This one-bedroom lane house is built around a glass-roofed atrium that connects the dining area to the kitchen, a distinctive architectural feature rather than a standard corridor, and it floods both spaces with natural light. The kitchen itself is fully fitted with a waterfall marble island and built-in oven, finished to the same standard as the rest of the renovation. At 80 sqm for a single bedroom, there’s real living space here beyond just the bedroom itself. A private outdoor terrace off the kitchen has a marble bar counter and room to sit outside, functioning as an actual outdoor living space rather than a token balcony; more a paved courtyard than a planted garden, worth knowing if greenery specifically matters to you. The rent per square metre runs on the high side for the Jing’an area, but it’s backed up by the generous size, the terrace and the architectural character, rather than being asked for on the strength of the address alone.

A 4-minute walk to Changshu Road metro station, in West Nanjing Road.