Discover Uptown’s design stores including locally designed furniture, lighting from around the globe, beautiful art objects and jewelry,  leading Italian designer furniture, precious porcelain and contemporary Danish designs. 

Here’s a few of the store owners favourites.

ECC

Item: Noctambule by Flos

When people are renovating or building, or buying an apartment off the plans, at what stage should they consider the lighting?

Lighting should be planned at the design stage, often alongside the architect, before construction starts. This gives you the opportunity to consider structural elements, such as concrete beams where surface-mounted fittings are required, or reinforcing ceilings for a heavier pendant light. It also sits alongside decisions on home automation and how lighting fits into those requirements. There should be some understanding of how furniture and artwork are going to be placed in the room in order to position such things as bedside lights or picture lights.

Is there any advice you would give to people when considering a lighting plan?

Engaging with a lighting designer gives you access to the latest technology. Now that LED is high quality, small in size and mainstream, fittings have become very minimal. The change in this space is still rapid, with new products constantly being released. A specialist in the field will be trained in the light distribution and functionality of new releases.

For apartments, what sort of feature lighting would you recommend?

In apartments where space is at a premium it is even more important to coordinate the style of lighting as you move from room to room. A more minimalistic approach works well for apartments. Choose your functional lighting in a consistent colour finish so that your decorative items can take centre stage. Mood and effect are important in small spaces, as you don't want the whole room awash with bright light. Low glare downlights provide a targeted pool of light and almost disappear in the ceiling from a distance. 

On the other hand, feature lighting is designed to be noticed and is very much down to personal preference, but it should still align with the overall interior aesthetic. Take a note of the scale of pendants and floor lamps in apartments in relation to ceiling height and room size.

Studio Italia

Item: Tessa armchair by Flexform

What do you love about this piece? 

Every construction detail of the Tessa armchair is a clue to the great complexity that lies behind its apparent simplicity. It’s the kind of simplicity that stems from the ingenuity and craftsmanship inherent to the concept of the product itself.

Where is Studio Italia furniture made?

100% made in Italy. The Tessa is manufactured by Flexform and designed by the famous architect (and art director for Flexform) Antonio Citterio. Flexform is located in the Brianza region near Lake Como north of Milan. This is a district home to the most renowned Italian manufacturers with generations of furniture artisans.

What should people consider when buying furniture?

Comfort and quality are key to buying a piece of investment furniture and will ensure longevity and enjoyment of the piece.

Considering that a lot of people in Uptown live in apartments, what is good advice for living in a small space? 

Invest in fewer but bigger pieces; this will help to make the apartment feel more spacious. Choose pieces that can be reconfigured or added-to over time when you move.

Simon James

Item: November Outdoor Modular Sofa

What do you love about this piece? 

This outdoor range took over two years to develop, with the brief of creating a sofa that looked like it belonged indoors and offered the comfort you would normally associate with that. We were drawn to the relaxed sling arm and back detail, which provides flexibility in the seat back.

Is there any advice you would give to people when buying outdoor furniture for their apartment decks or balconies?
When considering outdoor furniture for an apartment balcony, space consideration is paramount. You don't want something that is oversized and consumes what potentially limited outdoor area you may have. Another aspect is whether the design is modular, which may offer the option of different set-ups between the summer and winter months.

Città Design

Item: Daily Sofa 

What do you love about this piece? 

The three-seater sofa features the signature repetitive dowel detail along its back and comes in solid walnut and solid oak. This new sofa addition, as well as the expanded timber offering, means there is a piece to suit every environment. You can upholster the sofas and armchairs in a range of fabrics. The three-seater sofa shown here has a walnut frame with Fabio boucle upholstery in the umber colourway.

Design 55

Item: Fornasetti plate

Is there any advice you could give for accessorising your living space with ceramics and pieces stocked by Design 55?

One of my favourite items are the Fornasetti candles; not only do you have a beautiful scented candle in a ceramic vessel, when you have finished burning it you are left with a fabulous vase. These are all handmade in Italy.

Is there any one piece that would fit well with apartment living?

It doesn’t matter how small or large your apartment, a Fornasetti plate will add art and interest to any wall, but I should warn that they become addictive!

Bo Concept

Item: Kingston Table

What advice would you give to people when buying new furniture for an apartment?

Living in an apartment has many benefits – minimalism is the new quarter-acre dream – but it does come with some challenges. The biggest hurdle we see when clients are moving into an apartment for the first time is that their existing furniture is either too bulky, too old-fashioned, or simply doesn’t serve more than one function. Fortunately for us, Scandinavians have been living in small spaces for centuries and are world leaders in furniture design. 



Apartment living means you need to be smart about your interior fit-out, ideally opting for furniture that fits perfectly with your lifestyle as well as the architecture. Think about who you’d like to invite for dinner and choose a dining table that can be extended to fit them all, but can be folded away when it’s just you and your family. Think about a colour or finish that will complement the interior fittings, a finish that will make your home feel spacious and welcoming, yet crisp and current. If you like a casual look, our Kingston table is perfect, or if you like a more classy feel, take a peek at our Alicante dining range.

With sofas, choose a slightly narrower model that wraps around the unused corner at the far side of your lounge. Add a little side table to pop a cup of tea at arms-reach. Our Osaka and Indivi sofas are the most narrow in our collection, but are completely customisable, so will always fit.