THE VINTAGE LIFE

Quirky decor, Singapore-inspired art and impressive antiques are just some of the finds you’ll discover at Emperor’s Attic.

After 18 years in the advertising industry, Chantal Travers discovered that Emperor’s Attic (formerly Fairprice Antique)—an established business that specialised in high-quality Chinese antique and vintage furniture—was for sale. “Retailing antiques was something I’d wanted to do when I lived in Beijing, so the stars aligned and Emperor’s Attic became mine,” Travers explains.

She took over in 2016 and rebranded the store, as its old name no longer represented what she had wanted to sell. “While we still absolutely pride ourselves on our fair prices, we sell new and vintage pieces, antiques, home decor and Singapore-inspired art as well.

Plus the association with a certain supermarket was confusing for customers,” laughs Travers. “We also wanted to find a memorable name that explicitly links us to Northern China and is interesting enough to make people want to visit the store,” she explains.

Though Emperor’s Attic has stayed true to its heritage of offering old and new handcrafted Chinese furniture and ceramics, Travers has slowly changed the store’s look and feel. She is committed to sourcing unique pieces from China, and has introduced various suppliers—each providing an inimitable aesthetic and speciality—to ensure that her pieces come in many styles, colours and finishes. “It’s my goal to continually raise the bar and ensure our collection is unbeatable in terms of the breadth, depth, quality and, of course, price,” she stresses.

Beyond her striking homeware and furniture collections, Travers also provides exceptional customer service, and is assisted by a dedicated team. These factors, combined with the engagement and support of the expat and local community, are undoubtedly the keys to her success. And while Emperor’s Attic has a small selection of pieces for sale at The Wyld Shop in Joo Chiat, its flagship store continues to thrive at the Tan Boon Liat Building, where it has been for the past decade. “The shop’s roots are embedded in the area, so we hope to be here for a long time yet.”