Shopping for recycled and reclaimed furniture? Hit Journey East's fabulous showroom in Singapore's Tan Boon Liat Building |

From an original 1930s sofa brought back to life with retro upholstery to a heavy cast iron shelving unit that’s a throwback to the industrial age, Journey East’s huge 8,600 sq ft showroom in the Tan Boon Liat Building is an example of all that’s right with eco-friendly furniture and furnishings in Singapore.

Created in 1995 in what was then the deserted army barracks of Dempsey, Journey East’s initial collections featured mainly Dutch colonial and Javanese pieces, born from a passion for teak wood and antique craftsmanship.

Eco-friendly with edge - that's Journey East! — Eco-friendly with edge – that’s Journey East!

Since then, the brand has evolved and the range expanded to include funky upcycled treasures, restored designer vintage one-offs, reclaimed teak wood pieces and a premium outdoor range from Belgian brand Mamagreen.

Add to this collections of quirky art, inventive lighting and fabulous interior accessories that the Journey East team have fallen in love with on their travels, and the result is a wonderfully eclectic range that’ll have you popping back again and again (just to browse, of course!).

d-Bodhi transforms wood from old Javanese fishing boats, such as this one, into a furniture piece you'll cherish — d-Bodhi transforms wood from old Javanese fishing boats, such as this one, into a furniture piece you’ll cherish

But more about the brands that partner with Journey East. Whether you’re a District Eight Design kinda person with a penchant for French industrial-style furniture, a d-Bodhi devotee hankering after contemporary recycled pieces, or prefer Vintage collection finds, which include original art deco and colonial teak furnishings from the 1920s – 60s, all the trendy products you’d pick up here have one thing in common. They are each fair trade and handpicked for their teeny carbon footprints – with no new trees lopped down in the process.

Take District Eight Design, for example. Their craftsmen use reclaimed wood, galvanised iron pipes and salvaged vintage materials – such as factory machine parts – to create furniture with more than just a nod to the industrial age.

Then there’s the team over at d-Bodhi who meet with Javanese families to negotiate a price for beams from their dismantled teak houses that would otherwise be discarded. They’re carried off across the rice paddies and restored by hand into dining tables, desks, consoles and more. Eco-tastic, we think!

That mug will be straight out of XLBoom's EXTRA LARGE range then! — That mug will be straight out of XLBoom’s EXTRA LARGE range then!

Enough chat – show us the products, you say, and show you the products we will, with this gallery of our favourite Journey East products. You’ll find desks, dining tables, consoles, coffee tables, sofas and storage units, plus foosball tables and chess sets that should go straight to the top of any gift lists you’re compiling! We’ve also snuck in a few of our faves from Journey East’s creative interiors collections from brands such as House Doctor, Ke’liling and XLBoom.

We’d have House Doctor’s Molecular Lamp ($675) hanging over our heads any day!

These one-of-a-kind Vintage Biscuit Tin Lamps ($267.50) from Jonas’ Design are going straight to the top of our gift lists! The upcycled beauties are fitted with a touch-sensitive switch, dimmers and carbon filament Edison bulb

Steal the style of Journey East’s showroom walls by snapping up a piece of photographic art from South African artist Clinton Friedman, such as this from his Trees series ($1,365)

You may recognise House Doctor’s gorgeous Dot vase ($45 for the short; $115 for the tall) from the cover of EL magazine. That’s how much we love it!

Industrial storage supreme! d-Bodhi’s Ferum collection is crafted from recycled boat wood and iron, with dressers from $1,245 and racks from $1,595

White pencil legs funk up d-Bodhi’s Fusion High Dresser ($1,315). We’d find space for this piece anywhere!

Oh-so-colonial, the Vintage Drop Leaf Bureau is just the place to pen a note or two

With tapered legs and faded floral motifs hand-painted by artisans in Indonesia, d-Bodhi’s Touch collection brings a fresh touch to classic shapes. Priced from $1,110 for the bench and $2,200 for a 2m dining table. Gorgeous bookcases in this range, too!

Even if we didn’t drink wine, we’d covet d-Bodhi’s Trapesium Wine Rack ($2,230)!

Play around with d-Bodhi’s reclaimed teak wood Solo wall boxes (from $105 to $180 each) to create a look you’ll love

Crafted from recycled galvanized pipes and reclaimed teak wood, d-Bodhi’s Tubeline Bar Table ($2,320 for a 1.8m table) and Stools ($640 each) ooze industrial style

Another reclaimed teak wood treasure, d-Bodhi’s Tango desk with iron accents ($1,260) is eco’-tastic!

What’s not to love? District Eight Design’s Sheffield 5-tier shelving unit ($8,250) wraps up original hand-cast iron shelf stops, custom-machined castors and reclaimed hardwood shelf tops

Give your space a pop of colour with District Eight Design’s Briggs Stools ($400 for the low stool and $430 for the counter stool). The bent steel base and oak seat is a design classic if we’ve ever seen one!

Look away now! With its reclaimed hardwood frame, cast iron legs and volcanic basalt stone field, District Eight Design’s Foosball Table ($9,100) is so uber-cool you won’t be able to get it out of your head. Facebook clearly couldn’t and snapped one up for their offices

An original metal frame given a new lease on life with fab’ reupholstery, this Vintage Art Deco Sofa ($2,150) would lift any space

Clean lines, a shell seat and fumed oak legs make District Eight Design’s Theo Shell Chair ($830) a must-have for any dining table

District Eight Design’s Chess Set ($2,900) has a hand-finished reclaimed hardwood chessboard, solid cast iron base and individually sand-casted iron chess pieces. Checkmate!

This Vintage Retro Console ($1,650) may have been around a while, but its curved solid teak wood frame has been so beautifully restored you’d never be able to tell

This Vintage Retro table ($2,100) takes us straight back to the 50s and 60s. It’s extendable too – always handy when you’ve got a steady stream of out-of-towners skipping into Singers for a stopover!

If you like what you see in the gallery above, drop by Journey East’s showroom for a squizz and a cup of coffee or, preferably, a glass of wine with the lovely team. Ginger the resident cat will be waiting to welcome you!

Psst. They’ve just opened up a new showroom in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, if you’re ever in the area!

Journey East
315 Outram Road, #03-02 Tan Boon Liat Building, 169074
Want more home inspiration? See our home decor section!

Jessamy Smit

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