Places to go for interior goods

By Yun Suh-young

With the global home furnishing brand IKEA set to open in Korea in December, local home décor and interior brands are bracing for competition. They’re scrambling to position themselves as the lead player in the market, opening up stores one after another in populous regions in Seoul before the European-based furniture conglomerate enters the country. Hurray for consumers though, because more home furnishing stores means more options. Here are the newest flagship stores of Korea’s largest home furnishing brands that have recently opened in Seoul.

Hyundai Livart – Yongsan

Hyundai Livart, the number two player in the Korean furniture industry, has recently opened a lifestyle shop, the largest among its stores, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The store, which opened on Aug. 18, is nestled inside the I’Park Mall near Yongsan Station and takes up the entire seventh floor of the mall.

The Livart Style Shop sells household supplies and furniture for bedroom, study room, living room and kitchen. On floors beneath the lifestyle shop, on fourth and sixth floors, Hyundai Livart’s furniture collections are displayed.

Address: 7F, Hyundai I’Park Mall, 40-999 Hangangro-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Phone number: 02-2012-1700

Opening hours: 10:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

JAJU – Sinsa-dong

Shinsegae International, local conglomerate Shinsegae Group’s fashion business arms, recently opened the first flagship store of home furnishing brand JAJU in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul.

JAJU is a refurbished brand of Jayeon Jui by E-mart, which was a home supplies brand with an eco-friendly, minimalistic image.

Its flagship store in Sinsa-dong which opened in May sells household goods and accessories ranging from beddings, kitchenware, tableware, stationary, to even clothes, displayed on different floors of its five-story building with an underground floor. It has a special section dedicated to aroma and body products. Prices are cheap as the brand started off as a low-end brand.

Address: 536-16 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Phone number: 02-3447-3600

Opening hours: 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. (Mon- Sat) / 12 p.m. – 9 p.m. (Sun)

Hanssem – Mok-dong

Hanssem, Korea’s leading furniture company in terms of sales, opened its sixth flagship store in Mok-dong, western Seoul, in March, with a focus on “premium” products.

The six-story flagship store with two underground levels is the largest in Seoul and the second largest among its nationwide stores following the one in Busan.

The store displays various foreign luxury furniture brands’ products as well as its own, trying to differentiate itself as a premium home furnishing brand in the market. Naturally, prices for the foreign products may be slightly higher than other stores.

As large as the store is, furniture are displayed more spaciously than other home furnishing stores.

Address: 782-18 Hwagok-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul

Phone number: 02-6344-7000

Opening hours: 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Foreign brands:

nico and …

Japanese lifestyle brand “nico and…” opened its first flagship store near Gangnam Station in July.

The fashion and home accessory brand offers authentic and vintage items that those in 20s or 30s may like.

Address: 1305-5 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Phone number: 02-592-3560

Opening hours: 10:30 a.m.- 10 p.m.

MUJI

Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI, which offers simple and basic fashion and interior items, opened its newest store at the I’Park Mall in Yongsan in August, two floors beneath Hyundai Livart’s lifestyle shop. A visit to the mall may be a one-stop option for customers shopping for interior items. The brand has 10 stores in Seoul; another recent one opened in Gangnam in June.

Address: 5F, Hyundai I’Park Mall, 40-999 Hangangro-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul