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Header image courtesy of Sprue Furniture
All ready to pad out your first (or second or third) real adult forever home? We’ve found the best boutique design and woodworking shops in Hong Kong to make your custom furniture and interior design dreams come true. Pinterest inspo boards at the ready, and go!
Ngau Tau Kok-based Sprue Furniture boasts a modern selection of brushed metal and wooden pieces that put you right into minimalist heaven. From ready-made pieces to custom commissions perfect for residential and commercial spaces, the craftsmen at Sprue can create variations on their catalogue products, as well as create new designs from scratch. A one-stop shop that covers carpentry, laser engraving, welding, and steelwork, and it’s also a perfect place to find wood materials for your next DIY project.
Sprue Furniture, 6/F, 25 Tai Yip Street, Ngau Tau Kok | (+852) 5404 8635
Start From Zero is a collective of Hong Kong artisans who bonded over a mutual love for street art and refined craftsmanship. The woodworking offshoot, Rat’s Cave, is a carpentry workshop specialising in mostly in large-scale cabinets, tables, chairs, and home accessories inspired by turn-of-the-century design aesthetics, though they also work on bigger projects like remodelling and re-panelling interiors.
If you’re interested in getting your hands dirty, you’ll be glad to know that workshops for building small furniture pieces and lighting fixtures are hosted regularly. With clients like Second Draft in Tai Hang, recording studio Hot Focus Studio, and the Hong Kong Design Institute, Rat’s Cave is truly one of Hong Kong’s best-kept custom furniture secrets.
Rat’s Cave by Start from Zero, 13 Tai Yip Street, Yat Sang Industrial Building, Ngau Tau Kok | (+852) 5114 7443
This independent carpenter hasn’t been on the Hong Kong furniture scene for too long, but his creations are second to none. If you’re looking for truly custom and out-of-the-ordinary pieces for your home and want to think outside of the furniture box, Black Wood is your guy. His previous projects include wooden recycling bins made from upcycled palettes for beauty salon Love Hair, custom-designed bunk beds, and retro walnut cabinets. Restoration of old heirloom pieces is also on the table. Browse his work-in-progress pieces here.
As one of the larger furniture retailers in Hong Kong, DSL Furniture covers custom solutions that fit into every room of your house. Boasting over 100 craftsmen on their carpentry team, these furniture gurus can build anything custom, from sofas, dining sets, wardrobes, and storage units, to office furniture and desks—all they need from you is a simple sketch with measurements and your choice of materials.
Seen something in a magazine or home inspiration website that would just go so well inside your pad? DSL can replicate that too, or help you come up with a completely unique design to make your home truly yours. If you’re seeking an experienced team to refine your furniture ideas, DSL is more than well-equipped.
DSL Furniture, Unit 2113, Hong Kong Plaza, 188 Connaught Road West, Sai Wan | (+852) 8191 3885
Of course the world’s favourite minimalist concept would offer a custom-made service. Japanese giant Muji and its Interior Advisory Service—a real fancy name for an in-house interior design consultancy—offer professional recommendations on how to best utilise furniture and storage solutions from Muji’s catalogue to create a space-efficient home.
From tables and benches to shelving units, choose from different wood types and put together multiple combinations to create bookshelves, room dividers, or a storage system. They also provide rugs in various shapes, sizes, materials, and colours for you to create a perfect home accessory to tie your living space together.
If you’re having trouble shopping for just the right piece for your dream home, the Red Cabinet in Ap Lei Chau should be your next (and hopefully final) destination. Offering bespoke furniture services in all shapes and sizes, from upholstered vintage armchairs and beds with hydraulic storage to lattice wardrobes and traditional Chinese-inspired sideboard units, the Red Cabinet has experience with them all. Schedule a discussion and bring your reference images with you, and the team will transform your idea from sketch to finish. Check out some of their previous projects here.
The Red Cabinet, 1116, 11/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau | (+852) 2536 0123
Joca Living Concepts in Kwun Tong specialises in space-saving custom furniture solutions, including display cabinets, hidden storage units, and bedroom sets—ideal if you are looking for creative ways to make the most out of your Hong Kong shoebox flat.
They are also particularly experienced with designing elevated furniture sets consisting of multiple, movable pieces for you to stack and rearrange at whim, whilst offering maximum storage space. Check out some of their unique storage solutions here.
Joca Living Concepts, Unit C5A, 9/F, Wing Hing Industrial Building, 14 Hing Yip Street, Kwun Tong | (+852) 9528 2500
If you are on the search for something truly out of the ordinary, we’d recommend Ziinlife. Their custom furniture is refreshingly modern, with simple lines and elegant shapes dominating the design process. Light oaks and walnut woods are their materials of choice, and each piece delivers a confident statement to the living space.
Can they do custom kitty beds? Yes. What about a minimalist corner cabinet? Check. How about a multi-functional sofa with a drawer for storage? Can do. Ziinlife’s bespoke furniture projects look like they belong in the pages of a Scandi interior magazine, so if that is the aesthetic that speaks to you the most, you’ll love what Ziinlife has to offer. Check out their showroom and Instagram account for a healthy dose of inspiration.
Ziinlife, 5/F, New Media Tower, 82 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong | (+852) 2180 8015
Born in Hong Kong, raised in Germany, and educated in the U.S., Jen is an award-winning creative with a background in illustration, communication design, art direction, and content creation. When she’s not getting lost in a good book, you’ll find her doing crosswords, eating dim sum, covering all sides of a “Hamilton” number, and taking naps.
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