Antique Furniture Shops – Top picks and tips!

Looking to inject some character into your home or buy a memento of your time in Asia? Antique furniture or quality reproduction or vintage furniture from the region is the way to go! We love how antiques have their own story. If you’re looking for cabinets, chairs, tables, lamps, sideboards and more, you’ll find classic colonial signature pieces and creative Chinese options at these top antique furniture shops in Singapore.

Asian antique furniture and antiquities

For the past 20 years, Woody Antique House has been offering a wide and diverse range of Asian furniture and antiquities sourced from various areas in Asia such as China, Tibet, Mongolia, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia. It’s one of the best shops for antique furniture and antiquities, and an old favourite among the furniture stores at Dempsey.

Through their extensive networks established over the years, they’ve built up a varied range of antique furniture such as Mongolian and Tibetan sideboards and cabinets. You’ll also find Chinese wedding, kitchen and traditional cabinets of all shapes and colours. There are rain drums and bronze gongs from Thailand and Myanmar too – great as a special feature piece. And the Indian coffee tables, dining tables and cabinets are meticulously restored to retain and reveal their original beauty.

Furniture can also be customised to your specifications, so you can create unique pieces and turn an idea into reality. Bi-weekly shipments ensure that there’s always something new on offer when you visit. Follow the Facebook page to keep updated on new shipments.

Antique furniture top picks

• Original wedding and kitchen cabinets from Zhejiang Province in China can be repainted in modern shades or reproduced in various sizes and colours. It’s a great way to mix antique furniture styles in with new.
• Indian coffee and dining tables made from old doors and windows are also popular; and there aren’t many left in the world!
• Make a statement with a Mongolian sideboard. A carefully restored piece will not only tell a story of its own with its unique and beautiful paintings, but also provide much-needed storage space in your living area.

Tips and advice on buying antiques

“Know the story behind the antique piece you’re getting,” says owner Chris Ang. “It helps in building a connection to it and providing a great conversation topic between you and your guests. First, choose a piece of antique furniture you like as the statement piece; then build the rest of your décor around it in the area you’ll be placing it.”

Dempsey Hill, 13 Dempsey Road, #01-05
6471 1770 | woodyantique.com

Vintage and antique furniture from Northern China

When you enter the Emperor’s Attic store, the first thing you’ll notice is colour – from pastel pinks to pillar-box reds and Tiffany blues! Owner Chantal Travers and her team have a brilliant eye for styling. You’ll see immediately how any number of their pieces could fit into your home. And they’ll dispel your fears around the use of colour, or how to blend Asian furniture into your home.

The next thing you’ll notice is the high quality of the pieces, both old and new; there’s a potent combination of beauty, quality and practicality. Each piece has been carefully hand-picked by Chantal from highly skilled artisans in Northern China. You can shop hand-painted Chinese cabinets, seating, sideboards, chests, ceramics, stools and many other home accessories. It’s one of the best shops to buy antique furniture and gorgeous repurposed pieces for the home.

Stay up-to-date on new shipments and the store’s regular events on Instagram and Facebook.

Antique furniture top picks

• Cabinets in beautiful blues are very popular at the moment and work well as statement pieces in homes of any size and design.
• Antique hand-painted cabinets and sideboards from Gansu Province are exclusive pieces, great for storage in the dining room, hallway or living room.
• Functional and aesthetically pleasing, elegant tall noodle cabinets from Shanxi Province offer a heap of storage space for linen, toys, tableware and more.

Top tip on buying antiques

“Don’t be afraid to mix styles,” says Chantal. “By doing so, you’re making a statement and making your home uniquely yours.”

#01-10 Tan Boon Liat Building, 315 Outram Road
9011 0380 | emperorsattic.com

Chinese antiques, vintage furniture and home accessories

Opening in Singapore in 2001, China Collection is one of the best shops for antique furniture and vintage pieces you’ll find. The elegant shophouse setting is striking, with colourful Peranakan architecture and stained-glass windows. You’ll find the bright and airy store set over two floors, with an impressive array of original elm wood cabinets, painted sideboards, trunks, consoles and altar tables. Interspersed amongst these genuine antique pieces, China Collection also features a colourful range of Asian-inspired home accessories including lamps, porcelain jars, bronze rain drums and their signature jade and silk tassels.

China Collection’s store owner Doug Lockett is a passionate expert on Northern Chinese country antique furniture, and hand selects and curates the collection. China Collection’s in-house interior stylist is also available to assist customers with selections and offer home decorating advice. Can’t get to the store? View and shop the collection on the new updated webstore.

Top Picks

• The latest 40-foot container of antique and vintage furniture from North China includes exceptionally crafted dressers, trunks and console tables, as well as a new selection of porcelain ginger jars in an array of colours.
• The famous jade and silk tassels are perfect for dressing up vases and adding to cabinets and doors; they’re a quick and easy way to change up the look of your space with a splash of colour.
• China Collection runs in-store events (subject to social distancing rules). One example, is an upcoming workshop on “Creating Your Happy Home with Feng Shui”, featuring Lucy Richardson.

Top advice when buying antiques

“Collect slowly,” advises owner Doug. “The best way to collect vintage and antique pieces for your home is to start off slowly. As you learn and discover more, your tastes and preferences in antiques may very well change and evolve. It can often be tempting to want to buy three or four antique pieces all at once. Be careful, though; if you have too many pieces in any given room, it can look busy and distracting. We offer a complimentary styling session for our customers to give expert advice on home décor.”

252 Joo Chiat Road
9858-6889 | China Collection

Chinese antique furniture, reproductions and accessories

Just Anthony carries a wide selection of reproduction furniture, Chinese antiques and accessories in a showroom spanning 10,000 square feet. You can shop cabinets, chests, day beds and Ming-style reproduction furniture pieces, plus there’s a large selection of stunning lamps.

You’ll also find elegant silk wall coverings, wall decorations, mirrors and even antique room dividers repurposed from old door panels. Got a tricky space or something particular in mind? Get your piece customised to your ideal colour, dimensions and design.

Just Anthony receives monthly shipments; subscribe to the mailing list or follow the Facebook page for updates.

Antiques and reproduction furniture top picks

• Antique lattice door panels from China’s Zhejiang Province can be used in a variety of ways in a modern home, including as doors of a cabinet or simply as a dramatic background piece. The texture and original colour of these old doors have a lot of character and style; they’re sure to make a statement!
• Old carvings made into doors of small and medium-sized cabinets are very popular. Instead of being just wall hangings, they become a piece of furniture that’s both unique and functional.
• Repainted antique sideboards from Gansu and Shandong Provinces offer generous storage whether for linen, cutlery or books, and add a rugged charm to any room.

Tips and advice on buying antiques

“If you love a piece, buy it. Don’t just get something that will fit in your current home.”

379 Upper Paya Lebar Road
6283 4782 | justanthony.com

Now we’ve laid out the best shops for antique furniture, how about some more inspiration and a nose around these readers’ homes?

Amy Brook-Partridge

Amy has two kids, one dog and one husband - although she'd love to have more than one (dog, that is). She's mad about F45 training, running and playing Gaelic football, when she isn't injured or drinking a little too much wine.