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Every inch of space has been cleverly co-opted in this neat pad in the heart of Hackney. Colour has been applied sparingly but masterfully, reinvigorating its demure Edwardian bones to produce a palette that sings, even in the depths of winter. Particularly lovely are the mornings here, when light pours in through a triad of six-over-six sash windows on the building’s westerly side.

In a picturesque pocket of the Pembrokeshire coastline lies this Grade II-listed house, brilliantly and sensitively converted by its architect owners, the founders of 

. The history of the site is startling: it was first mentioned in the 13th century, though it’s possible that a structure stood on the land even earlier. A palimpsest of architectural periods, the house has a wealth of century-spanning features, from a Romanesque oolite font to a late Arts and Crafts roof.

Unfolding sequentially, this smart apartment in Stepney Green keenly preserves a feel for its turn-of-the-century genesis. Restored and refurbished features have been paired with Farrow and Ball paints to foster a timelessly understated feel. Visible through the apartment’s south-west-facing windows, a large communal garden is well-used by the building’s residents, who often come together to hold barbecues and other social events.

Maurice Webb’s designs for The Grampians, a now Grade II-listed art deco building in west London, were exhibited at the Royal Academy before the building had even been built – and we’d argue that that the real deal is even more impressive. This compact studio, on the building’s uppermost floor, distills much of The Grampians’ interwar brilliance, from warm-toned parquet underfoot to a wide Crittall window with far-reaching views across the capital.

Dating to the early 18th century, this almshouse in the Leicestershire countryside is postcard pretty, with its impressive thatched roof and cherry red-painted front door. In the early 19th century, the almshouses were remodelled in the ‘picturesque’ style that took the country by storm. As a result, this cottage captures the best bits of several centuries’ worth of design. Inside is a sensitively contemporary counterpoint, with soothing views across the surrounding pastoral landscape.

There is something quite literally studio-like about this, well, studio in a private pocket of north London. Its reimagining has a painterly quality, its white-washed walls presented as a sort of soothing blank canvas. It is a home that wouldn’t feel out of place by the coast, with its neutral design, rustic feel and log-burning stove. A tall pitched roof above provides a lofty ambiance, as well as a cleverly tucked-away sleeping platform accessed via an ingenious pulley-controlled ladder.

This characterful house in Rotherfield is encased by its handsomely textured timber frame which can be seen in almost every room, contrasting elegantly with intermittent white-washed walls that glow in the light drawn in through period windows. The house reverberates with charm – not least in the living room, where a log-burning stove within a brick-built fireplace roars during the colder months. There is something retreat-like about the house, with some of the best of the British countryside (including Sissinghurst) in easy reach, its delightful village setting utterly belying its proximity to the capital.

Sophie Sims

Homes

From a church conversion in west Wales to pied-à-terre prospects in the capital, this collection of sub-£500,000 homes encompasses a range of architectural styles and locations. Whether a bolthole or a first-time home, it brings to the fore some of the nation’s best vernacular typologies, putting on full display the variety of homes constructed throughout the centuries.

Bright Beginnings: seven superlative homes under £500,000