Singapore's K+ is a celebration of fine local design
SINGAPORE -- The little red dot hasn't always been known as a hub of design talent, but stepping into K+ is an education for anyone keen to discover more Singaporean designers.
The new multi-label store housed on the third floor of Scotts Square is a veritable playground for design aficionados and lovers of finely curated goods.
As I entered the 4,300 square foot space with its mint and natural wood colour scheme, I felt like a kid in a candy store.
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The store's gallery section is an open-concept, well-lit art space and will probably be the first thing to catch your eye as you walk in. Nathan Yong, its debut exhibiting artist, is the first in a series of local artists who will populate the space with homegrown buyable art.
Over to the retail space, you'll find carefully curated displays from six local brands: Kinetic itself, indie book purveyors BooksActually, home furnishing distributors Pomelo, creative studio Tofu, social agency GoodStuph, and gallery shop SuperMama.
There, you'll find home items like Pomelo's minimalist table lamp and SuperMama's signature porcelain crockery, emblazoned with recognisable nationalistic motifs. You'll also encounter bric-a-brac that's not quite as functional -- but equally as covetable -- like a sushi-printed silk scarf from Tofu, as well as Goodstuph's tongue-in-cheek ERP and Housing and Development Board (HDB) coin pouches.
Pat Law, the founder of Goodstuph says the stores came together as a show of support for the local design scene.
In addition to the six main brands, K+ has placed kiosks around the store carrying goods from local designers looking to get their names out there. It is here that I also came across and fell in love with Still Wares, a one-of-a-kind ceramics label founded by a Singaporean duo.
The open-concept space was also envisioned as a community space, Kinetic told me. As I walked toward the back of the bookshelves, there are couches for communal reading.
There's also an open table, where workshops and activities are planned. Since the store opened on Friday, free Wi-Fi has been made available for the general public to make themselves at home.
And in keeping with its socially-oriented mission, K+ also plans to dedicate a share of the store's profits to benefit the local arts community and non-profit organisations. Consumerism with a conscience? Sign me up.
K+ is located at #03-11 Scotts Square.
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