Furnishing our office with Commune Home
Just like any other small business with humble beginnings, TheVelvetDolls didn’t have much resources to delegate to office renovation nor aesthetic wants. We started in a small, dingy office space, the most basic of basic IKEA furniture, a second-hand mini-fridge and old carpeting that was so ancient that its original colour was no longer distinguishable – was it really that shade of grey, or was it supposed to be an olive sort of green?
Of course, running a business with narrow profit margins meant that I couldn’t even afford the time to think about furnishing the office beyond functional – It was the least of my priorities, really. I was already busy enough thinking about how to cover my month overheads in rental, manpower and logistics, whoever had the resources for anything else?
For a business owner with no background in business or interest in finance, it was a long and arduous journey for me to really understand better how to run my business from ground-up, but I’m truly thankful that we’ve managed to weather through the years and have grown a lot since! I’ve had to learn everything the hard way, from the infancy of the brand until now.
Being barely functional, I could feel that our old office space was hampering productivity and creativity with its drabness, clutter and uninspiring environment. In fact, I could hardly stand working in that space because of the clutter and mess. So when I finally took the leap and signed the lease for a brand new space last year, I knew that I had to do something about it.
Finally! Fresh Beginnings!
A brand new space brought about endless new possibilities!
Instead of just functional/working, I had in mind the look of a cozy “home office”, with a small showroom area where customers could come in for apparel fittings and feel “at home”. So, we abolished all office-style furniture. When I came upon Commune Home via a friend’s recommendation, I fell absolutely in love with their classic and stylish wooden furniture.
I made a visit down to the Commune Experience Center at Defu Lane for a better idea of the actual look and feel of their furniture, and was 100% sold by how these beautifully-made and stylish pieces in real life!
Commune Home 3-D Mock-Up
Should you have issues visualising your space, or need help with design in-put, you can actually work with Commune Home to do up a 3-D mockup of your space with furniture – All done to scale!
I really appreciated how the 3-D designs helped to bring to life the space – Everything was designed according to real life measurements too, so you can get an accurate gauge on what fits. We made some changes based on my initial floor plans and ideas, and eventually settled on which pieces of furnitures to get for the office.
TVD Showroom
For the showroom space, I knew I had to have the House Shelf! This large beautifully-designed shelf is a masterpiece and makes the entire space look so much cosier and more stylish. Isn’t it a beauty?
As the space is rather small and boxy, we went with the Estelle Triangular Coffee Table and End Table to break up the space with more a organic shape.
Also, spot the beautiful Dualtone Standing Mirror in the changing-room corner and the Crimson Tall Chest next to it!
Despite piecing together various tones of wood from different Commune Home collections into the same space, I love how the overall feel is still so homogeneous and harmonious.
TVD Workspace
As for the working area, we decided to go for something less “workish” with a communal work table – This was achieved with a large dining table, Dualtone Dining Table on which sits two iMacs comfortably 🙂 Four light but sturdy Enkel Side Chairs serve as work chairs, and are also easily ported to our showroom area whenever we need more seats for a larger crowd. With my light blue rug from COMO decor (I got the size customised to match my table!), the furniture sits in so nicely!
Our office supplies go into this little chest of drawers here: Crimson 3-Drawer Dresser. It makes a great storage space to keep the utilitarian office suppliers out of sight!
My Boss Table
I’ve always wanted a “boss table” for myself – That’s half the point of being your own boss, right? Commune Home finally fulfilled my #girlboss dreams with this beautiful large Excelsior Writing Desk that is so elegant and stylish! It looks gorgeous and is just as functional, with a hidden cable management storage flap at the front, and plenty of drawer space. I love it!
I spruced up the area with a little woven rug from COMO decor and an artificial plant and I love how comfortable my little corner looks 🙂
Let’s just say that my office has come a long way from its early days, and I am really thankful and glad for it! My Commune Home furniture are still serving me well although it’s been a year in, and I frequently get compliments on the space and people inquiring about where the furniture pieces are from.
Next project – I hope it’ll be my new home! When it’s happening is still a question, but I will be working hard towards making my dream a reality 🙂
Look for Commune Home:
Flagship Store
9 Raffles Boulevard #02-52
Singapore 039596
Weekdays: 11:30AM – 9:00PM
Weekends: 11:00AM – 9:00PM
+65 6338 3823
IMM Store
2 Jurong East Street 21, #02-06,
Singapore 609601
Weekdays: 11:30AM – 9:00PM
Weekends: 11:00AM – 9:00PM
+65 6563 1761
Commune Experience Centre
28 Defu Lane 4,
Singapore 539424
Weekdays: 9:00AM – 5:45PM
Weekends: 9:00AM – 7:00PM
+65 6282 9086
Commune Collaborative Space
315 Outram Road, #11-09
Tan Boon Liat Building
Singapore 169074
Everyday: 10:00AM – 7:00PM
+65 6226 0928