Product Spotlight:

We chat with Danielle of Just Anthony to find out why antique Chinese furniture doesn’t have to feel dated.

We visit the Just Anthony warehouse

Sometimes the best things in life require effort to find: a hairdresser who “gets you”, a crowd-free hike on a Saturday morning, and furniture that is stylish, stand-out and comes with a sprinkle of history.

The range of vintage and reproduced antique Chinese furniture and home décor at Just Anthony ticks all of those boxes. To truly appreciate the company’s impressive collection of well-curated items, it’s worth taking a trip to the sprawling warehouse in Paya Lebar.

Your journey into pieces of the past starts the moment you arrive. No faceless furniture store here; Just Anthony is located in a beautiful old house that boasts as much character on the outside as on the inside. At 10,000 square feet, it’s filled with what is arguably the widest variety of Chinese furniture in Singapore and features wardrobes, sideboards, coffee tables, shelving and benches that mingle with smaller accessories like table lamps, ceramic jars, figurines and stunning hand-painted wall coverings.

Antiques and reproductions

Founded in the 1970s, Just Anthony is helmed by fatherdaughter duo, ANTHONY and DANIELLE LEE. When the company launched, the focus was on local Peranakan furniture; today, they deal directly with long-trusted suppliers, artists and wood carvers in China’s Guangdong Province who scout out vintage gems, customise historic pieces and build antique reproductions.

“When my father started out, people were looking for statement pieces for their home – old wooden stairs, rice mills and stone grinders, for example. For them, it was more important that items were interesting or beautiful. It felt like they bought things to collect rather than just buying furniture,” explains Danielle, who joined the business 20 years ago. “Now, it’s functional buys that are popular, such as our low tables with plenty of storage, and smaller useful furniture that still comes with a unique oriental twist but can be shipped onwards and stay with you for life.”

Danielle shares that the pandemic has influenced buying trends. “Over the past year, our reproduced desks and mini bar cabinets have done very well due to everyone working – and drinking! – from home.”

Constantly aware of the competition for Chinese furniture in Singapore, Just Anthony goes to great lengths to provide customers with that little bit extra by sourcing pieces that can be highly personalised. “It’s important to stay innovative while remaining true to an oriental aesthetic,” Danielle says. “We might use old antique doors on a reproduced bedside cabinet, create new designs for door handles, or update the decoration so that items remain individual.”

New stock every month

To keep the warehouse at Just Anthony looking fresh and exciting, Danielle receives a new shipment of furniture from Guangdong every month. (Before COVID, she travelled there personally, whereas now it’s a case of “some frustrating WeChat video calls!”) Keen to stay ahead of the curve and to cater for an influx of new, younger shoppers, she gets product inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest, from art, and from customers who request bespoke pieces.

“In 2021, we’ve moved away from bold and bright lacquer hues to satisfy the need for more dark, rich shades such as forest greens, teals and midnight blues.” Indeed, the store’s latest selection of shimmering metallic tea trays were influenced by the colours of Gucci and Prada!

While Just Anthony also offers a comprehensive ecommerce site, visiting the warehouse provides a huge buzz. Despite showcasing thousands of items, the space feels calm and uncluttered, and as if you’ve stumbled upon hidden treasure. Danielle shares fascinating stories behind older pieces such as a 100-year-old wardrobe that was once part of a Chinese wedding dowry, and ancient sets of doors and side drawers that have been crafted using vintage and new modern materials.

“We hope we can show people that antique furniture doesn’t need to be old fashioned, rigid or uncomfortable,” she says. “It has so much character, and can be cool, too!” 379 Upper Paya Lebar Road

6283 4782 | 6283 4722 | justanthony.com