House Style with Eudon Choi and Neil Byrne
After showing us around their split-level apartment in Shoreditch, fashion designer Eudon Choi and design PR Neil Byrne share their house style.
You’re happiest at home when…
Neil: Cooking and entertaining.
Our house really lends itself to entertaining and we love having friends over for dinner. It’s one of the things we have really missed this year but we have used the time to learn some new skills. Eudon has become a very competent sourdough bread maker.
How would you describe the interiors of your house?
Eudon: Considered.
We think for a long time about everything we buy for the house and we have very different tastes, so it takes a long time to agree upon something that appeals to us both equally. But I think this rigour means that we have a home filled with pieces of furniture and objects that will be with us forever. We never buy something to make do, we would rather go without and wait until we find something perfect.
If you could only save one thing, what would it be?
Neil: It would have to be our dog, Barney, but then it would also have to be our collection of art photography.
What was the last thing you bought for the house?
Eudon: A Vispring bed.
We have needed a new bed for quite a while but kept being put it off. During the first lockdown we realised our sleep was not as good as it should be, so we took the plunge and ordered a super king, which almost fills the room. We now know what a good night’s sleep feels like. More people should prioritise a good night’s sleep. It was such a good investment in our physical and mental health.
Top three coffee table books?
Neil: Helmut Newton Polaroid’s; Horst: Photographer of Style and Vogue: The Editor’s Eye.
If money was no object, what changes would you make?
Eudon: We would hire the Rich Brothers of Rich Landscapes to give the garden a makeover. We love Harry and David’s aesthetic.
You’re having people over for dinner: what do you cook?
Neil: We have been practising new recipes during lockdown. Eudon does a great dan dan noodle dish and a great Asian chicken salad with leftover roast chicken. He also does a fantastic Nigella one-pot chicken dish, which we will definitely be doing at our next dinner party. I have been practising deserts, including a delicious banana tahini cake, also by Nigella from her new book, Cook, Eat, Repeat.
What does a Sunday here look like?
Eudon: We are both early risers so we will head out with our dog Barney and grab a coffee and pastry from Pophams bakery, which is a short walk away. They do the best almond croissants and a moreish Marmite, Schlossberger and spring onion pastry – it looks a bit like a pain au raisin. Then, we almost always go to Columbia Road to buy some fresh flowers.
What are the best things about the neighbourhood?
Neil: Its location.
We are really close to Old Street and all the fantastic chaos of Hoxton and Shoreditch, but we are in a really quiet residential area near a small park. We can walk to Angel and King’s Cross and, in the summer, we often walk into central London. There are so many great restaurants within walking distance too.
How long will you be here for?
Eudon: This is our forever home. It has everything we want and need. There are a lot of stairs though so who knows, when we are much older we may have to rethink things. Thankfully that’s many years off.
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