Cover Explore this six-bedroom Novena penthouse featuring a golf simulator, outdoor shower and refined yet practical design
Explore this six-bedroom Novena penthouse featuring a golf simulator, outdoor shower and refined yet practical design
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This penthouse on the 36th floor of Soleil @ Sinaran may be lofty in height, yet its interior is grounded, warm and deeply liveable
Perched high above Novena, on the 36th floor of Soleil @ Sinaran, this 4,625 sq ft penthouse is a study in clarity and considered luxury. Designed and executed by Cube Associate Design as a full design-and-build project, the six-bedroom family home reflects the studio’s belief that good design begins not with spectacle, but with a deep understanding of how people live. “We focus on creating environments that are practical, well-planned, and visually refined. Function always comes first, and aesthetics are used to support, not overpower, how a space works,” says Sarah Tham, design director of Cube Associate Design.
Home to a couple and their four young children, the penthouse was realised in two phases: a three-month design period followed by six months of turnkey renovation. The clients’ brief was focused but meaningful: they needed a safe, child-friendly environment that balanced everyday functionality with refined aesthetics, alongside a handful of specific desires including an indoor aquarium, a dedicated golf simulator, and generous outdoor spaces for leisure and relaxation.
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Setting the Stage
Above The curved bronze screen and stone surfaces in the lift lobby create a sense of arrival
The curved bronze screen and stone surfaces in the lift lobby create a sense of arrival
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With that clarity and a high level of trust, the design process unfolded organically. Rather than being constrained by an overly prescriptive brief, the design studio was given room to explore creative ideas holistically, allowing the penthouse to be conceived not as a collection of rooms, but rather as a continuous spatial journey.
That journey begins the moment one steps out of the private lift lobby, where a curved oxidised bronze screen and granite surfaces create a deliberate sense of pause and arrival, gently slowing the transition from the outside world into the home. A slide-and-hide door with a timber trellis sets the tone for what follows: warm, layered and quietly luxurious, without overt grandeur.
Above The circular ceiling feature in the living room acts almost like a skylight, drawing the gaze upwards while the rounded aquarium introduces movement and life at eye level
The circular ceiling feature in the living room acts almost like a skylight, drawing the gaze upwards while the rounded aquarium introduces movement and life at eye level
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Beyond, the living area opens up dramatically. Vertical volume takes centre stage here, anchored by a circular ceiling feature that draws the eye upwards—almost like an avant-garde interpretation of a skylight. At eye level, a rounded aquarium introduces movement and life, becoming both a visual focal point and a calming presence. A specially selected textured paint adds depth to the ceiling, while the TV console is seamlessly integrated with the aquarium and concealed storage, ensuring the space remains visually clean and family-friendly without sharp edges.
Flow, Form, Function
Above Sightlines between the dining area and open kitchen are maintained so spaces remain connected even as functions shift
Sightlines between the dining area and open kitchen are maintained so spaces remain connected even as functions shift
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The living and dining areas act as one continuous, subtly defined environment. A custom metallic copper screen demarcates the dining space without interrupting sightlines, preserving openness while adding visual rhythm. A timber-lined ceiling and a softly luminous panel help to humanise the scale of the space, reinforcing the sense of warmth and comfort. The palette remains intentionally restrained throughout, allowing materials and proportions to do the heavy lifting.
Above The outdoor private pool forms part of the home’s recreational area
The outdoor private pool forms part of the home’s recreational area
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But transitions are where the home truly shines. Moving from indoors to outdoors, the penthouse dramatically opens up to the sky, revealing a generous terrace that shifts effortlessly between the leisure deck, which houses a golf simulator, sauna room and an outdoor shower, and a lap pool. Here, movement is treated as an experience in itself. What might have been a simple circulation corridor is instead transformed into a sanctuary-like linkway, clad in natural stone and animated by customised lighting.
This quiet, tactile passage sets the tone before one arrives at the terrace proper, where a sauna clad in Canadian cypress and outdoor shower lined with Brown Forest marble form a spa-like retreat, contrasting beautifully with the openness of the skyline beyond.
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Above The sauna room is located right next to an outdoor shower lined with Brown Forest marble
The sauna room is located right next to an outdoor shower lined with Brown Forest marble
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This flexible space is central to the family’s lifestyle and need for a recreation area, but also posed one of the project’s greatest challenges. As it is situated 36 storeys above ground, the outdoor golf simulator had to contend with strong wind conditions and strict safety considerations. Cube Associate Design worked closely with engineers to study wind behaviour, ball trajectory and clearances, eventually designing a motorised zip blind that functions both as a wind buffer and safety barrier.
Material Honesty
Above The dramatic yet inviting living space flows seamlessly into the dining area, separated by a sculptural copper screen that also doubles as a display case
The dramatic yet inviting living space flows seamlessly into the dining area, separated by a sculptural copper screen that also doubles as a display case
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Materials anchor the entire project. Natural stone appears in various textures and applications, from full-height, book-matched marble slabs in the bathrooms to more tactile stone finishes elsewhere. Copper and bronze metallic panelling add warmth and subtle reflectivity, responding beautifully to light. In the bedrooms, timber-lined ceilings and walls create cosiness, and this wooden motif is repeated in the master study, which has a sleek and clean feel that boosts productivity. Veneered panelling is layered with textured paint on walls and ceilings throughout the home, lending tactility and preventing the interiors from feeling flat or overly polished.
Above A special textured paint was applied to the ceiling to add depth
A special textured paint was applied to the ceiling to add depth
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“Rather than relying on standout furniture pieces, the design is grounded in how these materials work together. The goal was always balance—warmth with refinement, structure with softness—so the home feels cohesive, timeless, and lived-in,” explains Tham.
Above The sauna was constructed with Canadian cypress wood, which is warp-resistant and has a pleasant aroma
The sauna was constructed with Canadian cypress wood, which is warp-resistant and has a pleasant aroma
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Rather than singling out one standout room, Tham speaks most proudly of the home’s overall spatial composition. Internally, elements such as the rounded aquarium, ceiling feature, irregular metallic dividers and bespoke display shelving were designed as parts of a larger whole.
Individually expressive, they come together in balance: layered yet practical, visually engaging yet easy to live with. Lighting plays a crucial role throughout, shaping mood and depth without overwhelming the architecture.
Above The outdoor golf simulator was constructed after engineers carefully studied factors such as wind behaviour to ensure safety regulations were complied with
The outdoor golf simulator was constructed after engineers carefully studied factors such as wind behaviour to ensure safety regulations were complied with
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Even construction constraints became opportunities for ingenuity. Several full-height carpentry and metallic elements exceeded cargo lift limits, requiring modular fabrication and meticulous on-site assembly to achieve seamless results. These behind-the-scenes challenges underscore the discipline and precision that define the project.
Calm, immersive and thoughtfully layered, this penthouse at Soleil @ Sinaran stands as a compelling example of how luxury can be both expressive and eminently liveable.
Credits
Photography: Tim Nolan
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Based in Singapore, Engracia Ang is an experienced writer specialising in home and living content.
