Niseko Stay Inspired This Singapore Couple's Eunos Apartment
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- Joshua Choo and Marilyn Lim drew on a stay at Suiboku in Upper Hirafu Village, Niseko during their first snowboarding trip together, with Choo recalling the loft's blend of raw materials and modern luxury and a cosy winter atmosphere that 'stayed with us'.
- Designer Sherman Chua of Song & Opera—a long-time friend of Choo's from school and national service days—reinterpreted Brutalist architecture's sculptural qualities through rounded cabinet handles, curved ceiling and wall edges, and bespoke furniture rather than its raw materiality.
- The Eunos apartment reconfiguration removed the dry kitchen counter and glass sliding door, opened the wet kitchen into a galley-style space, shifted the dining area toward the kitchen, and added a hidden minibar in a floating cabinet to compensate for lost hosting space.
- A floating cabinet extends from the foyer all the way to the living room, serving as a minibar, shoe cabinet and sitting area, finished in dark timber veneer with an off-white section framing a Samsung The Frame television whose Art Mode displays artwork.
- Chua sourced furniture from Guangzhou because he felt Singapore lacked comparable bespoke options, citing a coffee table so heavy it required three workers to carry it in as an example of the colour and quality he found.
- The couple upgraded from a one-bedroom One Pearl Bank unit—which proved too small after COVID—to the four-bedroom Eunos apartment closer to both families as they planned to grow theirs.
- The master bedroom was reconfigured by reducing the adjoining wall to Choo's study to add wardrobe space opposite the bed, the powder room was converted into a laundry room, and the master bathroom was reshaped to fit a longer counter with twin sinks.
Why it matters: For young Singapore couples thinking about renovation, the project shows how a deeply personal travel memory can anchor a cohesive design language: every room was reshaped around hospitality, conversation, and a hotel-like staycation feel rather than around a television. The trade-off—losing a dry kitchen to gain an open galley and hidden minibar—reframes the compact layout as a deliberate hosting setup rather than a constraint.
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