Singapore Shopping: 5 Places to Find Colorful Treasures

If you find yourself in Singapore’s pastel-hued Joo Chiat neighborhood, wander into the collector Alvin Yapp’s home to visit the Intan, a museum on the ground floor. There, you’ll find two regal, engraved rosewood armchairs with mother-of-pearl inlay.

The chairs are part of Mr. Yapp’s emporium-like display of Peranakan design, which includes jewelry, teak benches and cabinets, and colorful kitchenware. Mr. Yapp has been accumulating this collection for more than 30 years to both document and showcase the culture in which he was raised.

Peranakans are descendants of Chinese settlers who traveled down the Strait of Malacca as early as the 15th century, making their new homes throughout Southeast Asia and marrying local women. The term Peranakan translates to “local born” in Malay, one of Singapore’s official languages, and the culture that emerged in their communities combines Chinese, Malay and Indonesian elements. It comes through in the food, design, architecture and more.

Signs of Peranakan heritage have long been evident in Singapore’s cityscape and public life — in the colorful shophouses that line neighborhoods like Joo Chait and the stalls in busy hawker centers that sell laksa, a spicy, tangy noodle soup. Classic Peranakan patterns, marked by colorful geometric designs that incorporate Art Deco elements or Chinese-influenced floral, fruit or animal motifs, have inspired crafts and clothing, including Singapore Airlines’ flight attendant uniforms. You can even buy Intan-themed tumblers designed by Mr. Yapp at Starbucks locations across the city-state.