Specialising in more than just bespoke furniture, Arete Culture also offers a quick and affordable styling service.
When Caroline Chin Gyler founded Arete Culture in 2010, it wasn’t just to fulfil her childhood dream of creating beautiful homes.
“Before we had our own store, it was really difficult to source for the right furniture and home accessories in Singapore,” says the self-trained interior stylist who started her furniture and home decor business from a single warehouse unit.
“Even getting everything to install a single house meant making trips to multiple shops around the island.”
Since then, Arete Culture has gone on to occupy not only another storage warehouse unit, but also a design studio for creating custom furniture, an assembly studio for makeover projects, and two showrooms at Tan Boon Liat building where homeowners can browse a curated array of furnishings and décor items at their convenience.
A resource for home décor, and more
As one-stop retail shops for all your home styling needs, both of Arete Culture’s showrooms at Tan Boon Liat Building offer a comprehensive selection of indoors and outdoors products, from cushion covers to table lamps, that are centred on a simple philosophy: affordable luxury.
And embodying this principle best is none other than two of the business’ in-house home accessories labels, the Luxe Hotel Collection and the Bespoke Boutique Collection.
While the Luxe Hotel Collection consists of furnishings that are meant to bring the look, feel, and style of boutique hotels into homes, the Bespoke Boutique Collection on the other hand features exclusive items that are designed and produced in-house.
“We were fed up with the long lead times in stores, and so we ended up producing everything, from dining tables and chairs to valet stands and media consoles, by ourselves,” Caroline shares.
But that’s not all, the business also regularly “sources the region for quality accessories that are otherwise hard to find in Singapore,” thus ensuring that its customers can always find their heart’s desire.
“Our complete and comprehensive suite of décor is what most visitors come back for: we have everything to outfit a home from wallpaper and rugs, artwork and lighting, furniture and textiles, tabletop accessories and even high quality faux greenery,” answered Caroline when asked about Arete Culture’s appeal.
However, what truly differentiates Arete Culture from any run-of-the-mill furniture business is its expertise: dedicated stylists are always on hand at its showrooms to help with all things décor-related, including space planning, colour selection and design schemes.
If you ever find yourself stuck about how best to outfit your home, try out ‘Design in a Day’ – Arete Culture’s quick and pocket-friendly solution to your décor woes.
Promising a complete makeover for a targeted area in your home for just $900 (not including furnishings), this service involves a stylist team popping by for a look over, followed by the creation of a design plan tailored to your home, and a guided shopping trip at Arete Culture’s showrooms to pick out your desired furnishings.
Depending on your requirements, the installation will be completed within 1 to 3 days, ensuring that your home is ready to impress.
Says Caroline: “Our makeover and décor consultation services make it super simple for busy homeowners to realise the vision they want for their space." Of that, we've no doubt.
Arete Culture
315 Outram Rd, #06-01 Tan Boon Liat Building, Singapore 169074
Opening hours: 10am to 6pm daily