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Like the rest of the retail landscape, furniture shopping has undergone tremendous changes in the last decade. The digital era has disrupted conventional business models, with online sales continuing to gain momentum through e-commerce platforms, social media and technological innovations like augmented reality (AR) apps.
Then there are the traditional and independent home goods companies that keep to brick-and-mortar stores. Imparting a nostalgic charm and with unique, often one-of-a-kind pieces that tell a story, they bring both a human connection and tangible experience to the furniture shopping journey. But the pandemic, months of shutdown and looming uncertainty have also taken their toll on shop owners, especially those who haven’t jumped on the digital retail bandwagon.
Sisters’ Dream is one of them, a little furniture store along Jalan Pari Burong that sells custom-made teak furniture, vintage lamps, homeware and other curios. It has been operating since 1999, and is helmed by sisters Agnes and Mary Fong.
They open up about the challenges of the fast-changing retail industry, how the pandemic has impacted their livelihood, and moving forward to adapt to the new normal.
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How and why did you start Sisters’ Dream?
Agnes: Inspired by our holidays in Australia and its vintage curio shops, Mary and I dreamt about opening a business but with our own take. We first started weekly ‘garage sales’ in Mary’s home along Upper Changi Road, placing ads in the newspapers. The response was great, and we realised the potential for a homeware and furniture shop. It was daunting at first – starting a business from scratch and with no background in the industry. Mary was a property agent and I was a school teacher.
Eventually, we found a little shophouse with affordable rent, and opened Sisters’ Dream in 1999. Slowly, we learnt how to design furniture instead of buying ready-made pieces, and found reliable carpentry workshops in Java and Solo that use recycled teak or those from responsible farms.
Mary: I actually moved out of Sisters’ Dream in 2000, and started Echoes of the East with a friend. But when operating costs such as rent grew too high, we closed it in February 2018 and I moved back to Sisters’ Dream. Even while running different shops, Agnes and I would continue to source and brainstorm ideas for new furniture designs.
Where are your furniture and accessories from and what do you look for when curating items for the store?
Mary: Now, our furniture is made in Indonesia with the occasional ready-made pieces from India. Home furnishings like lamps, sculptures, art and vintage pieces are sourced globally, including Eastern Europe, France, U.K. and the U.S.
Before Covid-19, we often went on sourcing trips overseas. My daughter would also help in sourcing and build relationships with suppliers from the Internet.
We don’t carry much inventory or own a warehouse space – what you see in the showroom is what we have. We believe that this is more sustainable than buying in bulk, and ending up with excess. When curating items, we consider what our clients like, and their feedback on what they look for. Interior decor trends often come and go, so we go for classic designs as well as vintage pieces that are one-of-a-kind and grow in value over the decades.
Tell us more about your custom-made furniture and the process
Agnes: Many of our customised pieces are designed in collaboration with our customers. It usually starts with a consultation and dimensions provided by the customer. Then Mary or I will draft a design. Once that’s approved, we’ll submit it to our Indonesian suppliers.
It usually takes about two months for the furniture to arrive in Singapore. Our in-house carpenter will then put the finishing touches like sanding and staining. The Indonesian workshops use a traditional wood joint-and-screw technique that reduces the dependency on nails. This creates stronger, longer-lasting heirloom pieces that can be passed on to future generations.
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“Singaporeans have a lot of emotional connection to items that represent their childhood or an earlier generation. Many have kept their mothers’ or grandmothers’ Singer sewing machines, ice kachang machines or old radios.”
Agnes Fong, co-owner of Sisters’ Dream
What are the most memorable pieces you’ve sold or have interesting stories behind them?
Agnes: One of them is a big teak and wrought iron shelving unit that I designed for a customer’s antique sewing machine collection. Another design I loved is a 3m-long outdoor shoe cabinet, with tropical fern leaf carvings against blue Peranakan stained glass.
Our shoe cabinets come with unique open slates at the back, allowing for ventilation, which means less smelly shoes! We often incorporate Peranakan influences, such as coloured glass screens or even stools inlaid with genuine vintage Peranakan tiles.
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