In March, I attended an International Furniture Market in Singapore! There is a closer one, in April, at High Point, North Carolina, but that’s not where my son, David, lives. A Singaporean for over a year, he encouraged me to visit and dangled the “decorating carrot” as an added incentive. The negative – the long, long, long, flight – the positive – the country, the people – and of course, my son.
Singapore, a just over 50 year old country is modern, clean, crime free, tech oriented and forward thinking. Its 5.6 million inhabitants have a per capita income greater than the United States. It is a busy and flourishing metropolis with new growth everywhere, from its buildings to its businesses. Singapore, made up of the outcasts of Muslim Malaysia who were expelled because of their religion, is now bursting with energy. Fiercely nationalistic, it is an example of how Asians, Malaysians, Indians, Australians, Americans, Canadians and Europeans can all live and work together harmoniously.
Everyone speaks English, some more distinctly “American” than others, and Starbucks is the place to have a coffee and take a meeting – sound familiar? The furniture styles are varied because of the ethnic diversity, and the majority of the population is apartment dwellers. These apartments are modern and not large in room size. Hence the challenge of bringing furniture in to small spaces and scaling it properly.
The International Furniture Market Expo, open to designers, architects and others in the industry, brought together manufacturers and suppliers mainly from China, Malaysia, South East Asia, India, Italy, France, and other European countries with one large area, devoted to technologically advanced machinery for building cabinetry and furniture. Style-wise, there was a smattering of Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn “look-a-likes”, but the style prevalent at the show and in the shopping malls was clean lined, small scaled contemporary furniture with lots of “built-ins”. With storage and space at a premium, this would be the logical choice, but it also pairs well with the general Asian culture and sensibility. From IKEA to Ligne Roset (two ends of the quality and cost spectrum), the Singapore furniture market is poised for growth – just like the rest of the country.
The culture both old and new, the people, and the sheer energy make Singapore a great place to visit. It almost looks like home – almost!
Singapore, a just over 50 year old country is modern, clean, crime free, tech oriented and forward thinking. Its 5.6 million inhabitants have a per capita income greater than the United States. It is a busy and flourishing metropolis with new growth everywhere, from its buildings to its businesses. Singapore, made up of the outcasts of Muslim Malaysia who were expelled because of their religion, is now bursting with energy. Fiercely nationalistic, it is an example of how Asians, Malaysians, Indians, Australians, Americans, Canadians and Europeans can all live and work together harmoniously.
Everyone speaks English, some more distinctly “American” than others, and Starbucks is the place to have a coffee and take a meeting – sound familiar? The furniture styles are varied because of the ethnic diversity, and the majority of the population is apartment dwellers. These apartments are modern and not large in room size. Hence the challenge of bringing furniture in to small spaces and scaling it properly.
The International Furniture Market Expo, open to designers, architects and others in the industry, brought together manufacturers and suppliers mainly from China, Malaysia, South East Asia, India, Italy, France, and other European countries with one large area, devoted to technologically advanced machinery for building cabinetry and furniture. Style-wise, there was a smattering of Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn “look-a-likes”, but the style prevalent at the show and in the shopping malls was clean lined, small scaled contemporary furniture with lots of “built-ins”. With storage and space at a premium, this would be the logical choice, but it also pairs well with the general Asian culture and sensibility. From IKEA to Ligne Roset (two ends of the quality and cost spectrum), the Singapore furniture market is poised for growth – just like the rest of the country.
The culture both old and new, the people, and the sheer energy make Singapore a great place to visit. It almost looks like home – almost!