all because it’s got everything I love in it. Vintage and pre-loved items sprawled the entire shop in a messy way when I visited it a few years ago, but when we revisited the place recently, we were pleasantly surprised that the whole shop has been packed a lot more neatly, though the vintage and thrift shop flavor still lingered. It was much easily to browse the items now, and we saw so many things we wanted to bring home with us if not for the prices. =P
(Source: http://themiddleground.sg)
This is a great place to visit when you next visit Ikea Alexandra because it’s very nearby. Expect to find vinyl records, baskets, enamels and all kinds of vintage decor items there.
Yasashii Trading
Address: 123 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150123
Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 11 am - 8 pm
4. Second Charm
This is definitely the next on my list to visit because going by the beautiful photos online, I expect to see many things I like there!
Updated: Just visited Second Charm during lunchtime today and it has officially become my top fav in this list! They have abundance of chairs and tables, and we are already eyeing several pieces and checking with the boss for the price. Fingers-crossed they will land up in my new house eventually, oh please please please!
Apart from refurbishing old furniture, Second Charm also takes custom-made orders which is certainly in-trend now because everyone wants their home to look different.
Second Charm
Address: Blk 21 Kallang Avenue, #05-165 Mapletree Industrial Building, Singapore 339412
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11 am - 5.30 pm, Sundays noon - 5 pm
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In my next post, I’ll be sharing about Tan Boon Liat Industrial Building and all you can find there. What’s there in store for furniture hunters? Stay tuned. :)
