Amber Skye Review

Show me the meaning of being homely…

Amber Skye has seven stacks back to back and the entire development rises up like a tower. Its façade is emphasised by the undulating balconies – designed specifically to mimic sea waves.

Amber Skye 3D model

It is hard to actually visualize the impact of this aesthetic choice from the 3D model, so perhaps the design imperative will be more noticeable once the project is completed.

What is visible however, is that it is comparatively smaller in gross area compared to some of the other developments around it.

Side gate to Amber MRT station

Amber Skye scores huge points however for having its side gate lead directly to one of the upcoming Amber MRT station’s entrance/exit.

And if the MRT station is at its doorstep, then the ECP is right next door –a stone’s throw from the main entrance of the development.

Toward Changi Airport or ECP

A few notable things about this development. Firstly, its facilities are considerably less than what is usually offered. There’s the 48m common lap pool, sky terrace, gym and BBQ area. There is no tennis court.

Many developments tend to cram in all the facilities as if checking off a list, even if it means compromising on actual unit sizes. It is good to see that the developer at least, knows where its priorities lie.

Source: China Sonangol Land

There is however, a small feature reminiscent of the super trees at Gardens by the Bay though it will not light up. While this might be disappointing to some people, consider that flickering lights would be a bad distraction for drivers, this close to the road.

The three villas on the ground floor have their own swimming pools, as do the penthouse units, though these are located on the top floor of the triplex penthouse units.

Villas and 48m lap pool

Secondly, each unit, regardless of size, has a private lift that comes up to private foyer.

The lifts are shared between two stacks, for example, residents of stack 4 and 5 use the same lift but when the door opens on a specific floor, it will do so at the private foyer leading to the owner’s unit. This is equivalent to having a private lift without compromising on the small amount of social interaction residents get with their neighbours from time to time.

At the showflat, there are two units; the 2-bedroom loft (1,216 sqft) and the 3-bedroom (1,335 sqft).

2-bedroom loft: There are some luxury developments that offer 2-bedroom units with lofts, which are actually decks you can’t stand up on. It is refreshing then, to actually see a real loft.

Upon entering the unit, you step into the foyer. As a place where you can receive guests, its ceiling height is already 5m. Past that, is the open kitchen, living room, common bedroom, common bathroom and the stairs to the loft/master bedroom.

2-bedroom loft’s kitchen and living room

Interior design treatment aside, when the developer said it was going for a classic Italian style, this statement may come off as somewhat pretentious, if not altogether questionable.

But standing in the living room, on its stone floor under a high ceiling of 6m gives you a sense of depth and height rarely felt in other developments. It makes you understand what it meant by an Italian style. The unit is layered with quality. It is built right into its bones.

But while the ground floor introduces what a luxury apartment can deliver, the loft makes good on that promise.

2-bedroom loft master bedroom

A queen size bed is displayed but from the space, a king size bed could fit with still a lot of room to work with. Even the bathrooms – common and master – are spacious with high quality finishes.

Like the kitchen counter top, the vanity tops for both bathrooms are stone.

The walls and floor tiles for the common bathroom are homogeneous/porcelain but the master bathroom shines with stone walls and floor with mosaic tiles for the fixture wall at the shower area.

2-bedroom loft master bedroom bathroom

2-bedroom loft units are contained in stacks 5 and 6, which is above the entrance to the basement carpark. Those stacks point in the direction of Parkway Parade but the entire stretch is dotted by many condominiums and buildings.

However, peering out of the balcony toward the direction of Amber Point – which is directly in front of Amber Skye’s main entrance – grants a partial view of the sea at East Coast beach and the highway.

3-bedroom: The 3-bedroom at Amber Skye pours on the lavishness from the first moment you step into the unit.

Like its 2-bedroom counterpart (and all the other units), residents and guests alike enter a private foyer that acts as both a welcoming area and a necessary separation of the front door to the living and dining areas.

To get to the living room, you’d have to walk through another door. For developments claiming privacy as one of its hallmarks, then a door/partition is the most basic of requirements.

3-bedroom foyer

While the mirrored closet is ID (interior design) treatment, a closet is still built-in. The stone floor in the foyer and living/dining area is a nice touch as stone is easy to maintain and will improve with age. Its neutral tone also makes it an excellent fit for nearly any style.

The best thing about having stone flooring however is that they can get cold. In Singapore’s scorching heat, this is perfect. And if it does get too cold, especially during monsoon months, then thank goodness for socks.

The foyer door opens up into the living room. The dining area is separated from the living room and sits in its own little nook next to the kitchen.

3-bedroom living and dining areas

The dining space appears ample for a set-up for five to six people, though for a family of three or four in this unit, it’s more than enough.

Importantly, you don’t feel like the walls are closing in on you. On the wall which the booth seat is resting against is a full length ID installed mirror. While not included in the actual unit, it’s quite common in Asian homes.

A mirror that reflects the dining table has Feng Shui connotations. As the dining area represents wealth, putting a mirror on that wall to reflect where you eat multiplies the positive energy attached to your family’s wealth.

3-bedroom dining area

If you don’t believe in Feng Shui, then a mirror makes the area look bigger and more spacious. Who doesn’t want that?

The living room does open up into a balcony and since 3-bedroom units are in stack 3, you get to stand on porcelain flooring in the balcony and stare out toward the city.

Residents on the higher floors of that stack have a decent view of the national stadium. When fireworks go off, you get to see it in all its blinding glory.

If you can’t stand the noise and pretty lights then, fortunately all the glass windows in every unit in the development are double-glazed. These were included because as a small development situated in a very high traffic area, noise can be an issue.

3D model of prominent places view-able from Amber Skye

Units on the higher floors will feel this less than the units on the ground floor, like the villas, though deep balconies and trellises help to provide additional sun shade.

This double-glazed glass system allows only about 30% of solar energy to pass through the glass. In simpler words, incoming heat is reduced by about 70%. As stacks 1, 2 & 3 will get a bit of the west sun, this glass system is extremely vital.

Thus all outward facing panels like in the living/dining and more importantly, bedrooms, are insulated not just from the heat but also noise.

Residents in stacks that face the west sun get to avoid being turned into microwaved humans while others in stacks that face the roads don’t have to listen to traffic dubstep every peak hour. Double-glazed glass is therefore an extremely valuable addition.

A lot of times, you’ll hear that the kitchen is the heart of the home and how a good looking kitchen accentuates a good looking home. Many articles passionately argue these points and if we may re-tread this road again, we have to say that it still rings true.

3-bedroom kitchen

The 3-bedroom unit is wall to floor covered in porcelain. These are strong, durable and easy to clean. Being stain resistant is useful in a cooking area. The grout might attract stains that are harder to clean though so it’s always a good idea to wipe down after cooking certain types of food. However, the grout here is not so deep which is a huge plus where cleaning is concerned.

Be warned that porcelain is very tough and will cause anything fragile to shatter, if dropped on it.

The sink is stainless steel on a stone surface top between built-in high and low cabinets. Premium furnishings require a stone top rather than solid surface and for good reason; they’re more durable, easier to clean and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Smeg branded oven and fridge are also built into the cabinets next to one another. This gives the kitchen an overall neater look and more space to work in.

3-bedroom kitchen with built in oven and fridge

Cooking with two or three people is achievable without them getting in each other’s way. The kitchen also leads to a yard area and a utility room (available only for 3-bedrooms and above). If you have a domestic worker it can be used as sleeping quarters.

If not, you have a pantry layered with the same porcelain flooring to store canned goods. The washing machine with dryer is next to it.

3-bedroom utility room and pantry

But perhaps the nicest thing about this little area is the toilet in front of the washing machine.

In many developments, this bathroom is so small that when you sit on the toilet bowl, you can reach out to wash your hands. Or you can take a shower while sitting down. In Amber Skye, these yard toilets are a lot bigger, and should be more comfortable for users.

3-bedroom washing area in yard

The shower mixer is positioned closer to the door so you can stand up and move around a little while you bath. Talk about simple pleasures in life.

The bedrooms are also noticeably larger which is expected from a luxury development. Queen size beds fit in nicely but if you want more space, then use a super single bed.

The common bathroom is shared by the two regular bedrooms.

3-bedroom shared bathroom

This shared bathroom comes with homogeneous wall tiles and porcelain floors though its vanity top is stone. It’s rather spacious for a shared bathroom.

Guests don’t get access to this (well they can, if they enter your rooms), because they have a common washing area, called the Powder Room.

3-bedroom powder room

This room is smaller but it has a washing basin, mirror and a toilet.

And it must be said; though just a powder room, the stone wall and floor offered are beautiful. It resembles a bathroom from a prestigious hotel, which for a guest wash room, is a smart move for a luxury development.

But as impressive as it, it can’t hold a candle to the private bathroom in the master bedroom.

Passing through the open wardrobe in the master bedroom to the private bathroom is like walking through a portal into a realm so tonally superior to anything else.

3-bedroom master bedroom walk in closet

Its stone walls and floors twinkle under the bright lights, dazzling you like so many stars in the sky. From the threshold, the large wet area draws the eye with its mosaic feature wall.

The rain shower holds much promise – it’ll be like taking a bath at the foot of a waterfall surrounded by the lushness of nature. Decorate with some plants and you’d be definitely close to achieving this effect.

3-bedroom master bathroom

When you step in, the space overwhelms. There is just so much of it. The high-end finishing merely punctuates the quality and sheer scope of design.

Even something as simple as having two sinks in the bathroom elegantly sells the status of this apartment without coming across as excessive, be it in the bathroom or throughout the unit.

3-bedroom master bathroom with ‘His’ and ‘Her’s’ sinks

As for the master bedroom, it is standard fare and somewhat similar to the other two bathrooms, though bigger and with a generous amount of cupboard space

And it goes without saying that the master bedrooms can hold a king size bed adequately, with ample space to spare.

Floors are timber flooring, same as the other bedrooms with the inclusion of the abovementioned walk-in closet that also leads to the private bathroom.

3-bedroom master bedroom

It is luxurious, that is a given. But much care was placed into making it feel that way through layout planning as much as premium finishing and fittings.

It is a marriage between the two and so far, looks to be a happy one.

Villa and Penthouse: While villa and penthouse units weren’t shown to scale at the showflat, the developer did include 3D models of their more prestigious offerings. There are six penthouse and three villa units available.

Villa: The 6-bedroom Grand Villa occupies a total space of about 5, 177 sqft (481 sqm). Since there are no units to scale on display, the 3D models will have to suffice:

Grand Villa basement carpark

The two lot car park is a good addition for a 6-bedroom unit. Residents can walk down via a set of stairs or a private lift. Swanky car model not included.

Grand Villa ground floor

On the bottom level (which is levelled with the roads), is the private swimming pool. The length of the pool is about 11m.

Grand Villa second floor

There are bedrooms on both floors with the layout for both floors similar. The villas have a starting price of approximately $8.8m on PropertyGuru.

Penthouse: The 4-bedroom penthouse covers an area of 4,101 sqft (381 sqm) and only one car park lot is allocated.

4-bedroom Penthouse first level

Penthouse units are triplexes and occupy the highest floors of the 22 floors of the project. Bedrooms are on both floors.

4-bedroom Penthouse second level

It is however, three levels with a private pool on its terrace, which is open air. There is an open area for parties, and a private bathroom/toilet.

4-bedroom Penthouse third level with private pool

If you ever wanted to own a private pool in the vein of the infinity pool on MBS, then Amber Skye offers. Penthouses are roughly 3,300 to 4,100 sqft.