4 Bold and Beautiful Peranakan-inspired Homes in Singapore

Go big or go home, is a phrase that can best describe Peranakan style homes. Conventionally, they are loud and ornate, with a predisposition towards sturdy solid wood furniture. But in today’s KonMarie world, where less is more, homeowners here are taking a more pared-back, subdued approach to this traditionally decorated style. But the good news is, the spaces are no less distinctive and full of personality. Here are four Peranakan-inspired homes in Singapore that do this style just right:

 

1. Heritage Charm

Despite being imbued with traditional Peranakan elements, this 3-bedroom condominium for a family still feels modern, thanks to the clean lines, bright hues and contemporary materials used alongside the intricate motifs.

Take for instance the kitchen. The doors to the cooking space are a visual treat, designed using jade green porcelain tiles, embossed glass panels and inset framed tiles. The pattern play continues inside, with the kitchen flooring decked out in bright green floral patterns. Dark wood cabinets and a backsplash made from glossy teal tiles lend a more modern touch alongside the frills-free straight lines of the wooden dining set outside the kitchen.

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The master bedroom continues this Peranakan theme, with the wardrobe fronts made from intricately patterned wooden screens. Mint green French-style sliding doors lead the way into the generous-sized en suite, complete with a bathtub and shower area laid with tiles in traditional Peranakan motifs and hues as well as a patterned glass screen.

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The other bedrooms are poles apart from the more ornate style in the rest of the home, taking on a more contemporary slant with sleek built-ins and storage spaces.

Location: Queensway Tower
Design: Linear Space Concepts

 

2. Opulent Wonder

Ornate pieces of furniture, a staple in Peranakan homes, are included throughout this petite-sized condominium, but they sit alongside cleaner, more streamlined pieces so they don’t overwhelm the small space. Plants help to enliven the home, refreshing the darker hues used throughout the space.

But perhaps most arresting in this apartment is the dining area’s feature wall, which is covered in a medley of brightly patterned tiles that allude to the Peranakan culture. Patterned tiles appear again the nearly all-white kitchen, this time in the backsplash.

The bedroom isn’t one to be silent either. Here, an ornate style brass bed frame complete with a tall tufted headboard rules the sleeping quarters.

Location: Fernvale Lane
Design: M3 Studio

 

3. Colour Me Beautiful

Vibrant doesn’t even begin describing this Peranakan-inspired landed home, one that belongs to a family of four. The home features over 10 different tiles, most of which are in Peranakan motifs. They are seen in every room of this expansive space, from the foyer and kitchen to the living room and bathrooms, and used on the walls and flooring, either as a form of decoration or to demarcate the areas.

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Hexagon tiles were also employed to serve as a contrast between the more intricately patterned tiles. Their neat, geometric shapes provide a trendy, contemporary slant. Mosaics in a red, orange and yellow colour scheme add to the explosion of colours in this home.

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Besides the use of Peranakan style tiles, a wall of floral ventilation bricks also alludes to the heritage. It serves as a feature wall and divider between the dining room and the expansive living space. The same style bricks are also at the entrance of the home and the bedroom feature wall. Another notable reference to the Peranakan style is the multi-hued embossed glass panes found on the doors in the home.

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Location: Aroozoo Ave
Design: Free Space Intent

 

4. When Tradition Meets Modern

This shophouse unit along Blair Road adopts an open-plan loft design with Peranakan touches. Much of the original features of the home were retained such as the rustic brick wall and the ceiling beams, which work well in the loft theme.

The heritage elements are a nod to the location’s history, which is made up of a row of 1920s shophouses festooned with Chinese, Malay and European influences. The loft design with its high ceilings and wide, open spaces, ensure that light and air is able to pass through all the areas of the home, which can be challenging in a shophouse unit like this.

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Peranakan-inspired features came in the form of tiles, including the floral patterned ones found on the kitchen’s flooring as well as the decorative tiles on the stairs leading up to the home. Other elements include the ornate wooden doors and windows outside the bedroom as well as the pair of solid wood chairs situated near the home bar.

Location: Blair Road
Design: Reimage Décor

 

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