Leather and Lumber: A New Furniture Store in U-Town

As soon as the rental agreement is signed, expats tend to head straight for IKEA. However, if you're ready to graduate from impermanent minimalism to more lasting staples for the home, there’s now a new option for sprucing up the apartment.

Taiwan-based Piin offers up its own aesthetic, which will appeal to buyers wanting a more masculine feel. Dark, chunky woods and a wide range of leathers practically demand that you touch, sit and try out all the couches, tables and desks. It's a textural playground that keeps your hands moving across everything in sight like a kid in a toy store. The leather ranges from soft and creamy to shiny and patent to tastefully cobwebbed with cracks. On the rougher end of the spectrum, there’s an ottoman made from coarse burlap; your fingers will linger a bit longer on the wool throws and satin pillows.

Be prepared for the range of prices to be just as vast. While a RMB 17,500 couch may be beyond your budget, you don’t have to settle for the RMB 9 felt mat. A well-crafted (and comfortable) wood and leather chair is a solid investment at RMB 4,280 and metal patio chairs are a steal at RMB 568. If chairs and bureaus are too much, start with accessories like a soft throw (RMB 198), accent pillows (from RMB 98) or a decorative model Vespa (RMB 258).

Piin. Daily 10am-10pm. 3/F, U-Town Shopping Center, 2 Sanfeng Beili, Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (8562 5325) 朝阳区朝阳门外大街三丰北里悠唐广场二期3层