Singapore’s ever-evolving design scene has brought with it a cluster of home décor stores around the Bugis neighbourhood, which is home to the historical Kampong Glam (“kampong” means “village” in Malay), hip boutiques on Haji Lane, and scores of restaurants. Which means you will find shops selling antique homeware, designer furniture and even a tea salon stocked with interior design books for inspiration. We round up four stores to check out.

A porcelain plate designed with Singapore elements by Supermama
Looksee Looksee
Interior shot of Looksee Looksee

The Lo & Behold Group’s ventures extend into the fields of food and beverage, hospitality, and art and design—but things are slightly off-kilter at Looksee Looksee, the homegrown brand’s reading room and tea salon. While not so much a home décor store, there’s plenty here to seek inspiration from for your home, starting with its pastel-washed space that is furnished with pieces from Scene Shang and local gallery shop, Supermama. Get schooled on all things architecture and design, or maybe jot down a recipe from a cookbook, because there are over 120 titles for your picking while you get cosy on scalloped banquette seats. Don’t forget to grab a pay-as-you-wish cup of tea, courtesy of local company A.muse Projects. If the beverage is to your liking, there’s a whole selection of teas available for purchase. Better yet, get a teapot and strainer set from A.muse’s merchandise corner.

Looksee Looksee. 267 Beach Road, Singapore 199545. +65 6338 8035.
Mon-Fri 11am-5pm.

Scene Shang

You’ll find products inspired by the history and culture of Shanghai here, but it’s neither drab nor too left-of-field. Scene Shang carries a handsome selection of artworks—there are Peranakan* prints and scenes depicting Boat Quay—as well homeware such as cushions, wooden desktop diffusers, minimalist vases and porcelain bowls. It also stocks contemporary pieces with classical Chinese design elements from brands such as Kinto Glassware and The Rug Maker, each constructed by craftspeople using a range of materials from bamboo, wood and stone to clay, metal and marble.

*The term is an Indonesian/Malay word that means “local born”, which generally refers to people of Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage.

Scene Shang. 263 Beach Road, Singapore 199542. +65 6291 9629.
Mon-Thu & Sun 11am-8pm; Fri-Sat 11am-9.30pm.

Supermama
A design plate from Supermama. Photo by Supermama Store

More than a gallery store, Supermama doubles up as an artist residency studio and a platform for designers. Its flagship on Beach Road is home to porcelain crockery stamped with local motifs like HDB flats—the iconic public housing developments that can be found across the city—and “Good Morning” mugs modelled after the namesake tea towel (you’ll spot them while ordering your spot of kopi, or coffee, at most hawker drink stalls around the island). If you’re after more unusual pieces, the jazzed-up mamak shop (old-school provisions store) also stocks homeware reflective of Singapore’s neighbourhoods, like a set of Gangster Kitties plates that cheekily reference Jalan Besar’s many neon-lit lounges.

Supermama. 265 Beach Road, Singapore 199544. +65 6291 1946.
Daily 11am-8pm.
For a full list of shops, visit here.

Mondays Off Studio

Following the success of its namesake online store, Mondays Off Studio planted its roots in Haji Lane. Simplicity is key at this two-storey multi-label boutique, which carries odds and ends from predominantly Scandinavian- and Japanese-inspired brands. Think Papperskärlek art prints, ceramic tea sets, salad spoons, and reliable Baggu carriers, among others. It even stocks BooksActually titles, so there’s no need to make the pilgrimage to the homegrown bookstore in Tiong Bahru, which carries a good range of local, classic, and contemporary literature. They provide overseas shipping but local shipping is free for the first 5kg.

Mondays Off Studio. 76 Haji Lane, Singapore 189269.
Daily noon-8pm.