Floor coverings can change the entire feel of a home. Yet choosing the right style, a colour to work with your décor and the ideal size to fit a room can all have their challenges. From contemporary rugs to oriental carpets, these readers tell us which rug and carpet shops they’d recommend to help you in your choice.
Our readers tell us why they chose their rugs.
Living DNA – Dimity and Yoichi Kobayashi, daughter Rosie and cavoodle Billy, Japanese-Australian
We relocated to Singapore from Hong Kong this year, and I was devastated when our rug turned up largely stained and unable to be saved. It was a piece that I had bought while we were living in Sydney. I think rugs have a magical ability to really pull a room together. They instantly ground a space and can add colour, texture and warmth. Our living room rug is where we open our presents on Christmas morning, where my daughter took her first steps and where she first met her grandparents – it hosts so many cherished moments.
I searched high and low before I found my way to Living DNA. With shopping, I’m a love-at-first-sight kind of girl. I just know. I also like to feel a connection and alignment with a brand. I think that’s important for items that we bring into our home.
We bought the Lithe Cream rug from Living DNA – I loved its washed-out matte look and the fact it wasn’t too silky. Over the years, I’ve learnt that viscose is a perfect choice for us. You get that soft luxe feeling, like walking on clouds, but without any of the woolliness and heaviness of a traditional wool rug. I also favour warm neutral colours and loved the colour palette the store offered.
I felt so comfortable with the Living DNA team that I didn’t even view the showroom! And the most impressive part was the follow-up service. As can happen, some muddy footprints made their way onto the rug in the first week. The team stepped me through the treatment and with a bit of care and patience, my rug was as good as new. I’ll definitely shop there again.
- 16 Keong Saik Road
- 18 Tampines Industrial Crescent, #01-10B Space@Tampines
Gallery 278 – Melvin Yeh, Singaporean
I was looking for something that would complete the look of my home. The Gallery 278 x Aratemete collaboration has a gorgeous collection of area rugs that are customisable at reasonable prices. It’s really nice to be able to pick out a rug in the size, colour, texture and style that you want. I like that it becomes a focal point in my home and that it isn’t just a mass production one off the racks!
We were recommended Gallery 278 by friends. Both Gallery 278 and Aratemete have beautiful home furnishings and accessories of superb quality that are rare to find nowadays with so many cookie-cutter products around. They also do customisation, which is great for Singapore homes that don’t always fit overseas ready-made rug sizes.
I bought a customised minimalist flat weave rug from the store. It has a subtle texture and complements my other furnishings. There was a huge colour range to select from, which made me spoilt for choice! The sales team and the designers were able to narrow down my desired palette, making the customisation process easier than I expected.
My whole shopping experience was seamless and enjoyable. The team from Gallery 278 and Aratemete are both friendly and meticulous. I would certainly go back to them to furnish my other rooms.
Gallery 278
203A Henderson Road (Wing A), #11-01 & 02
6737 2322 | gallery278.com
The Cinnamon Room – Fatema ZR Choudhury, American
I’ve been in Singapore since 2020 and I decided it was time to spruce up my apartment, so I was looking to purchase a carpet. I had heard about The Cinnamon Room through Expat Living and Facebook. Since discovering the brand, I’ve bought several carpets from them but also a ton of other interior decorating items and gifts.
I love the space, the selections and the whole concept of The Cinnamon Room – and talking to and buying from Visha is great. Overall, the whole experience has been amazing. I love the store and will absolutely buy from them again.
The Cinnamon Room range is now stocked at Emperor’s Attic and Grandome
- #01-10 Tan Boon Liat Building, 315 Outram Road | 9011 0380
- #01-05/06 Citilink Warehouse Complex, 102E Pasir Panjang Road | 8040 0884 thecinnamonroom.com
Loom & Stone – Mary, Singaporean
I moved into a reconstructed family home in June and needed a variety of rugs to bring a sense of warmth and cosiness to the space. Because of the size of my home, I needed large rugs preferably with natural fibres, and this was proving difficult to find for a reasonable price.
I had hired an interior stylist, The Ochre Home, and they recommended Loom & Stone products to me. Joanna sent product samples over to my home and walked us through a variety of options. I shared my concerns on things like maintenance, cleaning and styling, and Joanna provided ideas and alternatives. It was great to see and feel the products in person and went a long way in helping me feel reassured about my purchase.
I’ve bought four carpets/rugs from them so far:
- A large, cream rug for the living room. I was looking for something with a neutral, cream colour but textured, to act as a subtle backdrop to the rest of our neutral furniture. It’s by far one of my favourite rugs.
- A low-pile polyester runner for the kitchen in a vibrant terracotta print. I wanted something that was easy to clean and in a print that wouldn’t show stains easily (because hello kitchen spills!). We also had to get something that was unusually long because of the dimensions of our kitchen; very few local brands carried such stock.
- A tasselled runner for the master bedroom. I have a lovely dark herringbone wood floor in the bedroom but it felt a bit bare without a carpet. This monochromatic tasselled wool runner adds a bit of character to the room and makes it feel a bit cosier.
- A large rug for the study, under the desk. I love this rug as it’s incredibly soft, so feeling it between your toes is a delight! It’s also large enough to encompass our study table, and it grounds the space.
I’m happy with my purchases and the customer service provided by Joanna and Loom & Stone. She’s always helpful and thoughtful in her selection and recommendations, and responsive to all my queries. I’ve lost count of how many followers (from my house account @House_No_6) have asked about my rugs too!
Loom & Stone
WhatsApp: 8889 6867 | IG: @loomandstone
hello@loomandstone.com | loomandstone.com
More Recommendations for floor coverings and contemporary rugs in Singapore
Chana and Dr Santitarn Sathirathai, Thai
Santi works from home most of the time, so we rent another unit next to our current unit to get more space – which is why we needed new rugs. We already have a few Moroccan pieces that we love, so initially we were looking for something similar. However, Moroccan rugs are colourful, and it was difficult for me to pick the right ones as the colours we see online can often be different from those we see in reality.
I did a lot of research on floor coverings and to where to buy nice contemporary rugs in Singapore and came across Living DNA. The store offers many different styles of rugs, which appealed to us. And we also found the shopping experience with the team amazing! It started with a random question on WhatsApp about one of their pieces, and I immediately started chatting with one of their stylists. I sent her a photo of my living room and she recommended a few rugs that complemented our furniture as well as the view outside. I also picked some pieces myself but ended up buying the ones she suggested.
The home trial service won my heart over. It didn’t take long to get the appointment and, before I knew it, I got to trial eight rugs before I made a decision. I ended up purchasing the largest size of the Alchemy Ice Light rug for the living room, and a blue Paradise rug for our boy’s study room. We were so happy with the rugs that a month later we bought two more Alchemy rugs; one is olive green for Santi’s home office, and another one is a sand-beige colour for the living room in the other unit.
We couldn’t be happier with our purchases and service from Living DNA and would definitely shop there again!
Living DNA Space@Tampines (flagship store)
18 Tampines Industrial Crescent, #01-10B
8511 3584 | livingdna.sg
Georgia Mor, Australian
We’ve been in Singapore for a while now and I decided it was finally time to make some effort to make our home nicer! Also, like everyone, we’ve spent rather a lot more time than expected at home, so why not make it a better environment to spend time in? So we started off with looking for nice floor coverings.
I had heard about The Cinnamon Room through Expat Living magazine. Interior design is not really my thing, so when I met with the owner Visha, I was grateful that she helped me look at different options, and even let me try out some contemporary rugs at home. What I thought I wanted was actually not what I ended up with.
We’ve since purchased four more contemporary rugs from her! Two are neutral laser-etched hide rugs, which look great in our bedroom and under our dining room table. We’ve also got a little reading space that has a colourful laser-etched hide rug that I really love, as well as a more relaxed dhurrie rug in our lounge room. Remarkably, with a small dog and messy eaters, all of the rugs are holding up well!
We love our new rugs and would definitely shop with The Cinnamon Room again.
The Cinnamon Room’s range of unique rugs and carpets in Singapore can now be found online and in store at Emperor’s Attic and Grandome, where you can enjoy a unique shopping experience to complete your home in style!
This article first appeared in the December 2022 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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