Designer furniture in Singapore
Most of us spend the workday parked on a chair, elbows on a desk, under a lamp we never think twice about. But some designer furniture in Singapore offices, cafes, and hotel lobbies comes with better stories than office gossip.
Equate, a homegrown commercial furniture company founded by 3 industry veterans, invites you to dig into these pieces from their range. Featuring a chair made of plastic bottles and a table folded from a single 1mm sheet of steel, plus where to see them all in person.
1. Arper Catifa 53
The chair inspired by a carpet caught in the wind
Image credit: Equate
Arper Catifa 53 is one of the most recognisable chairs in modern offices. Designed in 2001 by Spanish studio Lievore Altherr Molina, Catifa 53 is the most iconic product in Arper’s catalogue.
The idea was simple: a single wavy shell that supports your body. Designer Alberto Lievore compared it to a carpet blowing in the wind, just starting to curl up and take off. It proved so popular that it has since grown into a whole family of collections.
2. Arper Kata
The cosy lounge chair made from old plastic bottles
Image adapted from: Equate
Kata looks like the wood-and-woven-straw armchair at your grandparents’ place. Look closer, and the woven part is actually a 3D-knitted fabric made from recycled plastic bottles.
The yarn is spun from post-consumer plastic waste, producing 1kg of yarn for every 1kg of PET waste. The 3D-knitting method also cuts production waste by 30-50%. It was designed by Barcelona studio Altherr Désile Park and launched in 2021 as Arper’s first solid wood lounge chair.
3. Arper Juno 02
The plastic chair that’s 70% recycled
Image credit: @hello_equate via Instagram
Plastic chairs get a bad rap, but Juno 02 is out to change that. The slim, stackable chair was first designed by British designer James Irvine in 2012, and Studio Irvine gave it a refresh in 2022.
The new version is made from 70% recycled plastic from industrial waste. The mould was also redesigned so each chair uses less material without losing strength. It comes in 6 colours and works indoors and outdoors, which makes it handy for everything from offices to restaurants.
4. Arper Onemm
The table folded from a single 1mm sheet of steel
Image credit: @hello_equate via Instagram
The name says it all. Onemm’s tabletop is made from one sheet of steel just 1mm thick, folded like origami into a slim but sturdy table.
Swiss architect Peter Kunz designed it in 2022, taking inspiration from the monocoque technique used in Formula 1 cars. The whole table is made of just 5 parts that can be put together without tools and taken apart for recycling at the end of its life.
5. Lumina Daphine lamp
The desk lamp that started a whole company
Image credit: @lumina_italia via Instagram
That slim, bendy desk lamp you’ve probably spotted in design-savvy offices just turned 50. Tommaso Cimini, a mechanical engineering whiz, built the first Daphine prototype in 1975 in a small workshop near Milan, using machines he had modified himself.
His design rule was lots of light, not much lamp. The lamp did so well that he founded the lighting company Lumina in 1980 on the back of it. To mark the 50th birthday, Lumina released special editions in green, orange and mustard, colours taken from the 1970s.
Where to see these designer office furniture pieces in Singapore?
Try them out at Equate’s Kallang Bahru showroom
Image credit: @hello_equate via Instagram
Furniture is one of those things you need to sit on, lean on and fiddle with before you commit, especially when you’re kitting out a whole office or a new F&B spot. Equate’s showroom in Kallang Bahru puts these pieces in one place, so you can test the chairs and tables for yourself.
The team handles the whole process, from helping you pick the furniture to shipping, delivery, and installation. That’s handy if you’re setting up a new space and don’t want to juggle a different supplier for every item.
Your office furniture can have interesting stories too
The next time you sink into a meeting room chair or flick on a desk lamp, take a second to look at it. There’s a good chance it has a better backstory than your last team-building session.
And if you’re planning an office refresh or opening a new F&B spot, swing by Equate in Kallang Bahru to see these pieces in person before you commit.
Browse Equate’s full furniture collection
Address: 219 Kallang Bahru, #03-01, Singapore 339348
Contact: Equate Furniture Instagram | Equate Furniture Facebook
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- Best ergonomic chairs in Singapore
- Best standing desks & converters with adjustable height
- How to choose a mattress in Singapore
Cover image adapted from: Equate, @hello_equate via Instagram