Posted on Fri, 11 Feb 2011
We’re Blown Away By Asiatique!
I’ve often driven past Asiatique Collections along Dempsey Road, and always wanted to pop in, but never got down to doing it until yesterday. And you know what? I asked myself why I didn’t do so earlier! Why? Such wonderful furniture and décor thiiiiings!! And not crazy expensive either.
What was happening there was a press introduction to the shop – Asiatique’s been around for some time, but only recently expanded to a 5000-square-foot space. It was also the launch of our friend Carolyn Kan’s jewellery, Carrie K., as a permanent feature there. In short, an afternoon of pretty things!
Such a discovery! Asiatique is full of ravenously lovely home accessories and furniture, all impeccably tasteful, lusciously unique yet with auntie-loving practicality, which its equally exotic owner Chin Chelliah Bottinelli (above), personally sources from her travels. She works with some select artisans all over the world and “influences’ the design of many pieces, as she puts it. You can see she’s very thoughtful in her picks.
Contemporary, very bold no doubt, but painfully refined (a combination not often found in furniture here), they blend East and West in a very artistic way. What stands out are the clean lines and interesting textures. The shapes largely remain classic, but it’s the details and materials that make the pieces so beautiful. Everything would fit into a modern Asian home – I would certainly buy these things, and I can imagine them in my friend’s houses too. In other words, they are modern pieces designed for a ‘real’ home – not a showhouse. Most of the pieces are in muted neutrals, too, so it’s easy for you to work it into your home’s existing pieces.
I love the armchairs, railroad wood coffee tables, leather dowry cupboards, and huge, elaborate mirrors framed in all sorts of material, and mirrored Istanbul inspired sideboards. If you’re looking for candle holders, lamps and artisan jewellery, this is also the place to go. There are lots of small accessories too like little cake stands and platters; art pieces, sculptures – love the oversized mangosteen! – and assorted tableware. I salivate over a silver, coral shaped candle holder; a Victorian inspired “mirrored mirror”, and a huge silver vase which would look great at my dining table. Horrors! I could buy half the things in the shop! Nothing is ridiculous; if I didn’t take to any of the pieces I saw, it was likely because it wasn’t my taste – not that they are intrinsically ugly.
I found myself flipping over price tags, and was pleasantly surprised. It’s not Ikea, but it’s a very fair premium you pay for these unique pieces – not once did I feel that anything was overpriced and out to fleece you. I can imagine just getting one or two dramatic items to revive the look of any one of my rooms. Then there’s a section of bold artisan jewellery too by up and coming designers, of which Carrie K is the latest. Definitely a place to find fab gifts for a close friend.
We declare this shop ‘Simply Fabulicious!’ Can’t wait to go buy something there!
14A Dempsey Road
Tel: 6471 3146
11am – 7pm daily
