“It's bittersweet at the same time thinking of how we transformed that empty space into our home, and now we're leaving that.”
"Without a doubt, Joo Chiat is one of our favourite neighbourhoods in the East. We both also have a Peranakan heritage and we felt a close kinship with the Peranakan vibes in the area, especially seen in the shophouse buildings.”
“By setting up shop in a rich heritage location such as Joo Chiat, and by offering quality products that you can’t easily find elsewhere, we are committing ourselves to our roots as a local brand obsessed with only the best for any home.”
“We wanted the store raw, natural and organic looking, much like our products! So we used plenty of stained plywood, cement, lime-wash, wood tiles, glass, and terracotta.”
“Our dear friend Jowie from Uchi helped to put it together, and she did a great job with the tight timeline we had, amidst all the ever-changing Covid climate.”
SOJAO Home Goods Store during renovation works.
“Jan's favourite is the front part where we lime-washed the wall ourselves, to make our white neon 'Hustle Hard Sleep Easy' sign pop. Every brush stroke can be seen in the texture, and it turned out beautifully!”
“Pris's favourite is the cotton mural wall at the back of the store, which our lovely creative team designed and painted themselves! We're so lucky to have such a talented and dedicated bunch of crew with us.”
“Quality is always our top priority for SOJAO.”
“We chose to stock the store with Japanese brands such as Jicon and Kimura, who are known for their excellent and beautiful quality of porcelain and lead-free crystalware. Kimura is the original designer of the beautiful Old-fashioned Crumple glass, which we are carrying in-store.”
“We’re also stocking smaller local brands such as Carrom, Remindsmeof, Hush Candle, Loom&Stone, Soapnut Republic and Stateofmatters to support our homegrown community of brands that are making awesome products as well. We still see ourselves as a startup, and we felt a kinship with these brand-owners. We also made sure to have something for everyone, regardless of their budget!”
“We are super excited to meet everyone in person again! We've missed getting to know everyone and meeting our customers in person.”
“It takes a village to build something this special, and we're really lucky to have the people around us to help.”
“We want to continue helping everyone to make meaningful choices for their everyday needs. SOJAO has also always focused on the makers behind the products, and I think that helps people to appreciate who they're supporting with their purchase.”
“We want to help other local brands grow as well, and showcase the amazing entrepreneurial spirit and hard work of these start-ups.”
“We're definitely looking forward to the situation improving and getting all these restrictions on social gatherings being lifted, and being able to gather with our friends. We're also looking forward to travelling freely and sourcing for more unique offerings to bring to our Home Goods Store!”
Our Home Goods Store will be open daily from 10am - 7pm at 251 Joo Chiat Road.
