While most Singaporeans consider landed properties the cream of the crop, that's not always the case.

When it comes to the highest-end luxury units, the combination of the view, plus the lavish interiors, can easily match that of some bungalows; and some of the penthouses or premium units are so huge, you don't really feel the lack of space (they may even have more square footage than some smaller landed homes).

Here are some of the new bigger condo layouts in Singapore's luxurious condo projects that you can still buy today:

1. 32 Gilstead

The name of this project is its exact address (32 Gilstead Road in Novena), and there are only 14 units in this super-exclusive freehold condo. Each unit is roughly around 4,200 sq ft. 

That's enough square footage to trade off efficiency for traditional comforts. There is a foyer for guests entering from the private lift, so the entrance doesn't open right into the living room as with many dumbbell layouts.

The joined family/dining/living room presents many options — from adding partitions to a traditional dedicated dining room, to just having an extended living room or converting the family space to a study. 

An interesting inclusion here is the bar area, which also adjoins the balcony. This also creates the option for a junior suite or small study, if you prefer to entertain guests exclusively in the living/dining area.

Also of interest, the household shelter has an adjoining storage space — in a smaller unit, the shelter typically has to double as storage, but they have the luxury of space here.

Every bedroom in this unit has its own attached bathroom, in addition to a toilet in the kitchen and a powder room for guests. The master bedroom also includes a walk-in wardrobe, and is nicely set apart from the smaller bedrooms. 

That being said, we do wonder if the dining room shouldn't be set up in the place of the family room, as it looks like quite the distance between the kitchen and the dining table.

Given the size of the kitchen, we'd guess the instinct would be to set up a kitchen island/dining table and eat in there directly, rather than carrying food all across the living room.

Most of the units in this project have transacted at a quantum of around $14.5 million, making this one of the more expensive (and exclusive) condos in Singapore. 

Available Units

2. Watten House

A new launch in the exclusive Watten estate, Watten House will only be completed in around 2027. At that point, this 180-unit freehold condo will be a luxury project within the close proximity of multiple top schools: Raffles’ Girls Primary, Hwa Chong, NJC, and St Margaret’s Secondary are all within one kilometre of this project.

This particular layout is a double-storey penthouse unit, which blends outdoor and indoor spaces. Note the multiple openings that face the landscaped areas, on the lower level.

The master bedroom is surrounded by greenery views on all sides; and on the other end of the same floor, there’s access to a roof terrace with the same features.

There’s a wet and dry kitchen on the lower floor (although the wet kitchen seems to confine most activities and storage to one wall; we know some cooks don’t like that, but there’s enough room to easily modify the space). 

The stairs are tucked away from view, which will please Feng Shui believers; and older folks will appreciate the location of the master bedroom on the lower floor.

The upper floor is also accessible via the lift, and the pantry is a nice addition: you won’t need to head downstairs for a midnight snack. This pantry also has its own service yard, so this can create an added laundry space here as well.

Besides just adding more bedrooms to the top floor, the developers made one of the rooms a junior master suite. All in, this is a layout that’s great for the extended family: the parents can live below, while a young couple could live upstairs, and there’s sufficient utility space for both. They may not even need to share the kitchen space, if the pantry suffices for the couple upstairs. 

Available Units

3. Giverny Residences

Another super-exclusive luxury condo in Bukit Timah, Giverny Residences has just six units. This freehold project, slated for completion in 2027, is just around the corner from Stevens MRT station (DTL, TEL).

These units aren't as big as the others on this list; the four-bedder is just over 2,755 sq ft. But it still manages to fit in many of the features of the other larger units: each bedroom still has its own bathroom, and one of the bedrooms is a junior master suite.

There's still a family room and powder room, as well as a sizeable wet and dry kitchen. And while there's no foyer, the private lift still avoids opening up directly into the middle of the living room.

The Private Enclosed Spaces (PES) are the standout feature here: the spaces open up directly into pool areas, roof terraces, and shared garden spaces.

As there are only six units, these facilities are "dedicated," meaning they're present for every unit on every floor, as opposed to the usual setup of one communal pool that you travel down to. As the pool/garden is right outside your patio, the facilities feel much more private than shared.

The end result is also a unit that feels more like a landed property than a condo.

Available Units

4. 3 Orchard By the Park

3 Orchard By the Park is a freehold, 77-unit project just next to Orchard Boulevard MRT station (TEL). Situated in the heart of our main shopping belt, 3 Orchard is known for its double-storey units and high ceilings, and was marketed partly on the strength of its open concept units.

Private lifts open up into a grand entrance foyer (a high-ceiling area), rather than directly into the living room; this area is sufficient for a small gallery, good for art, antiques, or other personal collections on display.

The living and dining areas use floor-to-ceiling windows, and are designed to give panoramic views of the surroundings.

Although mind you, this is still the centre of our retail hub, so it’s more a view for urbanites. The kitchen area provides both a wet and dry kitchen with a service yard, and the mandatory household shelter is positioned to be an ideal storage space here. 

The master bedroom is on the upper level, which allows for a more private space; you’ll like this if you’re the kind of homeowner who divides your unit into communal and personal areas. But the lower level just has one bedroom, so older folks may not appreciate the master and other bedrooms requiring a climb upstairs.

What’s not shown on the layout is the access to private rooftop terraces, with some units also having small private pools and jacuzzis. This is one of the most visually stunning condos in the Orchard area due to the double-height layouts, even if the units are not the biggest in the area. 

Available Units

5. Canninghill Piers

Canninghill Piers is the former Liang Court Mall, situated between Clarke Quay and Fort Canning. This is one of the best projects for being near Singapore's nightlife, and for overall accessibility (Fort Canning on the DTL line is directly connected, and Clarke Quay MRT stations, on the NEL is within walking distance). 

The Sky Suite penthouse units here offer the best views in the project, and possibly in the downtown area in general. The Singapore River, Marina Bay area, and city skyline are all highly visible from different vantage points of the unit.

The unit also opens up to private outdoor terraces, so you can take in the view from the outside. As you might expect, these penthouse units also use high ceilings to accentuate the overall effect.

The unit has a dry and wet kitchen, with the wet kitchen — intended for heavier cooking — and a service yard tucked out of sight from the living and dining areas. The same is done with the storage room, tucked behind the private lift space, where it's not visible from the living/dining area.

Overall, this is a very smart layout for what should be — but isn't — a difficult space with long corridors. And this is probably the most hotel-like of the luxury condo layouts, with the floor-to-ceiling windows and city views looking very much like a ritzy hotel lounge. 

Available Units

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.