Explore a creative mix of luxury and modern furniture designs by Italian brands such as Alivar, Black Tie, Cipriani Homood, Dema, Reflex Angelo, Tonon and Ulivi
Even as a teenager, Derek Tan knew that he had found his calling. The Singapore-based entrepreneur was a frequent visitor to his father’s furniture factory during his adolescent years, gradually learning and discovering the ways in which each sofa was made.
When his father decided to relocate the business from Singapore to Shanghai, Tan made the bold move to start a new factory here as part of his furnishings company, TLE (formerly known as The Living Elements Interior). Founded in 2005, the firm specialises in the production of fabrics, wall coverings and custom-made furniture for hospitality and commercial projects; recent clients include Shangri-La Hotel and Swissotel The Stamford in Singapore.
(Related: Gani Atmadiredja, Managing Director Of W. Atelier, On Growing His Family's Business)
This year, the company founded Sphere Living, a new showroom concept that retails and distributes a curated collection of furniture pieces from Italian brands including Alivar, Black Tie, Cipriani Homood, Dema, Reflex Angelo, Tonon and Ulivi. “We started looking into brands from Italy that have not been introduced to Singapore,” explains Tan. “We don’t just sell furniture; we provide styling services as well, with a team led by our design director Siti Radiyah.”