Q&A

Design Instincts: Noden

by Anton D. Javier
Photos courtesy of Noden
09 Mar 2017

Noden breathes new life to vintage Scandinavian furniture for the 21st century homeowner

They saw a need and they responded. These Singaporean design retailers are out to change lives with mid-century Scandinavian furniture, classic stationery and Japanese indigo-dyed wood. We sit with them and find out what their raison d’être is. Discover why Marko Yeo and Tawan Conchonnet, founders of Noden, decided to breathe new life to vintage Scandinavian furniture.

Click to next slide

Can you tell us how Noden got its start? 

Noden is an independent store that we started in 2013 to share a handpicked range of beautifully crafted vintage furniture, with a strong focus in original Mid-Century & Scandinavian Modern design from the 1940s to the ‘70s. In particular, we stock Danish Modern classics crafted and designed by the greatest cabinetmakers and designers from that magical design period. 

Our collection grew out of hand and we wanted to share our love for original design classics with everyone in Singapore.

Timeless design takes center stage at Noden. Can you tell us what your earliest memory of design was?

Marko: As a kid, I remember going to one of my parents’ friends home over the Lunar New Year and spent a long time trying to remove a coin that was stuck under a glass top cane coffee table. The cane coffee table looked good for sure, but I always remembered how I was never able to remove that coin…

Tawan: I think design came to me naturally as I was born to a jeweler's family. There were always all sorts of design books around the home and we always had an interest in nature's beauty and the forms of things around us. I’ve always loved it and it certainly influences everything that I do.

What makes you say “yes” before stocking a particular brand? 

We are very fussy and careful about the brands and products we offer at Noden as they have to be functional and practical. All the new brands we stock are personally tried and tested in our home. Once we are confident and feel good about the products, we make them available for the rest of our customers locally and internationally. We know that they will feel as good as us when they use it.

Fill in the blanks: “Good design is…”

…timeless simplicity, functional, makes you smile and can be use for the rest of your life.

Anything exciting coming up for Noden for the rest of the year?

Our main focus is to continue offering the best vintage furniture pieces in a style that’s truly unique to Noden. We have some new ideas and brands in mind, but we’ll have to wait and see what unfolds as the year grows older with all of us.


Visit Noden today at 65 Ubi Road 1, Oxley Bizhub, #03-75, Tel: 6702 6475. For more information, click here.