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Looking for quality statement pieces to spruce up your home? Emperor’s Attic offers beautiful, handcrafted furniture that celebrates Chinese design and artisanship
Just like our wardrobes, our homes need a little refresh every now and then. Sometimes, all it takes is one statement-making objet d’art to completely transform your space.
If you’re looking for beautiful, quality handcrafted statement pieces, look no further than Emperor’s Attic, located at the bustling Tan Boon Liat Building, a go-to place for interior stylists and people in the know. Emperor’s Attic has been showcasing a wide range of carefully curated and unique pieces, including traditionally handcrafted furniture and ceramics, since 1999. You can rest assured that each piece acquired at Emperor’s Attic is a conversation starter, imbued with historical and artistic value.
Discovering Treasures Of The North
Above Emperor’s Attic is a treasure trove of vintage, antique and reclaimed furniture
Emperor’s Attic is a treasure trove of vintage, antique and reclaimed furniture
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The brand is helmed by Chantal Travers, who sources antique, vintage and reclaimed furniture from northern China. Owning a piece of furniture from Emperor’s Attic is akin to acquiring a part of Chinese design history: each piece of furniture, whether it’s a console, cabinet or sideboard, has been handmade by skilled artisans who still utilise traditional woodworking techniques to manipulate the form.
These carpentry skills have been acquired through the generations, and only select artisans have been schooled in these methods.
They understand, for instance, how traditional Chinese carpentry is about putting solid wood furniture together without glue and nails. You will rarely find the metal hardware on a cabinet or sideboard to be original. This is because during the Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong needed all the metal from furniture to melt down to make low-grade pig steel to industrialise the country and these wooden cabinets were used as fuel for the fires to melt metal.
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Above The furniture is sourced from Northern China
Above Each piece is handcrafted using traditional woodworking techniques
The furniture is sourced from Northern China
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If you opt for an antique or vintage piece, you can rest assured that the artisans have meticulously taken apart the piece and repaired each section individually. The furniture is then hand-lacquered in order to ensure a lifetime of use. Otherwise, you can also choose a reclaimed piece that has been designed and crafted using traditional aesthetic codes and techniques. The wood used hails from the Northern Chinese region, and is hardy enough to withstand different conditions, including weather damage and Singapore’s heat and humidity.
While it’s getting more challenging to source for these furniture pieces due to tougher regulations, the pieces are inherently valuable for their artistic and historical provenance. Some of them boast antique and vintage hand paintings, meticulously restored by skilled artisans using beautiful modern colours and finishing techniques, without foregoing the heritage of the piece.
Above You can also find accents such as vases and artworks at Emperor’s Attic
You can also find accents such as vases and artworks at Emperor’s Attic
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The Woman Behind
Above Chantal Travers is the owner of Emperor’s Attic, and has a keen eye for beauty
Chantal Travers is the owner of Emperor’s Attic, and has a keen eye for beauty
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Travers, who lived in Beijing for four years before moving to Singapore, has an undeniable eye for beauty. While in China, she fell in love with antique furniture and ceramics. She would become the go-to for homeowners looking to acquire a piece of design history. With a keen eye for quality, detail and finish, she decided to turn her passion into a business and acquired Fairprice Antique—which she would subsequently rename to Emperor’s Attic—in 2016. Through the brand, she has been on a mission to protect this precious heritage, and bring China’s history, art and craftsmanship to Singaporean homes.
She says: “I love finding and restoring these special pieces and then seeing customers fall in love with them too.”
The furniture is painstakingly restored, and imbued with modern, beautiful colours
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Beautiful Accents
Above Lampton allows home owners to customise their own porcelain lamps
Lampton allows home owners to customise their own porcelain lamps
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In addition to its antique and vintage wood furniture, the Emperor’s Attic has also expanded its business with the introduction of its newest brand, Lampton. Sourced from the Jingdezhen region, these Ginger Jar ceramic bases are traditionally handcrafted by skilled artisans, who’ve honed their skills over thousands of years—after all, this area is famed for its blue and white porcelain ware. Lampton elevates the ceramics with handmade fabric shades that add a touch of quirk and individuality to your space.
The best bit? You can even get the lamps customised by combining your chosen lamp base with your favourite size, shape and fabric for the shade.
