Inside Story:

Readers tell us how they’ve incorporated antiques into their homes and the stores they chose to buy from. Suzannah Raaff, Morgana and Sorcha Truter, British

Readers share their antique finds

I was looking for an oriental piece that had a bit of history and would be a talking point. I have a number of dark pieces in this particular room, so I wanted one that would lighten and brighten the overall area.

I purchased a genuine Chinese hand-painted sideboard handpicked from Shandong in Northern China from Chai’s Classic Home Collection. It’s around 80 years old, and was used by Chinese people to store their kitchenware inside. It has now been refurbished and repainted based on the original patterns.

The piece is quite unique and I felt it would brighten my room with its antique charm. Instead of the typical dark brown Chinese furniture, this piece is painted in vintage white and has a perfect distressed look that I just loved.

I’ve bought a number of items for myself and as gifts at Chai’s over the past couple of years and I was actually in the store to look at new arrivals when I saw this piece; I knew I had to have it.

The team is great, and Chai herself is usually in the showroom and is very involved in helping her customers. She’ll even pull stuff out that’s not on display or show you images of what’s coming, once she knows what you like.

I’m always happy with my purchases, so I regularly go back for more. Chai not only has larger pieces like this one but many smaller decorative items too – even some of her own designs. The store is a real value-for-money find in Singapore.

Chai’s Classic Home Collection 8 Boon Lay Way, #08-06 Tradehub 21 6909 3246 | chaiscollection.com