ANDREW Tan and his Japanese wife, Mitsuko Murano, found it difficult to find products in Singapore that matched their eclectic tastes and eye for standout designs.

But each time they visited Muranos hometown in Tokyo, they would go on a shopping spree.

Then they thought Why not bring these products to Singapore and open a shop?

Tan ditched his high-flying career at global accounting firm Ernst & Young and Murano gave up her job at an international cosmetic company to start Atomi, which, incidentally, stands for Andrew and Mitsuko in Japanese.

The philosophy behind our store is to promote Japanese design and comfortable lifestyle, says the sweet-natured Murano.

We started out with things we like, products weve been using for a long time that were confident about.

Atomi had a humble start, opening in November 2009 with only five brands to showcase. The couple handpicked products with timeless designs, meticulous handiwork, and those only found in limited quantities or editions. Today, the store offers more than 20 brands including a slew of award-winning designs.

We want to sell something that lasts a long time and not pander to the buy-and-throw culture, explains Murano.

Hence our products are not driven by trends.

Atomi also wants to show their customers that niche, innovative products arent necessarily pricey. At the store, linen items are priced from S$13 (RM31) to S$338 (RM830), ceramic and glassware start at S$43 (RM105) while designer chairs are sold from S$990 (RM2,435) onwards

More here:
Anatomy of Atomi