Singapore brand Castlery to launch first US furniture store in New York on May 15

SINGAPORE - Singapore furniture brand Castlery will open a 3,000 sq ft flagship store in New York on May 15, despite an uncertain global economic climate shaped by the US-Israel war in Iran.

It is the first Singapore design brand to commit to a physical store in the US, according to the DesignSingapore Council, Singapore’s national agency for design.

The brand’s US online market is currently its biggest revenue generator, contributing 70 per cent.

Castlery co-founder Declan Ee, 43, said it took about two years and more than 200 site viewings across Manhattan before the brand’s founders settled on the space.

The showroom sits in Chelsea at 120 West 18th Street, a key Manhattan design district that is home to renowned furniture brands such as West Elm, Room & Board and Lazzoni.

It will feature 17 curated furniture sets, complimentary styling consultations and a design language Castlery says reflects the shared pressures of space in city living in Singapore and New York.

“There’s a real sense of excitement and pride in this,” Mr Ee told The Straits Times on a phone call from his Liat Towers office.

“At the same time, we’re very clear-eyed about the environment we’re operating in, such as geopolitical tensions, tariffs and rising costs, and supply chain disruptions,” he said. “So while this is a bold step, it’s also a measured one.

“We’re not looking at opening five stores in the US in a year. The focus is on doing one thing well, and doing it right.”

The war escalated after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 triggered retaliatory attacks from Iran and fears of wider trade and shipping disruption. Subsequent US-Israel strikes since Feb 28 around the Strait of Hormuz have further unsettled the region.

US tariff exposure varies worldwide, with China facing about 30 per cent, the highest burden among major trading partners. Other countries, including Singapore, are levied the current 10 per cent baseline.

But rolling with the punches dealt by such major crises is not something new to the Castlery team.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, businesses in Singapore and globally were forced to close but Castlery quickly pivoted to online shopping in April that year by leveraging augmented reality.

Its digital replica system allowed customers to drag and drop selected pictures of furniture items into images of their own homes to see how they fit, without having to visit Castlery’s 11,000 sq ft store at Jit Poh Building in Keppel Road.

Castlery was founded in 2013 as a digital-first furniture lifestyle brand by Mr Ee, a former investment banker; Mr Fred Ji, 39, who has an engineering background; Mr Zhou Zhiwei, 39, with a technology background; and Mr Travers Tan, 46, who trained in logistics management.

Since 2019, the label has maintained an online presence in the US, Australia and Singapore. It branched out online to the UK and Canada in 2025.

In Australia, Castlery went on to open its Sydney showroom in June 2024, and added a Brisbane physical store in August 2025.

After the US, its next biggest markets are those in Singapore and Australia, each accounting for about 15 per cent of the company’s revenue.

In 2022, Castlery moved its Singapore flagship to a 24,000 sq ft showroom in Liat Towers, spread across two floors.

Singapore is also at the heart of its operations with its global headquarters at 601 MacPherson Road, which houses the majority of the Castlery team. It is where the brand’s design direction, brand strategy and core business decisions are made.

Castlery’s furniture is manufactured in facilities across Asia. The label prides itself on affordable, consistent pricing worldwide, ranging from $369 for a swivel chair to $2,399 for a leather recliner.

Speaking about its move to establish a physical presence in the US, Mr Ee said: “We’ve been selling online in the US since 2019, and over time, the market has reached a level of maturity where we feel genuinely confident putting down a permanent retail presence.”

That omnichannel experience of online shopping and a bricks-and-mortar store is what the brand wants customers across the US to enjoy through the New York flagship.

“Retail has never been about planting a flag. It’s about completing the customer experience. There are things a physical space does that digital simply cannot replicate, such as a customer’s ability to touch fabrics or lounge in a sofa,” Mr Ee highlighted.

“A physical presence deepens trust, shortens the decision cycle and animates the product in a way online shopping can’t quite compete with.”

The Castlery team in Singapore is also exploring partnerships with American companies and designers for new furniture and home decor lines.

“The US has an extraordinary depth of creative talent and cultural voices, and we see real opportunity in collaborating with partners who genuinely align with what Castlery stands for,” Mr Ee said.

“Our team has been working on a number of collaborations for the last 18 months. I can’t reveal too much now, but we have lined up some exciting announcements for our US customers for the second half of the year.”

Mr Ee also credited Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) – a statutory board that works with Singapore companies to build capabilities, innovate and go global – as a long-time partner in Castlery’s international growth.

Ms Jeannie Lim, assistant managing director of services and growth enterprises at EnterpriseSG, said the government agency has supported Castlery’s growth since 2017, beginning with its first overseas expansion into Australia. 

“Through our Scale-Up programme in 2019, we partnered Castlery to identify the US as a target market, and to develop a go-to-market strategy such as competitor research, customer segmentation and defining its unique selling proposition,” she said. “Later that year, Castlery successfully launched its e-commerce operations in the US.”

The agency’s Scale-Up programme helps high-potential local companies accelerate overseas growth.

When the US tariffs emerged in early April 2025, EnterpriseSG supported Castlery in navigating the evolving trade landscape more effectively, providing insights and strategies for managing supply chains.

“Through EnterpriseSG’s global network and market insights, we help Singapore companies access the right opportunities, partners and resources to help them grow and compete internationally,” said Ms Lim.

Despite headwinds, Mr Ee said Castlery’s immediate focus is to stay close to customers and solve the pain points they face when furnishing their homes – from design and functionality to delivery. 

“Ultimately, you can’t control the wind. But you can focus on building the sails so that when conditions turn, you’re ready to move with real confidence and speed.”

Correction note: This story has been updated after an earlier version erroneously said that US tariffs emerged in early April 2026.