Katong Cool
Inspiring Design from Homestolife Hot on the heels of their new flagship store at 65 Mohamed Sultan Road, home furniture and furnishings destination Homestolife has reworked its magic in the East with a total revamp of its space at 112 Katong.
Originally a pop-up store, Homestolife has transformed what was a temporary offering into a permanent fixture, with masses more space to showcase their gorgeous collection of furniture and homewear. They’ve kept, and expanded on, all the things their customers loved about the pop-up store, including a place to rest and refuel. Here is a look at some of the reasons to check it out, and, as you’ll see, it’s not just your home that will thank you, it’s your kids and your tummy too.
Furniture for every desire
A casual wander through the store immediately rewards with a wide range of styles and options. Furniture and accessories are displayed in themed settings that create a particular mood and inspire your inner designer. Take the rustic red Cetus sofa in the “Classic Manhattan” setting. A mix of modern and classic, it sits in a monochromatic space that really makes the leather couch stand out. The simple black-and-white surroundings add an air of urban chic. Paired with the sleek lines and mustard brown of the Ekos dining table and chair set, it gives the impression of being in a classy New York loft.
Around the corner the ambience changes again, this time to a vibrant, fresh Scandinavian style. The star of a “Taste of Summer” is the Haysel sofa. A zesty yellow three-seater, it is a burst of sunlight against the crisp white brick wall. An easy chair and ottoman in Tiffany turquoise and emerald green add more flashes of colour, creating a space that is perky, bright and filled with energy.
Gorgeous accessories
From cushions to candles and everything in between, you’ll find just the thing to add the finishing touches to your home. We particularly like the Notre Monde (notremonde.com) range of serving trays. A decorative combination of mirror and wood, each tray is one-of-a-kind. Made by hand using traditional techniques and materials, they’re subtle, sophisticated and the epitome of serving things up in style.
Another standout from the accessories range is the Voyager collection of leather wallets, travel bags, handbags and pouches. These sleek, classic designs are handmade using fine leather, and are the kind of thing that only gets better with age. With lots of masculine styles, this is a great place to look for gifts for those hard-to-please men in your life.
Cool kids’ collection
If you haven’t got children, the Homestolife kids’ section will likely leave you wishing you had a whole troop of little rascals just so you could come here to decorate their rooms. The toys from French brand Doudou et Compagnie (doudouetcompagnie.com) are designed to embody a mix of tradition and modernity. Their trademark doudous or comforters come in all manner of shapes and sizes, but they’re all super soft and snuggly and bound to be a hit with any baby.
Then there are a host of playful accessories from Dutch designer Anne-claire Petit (anneclairepetit.nl), whose signature crochet animals look as good as they feel. As hard as it might be, resist the temptation to crawl inside the on-display tipi from Danish brand Bloomingville (bloomingville.com). Designed in quality, cream-coloured canvas with natural wooden poles, you can just tell it’s going to be the starting point for all kinds of childhood adventures.
All-day dining
When customers told the Homestolife owners that they loved having an in-store café, that feedback was taken to heart. The new in-house eatery, Gastrosmiths, is more than just a place for coffee and pastries, it’s an all-day dining hangout where customers can take a break from browsing furniture, enjoy a business lunch or get together for dinner with friends. But whether they come for the food or the furniture, it’s definitely a symbiotic relationship. “We find most of Gastrosmiths’ diners will come over to browse our products and our shoppers will take a look at the menu,” explains Phua Bo Wen, Senior Manager, Retail Excellence at Homestolife.
The menu works its way across continents, serving up modern interpretations of dishes from Asia and the West, which make it appealing to a wide range of palates. Light bites like the Mushroom Escargots or the Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese made with Somerset vintage cheddar are great for snacks or starters, while the Fisherman’s Mee Sua, the Signature Hokubee Ribeye Don and the USDA Prime Ribeye served with pureed potatoes and spinach will easily sate bigger appetites. If you’ve still got room for dessert and are feeling adventurous, try the Gorgonzola, a combination of creamy Italian Gorgonzola cheese, black truffled honey, almond crumble and vanilla seed ice-cream – go on, we dare you!