M.I.C.E consultant Melvyn Yap poses for a portrait in his Japanese izakaya bar-inspired living room of his 35 year-old executive maisonette public housing home in Singapore February 5, 2021. REUTERSpixSingapore's public housing system is acclaimed for providing affordable homes in the land-scarce country where private apartments can cost upwards of S$1 million .
Melvyn Yap, a consultant, spent about S$226,000 renovating the ageing home he shares with his mother to create the vibe of a Japanese sake bar complete with a hydraulic table that opens up from a tatami mat-covered seating area where he can sip sake. Boating enthusiast Wan Ismail bin Wan Nussin was undeterred by the relatively small size of the 750 square foot apartment, which he shares with his wife and four children.