Marcus Wong, Business Development Director of local custom furniture and upholstery specialist Danovel, on the evolution of soft furnishing in Singapore and reasons to opt for custom-made furniture.
Danovel was first established in the 1960s by Marcus’ grandfather, Koh Kee Khim, who founded Hock Hin Furniture Company and started producing sofas for local homeowners. Back then, the store was located at Jalan Nanas (Sims Ave, presently located opposite Eunos MRT), in a rented zinc-roofed kampong house.
Danovel Singapore
Business: Custom made furniture, upholstery
History: Since 1960s in Singapore
Address: 100 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118518
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 6pm (most days)
Contact: 6338 2488
Marcus Wong, Business Development Director of local custom furniture and upholstery specialist Danovel
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According to Marcus, over the years the company has gone above and beyond to meet the changing needs of its customers, as a uniquely custom-made furniture manufacturer.
“We are proud to say that we have been awarded the Made With Passion Singapore mark by the Singapore Tourism Board, recognising our commitment to delivering high-quality products and services. We go all out to source quality and custom materials for our customers who have specific requests,” he points out.
“For instance, some of them have requested for Swarovski crystals, or completely organic materials, such as raw cotton or linen fabrics, and we take the time and effort to meet their specific needs.”
Custom upholstery increasing in popularity
Yes, we do. While there is a lot of ready-made furniture in the market, we see that customers are looking for more personalised, bespoke furniture nowadays.
They come to us with their unique expectations and design requirements, which cannot be fulfilled by ready-made and mass market furniture.
![aquaclean-fabric](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/aquaclean-fabric.jpg)
Furniture upholstery industry in Singapore evolved
Initially, we saw mostly expatriates who showed appreciation for such custom- made furniture and sofa upholstery.
But as Western influence has become more prevalent in Singaporean society, and Singaporeans become more well-travelled and affluent, more are looking to bring that European touch of bespoke quality into their homes as well – including custom upholstered furniture.
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Popular furniture fabrics trends
Aquaclean fabric is one of the most popular fabrics right now. It is pet-friendly, which means it can withstand scratches, and is more durable in terms of the performance of the fabric.
Those with young children or pets and want to avoid stains, it can be easily washed away with just clear water.
So, it’s very easy to maintain. The fabric has antibacterial properties as well, which was timely during Covid-19. We get two or three requests for such fabrics every week.
![artisan-at-work-7](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/artisan-at-work-7.jpg)
When should I upholster my furniture?
I would suggest that they start as early as possible (i.e. at the ideation and planning stage) as the process could take up to a month. Most of the time is spent selecting and fine tuning the furniture to cater to the customer’s personal preferences. The design process usually takes about a week, and then three to four weeks for manufacturing.
They can start by browsing various living concepts online or in their favourite magazine to look for their preferred designs, before coming down to our showroom.
At our showroom, it would typically take at least two hours for the customer to discuss with our interior designers and select a fabric of their choice. We would recommend suitable fabrics based on the customer’s budget, and the look and feel they have in mind.
Once the design has been chosen, we will get the specific measurements from the customer, and prepare a CAD shop drawing mockup of the design for the customer’s approval. Since some of the fabrics have to be flown in from overseas, that would take additional time as well.
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Danovel upholstered sofas
Danovel is a heritage brand that specialises in upholstered handcrafted sofas and various furniture and furnishings. Our products are all crafted locally, and made with high quality materials to ensure that our customers are getting the best value for their money.
Additionally, Danovel is a non-traditional furniture company that adopts a progressive outlook. What sets us apart from other brands is our commitment to invest in cutting-edge technology, such as machinery and robotics, allowing us to blend traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
We can say that we are the most technologically advanced upholstery company in Singapore, and the technology we have allows us to produce more fanciful, high-quality furniture for our customers.