Often associated with the unwieldiness of heavy manufacturing, an industrial estate in Hougang is hardly the place where you would expect to have a pleasant afternoon shopping at a design-savvy furniture store.
Enter Commune's Experience Centre at Defu, which turns this belief on its head with an immersive retail experience that brings together interactive spaces, cosy décor as well as a well-curated collection of stylish furnishings, textiles and home accents.
Commune’s Dualtone collection is designed with understated simplicity in mind.
Commune's offerings largely cater to contemporary tastes, of which include the mid-century modern inspired Geormani sofa and Bowen furnishing collection. Also of note is the best-selling Dualtone dining table that marries two types of hardy American wood: bright oak and walnut – a simple, but eye-catching pairing that perfectly captures the appeal of the modern-day Scandinavian aesthetic.
“Commune’s aim is to provide good design at affordable prices for local homeowners, and we take this desire a step further by providing shoppers with inspiration and information about our offerings,” says Julian Koh, Brand Director at Commune, about the establishment’s appeal within the local home furniture industry.
“This (approach) makes Commune unique, as shopping here is much more than just about making purchasing decisions.”
Do more than shop
In the restful setting of Commune’s Defu store, customers are free to explore various interactive displays, including a mood boarding wall where they can get hands-on with creating their own fabric-and-colour-swatch collages.
Meanwhile, informational walls offer a rare, but detailed look at the design and manufacturing processes involved in the creation of Commune’s furniture.
For homeowners who are concerned about space planning, Commune too offers a one-of-a-kind solution in the form of a 3D floor planner. Making use of Virtual Reality technology, this unique setup helps customers to figure out their furniture layout – all without lifting a single finger.
The level of attention paid to creating value even extends to an unlikely aspect of store design: smell. “We have a specially-created scent that we use for all our stores in Singapore,” says Julian.
“This may be a simple shared feature, but just like our other unique offerings, it certainly helps to set Commune apart from the crowd.”
Commune
Experience Centre:
28 Defu Lane 4, Singapore 539424
Opening hours: 9am - 5:45pm (weekdays), 9am - 7pm (weekends)
Flagship Store:
9 Raffles Boulevard, #02-52 Millenia Walk, Singapore 039596
Opening hours: 11:30am - 9pm (weekdays), 11am - 9pm (weekends)
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