1 / 1
Jayashree Mani, founder of The Sandalwood Room, shares on her vision of offering local shoppers a perfect space filled with dreamy inspiration and handmade artisanal goods.
When was The Sandalwood Room established?
The store was launched in late July last year, and we are relatively new in the market.
What led to the establishment of the store?
Two things prompted me to create The Sandalwood Room. The first is that whenever someone thinks about shopping in Singapore, it’s always about well-known brands and heading to the usual malls. What I want to do is offer shoppers here a different experience with a unique range of contemporary designs as well as traditional crafts. Secondly, as an avid shopper myself, I can appreciate a place where I can linger and spend an afternoon to enjoy a well-curated range of products at leisure. I call it retail recreation, which is rather distinct from retail therapy.
What are some of the things shoppers can find in The Sandalwood Room?
There is a wide range of handmade home and fashion accessories, from block printed bedsheets and quilts (hand woven from organic cotton and made with organic vegetable dyes), to designer tableware, beaded drawstring Potli bags as well
as jewellery in traditional and contemporary styles.
Can you share with us the uniqueness of the handmade accessories in the store?
These handmade items are created by established designers who are trying to revive and preserve vanishing arts and trades by working with village communities that have spent their lives perfecting the skill. Made from natural materials, these accessories use traditional techniques that have been passed down for centuries, and they are now infused into modern designs and styles. One example is the Charrakam style jewellery we offer, which comes from a design firm working with artisans who had given up their tradition of Charakkam or hand knotting to work as migrant labourers in Mumbai. This is a skill that is fast disappearing simply because these artists have no one to pass their knowledge on to.
Who do you work with when it comes to sourcing for your store?
I’m glad to say that I have very good experts as part of my team. My retail consultant, Mathangi Srinivasamurti, is an established entrepreneur who has operated a similar concept store in India for over 15 years. We embarked on the idea of creating The Sandalwood Room together in Singapore.
Do you have any plans for expansion at the moment?
I’m focused on having a single outlet and I don’t wish to turn this concept into a chain because I want The Sandalwood Room to have its own character. What you can expect seeing is more handmade and artisanal products from around the world. We update our collections regularly so there’s always something new to see here, but because they are mostly made by hand we only have limited quantities.
You might also like:
