Meng Yan and Jiaxin Lin’s freshly renovated apartment is a masterclass in thoughtful design and natural detail. Fancy a tour of the kitchen?

‘No wasted space’ was the ongoing theme for the renovation of this apartment on the second floor of a Victorian mansion block, says KBB journo Amelia Thorpe. Indeed, Meng Yan and his wife, Jiaxin Lin, began plotting its renovation the second they moved in. “It was liveable, but hadn’t been refurbished since the 1970s, so it needed a thorough update,” recalls Meng, who works in the education sector, as does Jiaxin. While they had been attracted to the two large, light-filled rooms at the front of the apartment when they first viewed the property, they were less enamoured of the small, dark kitchen at the rear, and the awkward lack of flow through the rooms.

The brief

Keen to create a light, bright home suited to modern family life, with a more open feel and a calm and relaxed atmosphere, the couple turned to Woodrow Vizor Architects for help with the remodelling, working collaboratively to share their ideas.

“Our goal was to create shared spaces, whether working or doing household tasks, so that we could be together more,” explains Meng. “This meant moving the kitchen to occupy a more prime position in the apartment.”

By relocating the kitchen to the front of the flat and introducing carefully placed openings between the rooms, they were able to improve the layout. “This established a natural flow through the home while respecting the building’s historic character and original room proportions,” explains architect George Vizor.

For example, a new opening between the new kitchen and library-living space created an open-plan feel, with glazed, steel-framed doors added to preserve definition between rooms.

The vision for the new kitchen

After visiting a few kitchen suppliers, they settled on Sola Kitchens, after meeting senior designer Matthew Collins and realising the benefits of a bespoke service. “By this stage, I knew that we needed custom solutions to suit the height and shape of the room and our specific requirements,” says Meng. “We wanted to maximise the potential of every inch of space.”

Meng explains that another key requirement was a highly functional – as well as aesthetically pleasing – kitchen. “We are from a Chinese cultural background, in which steam cooking and stir frying make up a major part of our daily meals, so effective extraction is essential in an open-plan space,” he says.

The cooking zone

Jiaxin enjoys baking and makes delicious noodles from fresh dough, so she wanted plenty of clear work surface to prepare them. For these reasons, the central island is free of the sink and hob, offering maximum unobstructed preparation space, while the domino induction hobs on the side run include an extractor system with integrated fan and external venting.

“The ducting goes down to the floor and through two rooms to get to the outside, because the apartment is in a conservation area and we couldn’t use the front of the building,” explains Matthew. “It was a complicated installation, but one that ensures fumes are efficiently taken away.”

Another unusual feature of the design is a bespoke tea- and coffee-making cabinet, built into the side of the island, opposite two armchairs in the bay window, where Meng and Jiaxin like to sit together. “When you blow on top of a cup of fresh green tea and let the aroma overtake you, it brings a sense of calm,” says Meng. “We often have nice chats this way, and it’s good not to have to scramble around to prepare refills.”

Design details

Tea- and coffee-making machines are tucked behind two doors, which open and slide into side pockets, allowing for easy access to the equipment. “This means that we can leave the cupboard open without falling over the doors when we are moving about the kitchen,” he continues. “It’s a small detail, but one that really works for us.”

Base kitchen cabinets are finished in natural walnut veneer, contrasting with tall and high-level cupboards spray-painted white so that they almost ‘disappear’ into the walls. “The white accentuates the open feel of the space, while the walnut adds warmth and definition,” says Matthew.

Calm interiors

Softly veined quartz surface worktops complete the scheme, bringing in a subtle sense of movement. George worked with Meng and Jiaxin on other rooms in the apartment. “All the interiors were guided by a calm palette of muted greens, soft off-whites, and natural woods,” says George.

The consistent combination boosts the sense of flow and cohesive feel of the apartment between the living spaces and into the bedrooms and bathrooms. “The project has made an enormous difference to how we feel about the apartment,” continues Meng. “There is less clutter, because everything has a place, making the rooms feel more spacious and our home feel so much more serene, intimate, and welcoming.”

Photography: Chris Snook.

This house tour was featured in the November 2025 issue of Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine.

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