The Cinnamon Room name is synonymous with beautiful rugs and home decor. In Singapore, floor coverings are the best way to soften hard marble floors and give warmth to your space.
When VISHA NELSON relocated to London recently, she knew two things: that she wanted to build on the momentum The Cinnamon Room has garnered over the past eight years, and that she’d need to be nimble to adjust to a new way of doing business. Her commercial savvy came in handy when selecting new stockists for the brand. Thankfully, with both Grandome and Emperor’s Attic, Visha realised their symbiosis almost immediately. She tells us more about it here.
How have you found the transition away from Singapore?
It’s great to be back in bustling cosmopolitan London, with its vibrant art, theatre and dining scenes. I’m enjoying new experiences as well as re-discovering old haunts anew. It’s been a challenge setting up and settling in. One thing’s for sure – I’m missing the Singapore efficiency!
What footprint will The Cinnamon Room maintain here?
The brand’s story is far from over, so it was crucial that I selected the right stockists to take it into the future. It’s important to me that my new partners share the same ethos of exceptional quality, design and customer service.
The Cinnamon Room’s always been about more than just selling floor coverings and home décor. I want people to furnish their homes with beautiful things that make them happy. Since I started the company, I’ve taken pride in not only curating luxury products, but in building client relationships. By really listening to what a client wants, I’ve enabled them to choose perfect pieces to make their house into a home. So when selecting my stockists, customer service was the most important criteria.
Tell us about your new stockists for your beautiful rugs
As a personal client of both Emperor’s Attic and Grandome, I’m confident they’re the perfect ambassadors to champion my brand. The fact that they’re located within home-furnishing destination hubs (Tan Boon Liat Building and Citilink Warehouse Complex respectively) is an added bonus for customers seeking a full-day shopping experience.
Emperor’s Attic carries a large collection of handcrafted Chinese antique, vintage and reclaimed furniture, and Singapore-inspired art and home décor, which perfectly complement our range of floor coverings and interior accessories. The store is helmed by the industrious Chantal, and you’ll receive only the highest level of customer service when you walk through the door.
Grandome is a relative newcomer to the home furnishing scene, and I instantly fell in love with its elegant, contemporary design aesthetic – and affordable price point. The owner Mike was previously in quality inspection and control for other global brands, and has capitalised on his knowledge and attention to detail at Grandome. Choosing the store as my second stockist in Singapore felt like coming home.
The two stores are quite different style-wise. Was this a deliberate choice or a happy coincidence?
Most certainly the former! I feel incredibly lucky to work with two diverse design schemes as it provides an opportunity to showcase The Cinnamon Room’s product versatility. Our laser-edged metallic beautiful rugs, hurricane lamps and tea light centerpieces are just at home next to a vintage piece as they are within a sleek, contemporary space.
Together, we’ve achieved some beautiful synergies, elevating both of our home furnishing and décor offerings to new heights. Clients can now invest in a significant piece like a modern couch or an antique Chinese cabinet and ground their space with an exquisite rug, softening and finishing the look.
Will you stock different products in each showroom?
Both stores will stock our best-selling range of eclectic home décor including hide rugs and cushion covers, vibrant hued trays, and signature candleholders, but different sizes and shades will be available in each store. Currently, there’s a wider range of dhurries and outdoor recycled PET yarn rugs at Emperor’s Attic. If you’ve got your eye on a specific design (but want to touch and feel it in person) it’s best to call ahead to check on availability.
Will your beautiful rugs and floor coverings continue to be available online?
The Cinnamon Room has worked its way into many hearts, minds and homes over the years; for those who are already fans of the brand, ordering online and quickly receiving their orders (three to five days for in-stock items) is exactly what they want.
However, you can’t underestimate the feel-good factor of visiting a showroom, from touching textures, to appreciating the scale of a rug in a space, and receiving expert styling advice to bring warmth to your project. Call me old school, but I still love the experience of shopping in a physical store where I can be inspired to create a spectacular home!
You have infectious energy and a great eye for style. Will you offer personalised services to clients?
Check out The Cinnamon Room Instagram page for fun styling videos and photography of my décor in situ. I’m working with the stockists to create more content as we speak, and have already had a few personalised sessions on Zoom to answer burning styling queries. I’ll also be in Singapore every three months or so to connect with clients in-store, so watch this space.
Grandome
#01-05/06, Citilink Warehouse Complex, 102E Pasir Panjang Road | 8040 0884
Emperor’s Attic
315 Outram Road, #01-10,Tan Boon Liat Building | 9011 0380
thecinnamonroom.com | vishanelson@thecinnamonroom.com
Now you have your pad looking fab you’ll want to entertain. Read this article for the best supermarkets in Singapore.
Like this article and want to read more? Buy the latest issue of Expat Living magazine or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
